The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c16.s2.11

v1.c16.s2.11

But more important than these physical attributes of the god are his moral qualities, his control of the order of the world in its ethical aspect no less than in its physical, his connexion with the worshipper as the saviour in time of peril and distress, the freer from sin, the merciful god, as well as the punisher of the sinner to whom he sends the disease, dropsy, which accords with his nature as lord of the waters. This characteristic of Varuṇa is one which will most conveniently be considered below (Chap. 16), but it is essential to note that this side of Varuṇa’s nature is one which steadily disappears in the later texts, though it does not absolutely vanish.³