Vedic Mythology c5.s1.t2.2

c5.s1.t2.2

The anthropomorphism of Varuṇa's personality is more fully developed on the moral than the physical side. The descriptions of his person and his equipment are scanty, more stress being laid on his activity. He has a face, an eye, arms, hands, and feet. He moves his arms, walks, drives, sits, eats and drinks. The poet regards the face (*anīkam*) of Varuṇa as that of Agni (7, 88² cp. 87⁶). The eye of Mitra and Varuṇa is the sun (1, 115¹; 6, 51¹; 7, 61¹. 63¹; 10, 37¹). The fact that this is always mentioned in the first verse of a hymn, suggests that it is one of the first ideas that occur when Mitra and Varuṇa are thought of. The eye with which Varuṇa is said in a hymn to Sūrya (1, 50⁶) to observe mankind, is undoubtedly the sun. Together with Aryaman, Mitra and Varuṇa are called sun-eyed (7, 66¹⁰), a term applied to other gods also. Varuṇa is far-sighted (1, 25⁵. ¹⁶; 8, 90²) and thousand-eyed (7, 34¹⁰). Mitra and Varuṇa stretch out their arms (5, 64²; 7, 62⁵) and they drive with the rays of the sun as with arms (8, 90²). Like Savitṛ and Tvaṣṭṛ they are beautiful-handed (*supāṇī*). Mitra and Varuṇa hasten up with their feet (5, 64⁷), and Varuṇa treads down wiles with shining foot (8, 41⁸). He sits on the strewn grass at the sacrifice (1, 26⁴; 5, 72²), and like other gods he and Mitra drink Soma (4, 41³ &c.). Varuṇa wears a golden mantle (*drāpi*) and puts on a shining robe (1, 25¹³). But the shining robe of ghee with which he and Mitra are clothed (5, 62⁴; 7, 64¹) is only a figurative allusion to the sacrificial offering of melted butter. The glistening garments which they wear (1, 152¹) probably mean the same thing. In the ŚB. (13, 3, 6⁵) Varuṇa is represented as a fair, bald, yellow-eyed old man¹. The only part of Varuṇa's equipment which is at all prominent is his car. It is described as shining like the sun (1, 122¹⁵), as having thongs for a pole (ibid.), a car-seat and a whip (5, 62⁷), and as drawn by well-yoked steeds (5, 62⁴). Mitra and Varuṇa mount their car in the highest heaven (5, 63¹). The poet prays that he may see Varuṇa's car on the earth (1, 25¹⁸).