Varuni

A 13th-century sculpture of Varuni.
A sculpture of Varunani (left) with her consort Varuna

Varuni (Sanskrit: वारुणी, romanized: Vāruṇī) is the name of multiple goddesses associated with the Hindu god Varuna — his wife (also known as Varunani), his daughter (the goddess of wine), and the personification of his shakti (A matrika or mother goddess).[1] Sometimes, these goddesses are identified as one deity. In this context, she is the goddess of wine, who emerged during the Samudra Manthana (churning of the ocean) and chose Varuna as her consort. The term Varuni also refers to an alcoholic drink.[2]

  1. ^ Dalal, Roshen (18 April 2014). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-81-8475-277-9.
  2. ^ Stutley, Margaret (9 April 2019). The Illustrated Dictionary of Hindu Iconography. Routledge. ISBN 978-0-429-62425-4.