Indra and Varuna in Indian Mythology

Indra and Varuna are the two most important archetypal symbols of Indian mythology. This book reviews the development of the myths related to there figures in the entire Vedic literature, the Mahabharata and the principal Puranas. It studies the meterological, physiological, psychological, political, social, religious and philosophical interpretations of these two mythological and literary images. This book concludes that mythically the two most important and exalted Vedic Gods-Indra and Varuna of Vedas fall of from their position at the emergence of the Hindu trinity in the Mahabharata and the Puranas but philosophically they remain as important as before representing the two complementary aspects of the cosmic reality at various levels of existence. One represents the truth of being, the other the truth of becoming; one represents the spirit, the other the matter; one symbolizes the vast creative principle and the other the enveloping formless void; one denotes metaphorically the day, and the other the night.

About the Author

D. Usha Choudhuri (b. 1937)

Gold Medalist in M.A. Sanskrit, PhD, Delhi Vedavacaspati, Gurukul Kangri University.

Lecturer of Sanskrit, Indra-prastha College/ Delhi University for over 22 years.

Guest Professor of Vedic thought and classical literature, University of Bucharest, Romania, 1973-74.

Author of Indra and Varuna in Indian Mythology and various other research papers.

Specialization in Vedic literature, Mythology and Archetypal criticism.