Varuni

Also known as Madira or Suradevi, Varuni is the goddess of alcohol and intoxication, having the same name as a strong wine made from date palm syrup! She acts as a source of strength or energy, a vehicle of divine communication and as a goddess who moves through saps, honeys and juices. Varuni is also associated with divine intoxication, depicted pouring wine for other deities. She embodies pleasure, bliss and liberation, encouraging joy, revelry, freedom and spiritual catharsis. Even beyond physical intoxication, Varuni also presides over transcendence, liberating bliss and spiritual ecstasy! Intoxication is viewed differently in Sanatana Dharma than it is elsewhere. Rather than shunning or discouraging sensual pleasures, intoxication is a legitimate spiritual path for attaining enlightenment! Varuni is a guide in transcending moksha, her spirits giving the soul the briefest state of liberation from earthly worries. Her worshippers believe that ecstasy and joy can become a pathway to samsara!

Varuni's husband is the god of water, Varuna and she was born from Samudra Manthana, the great churning of the ocean in which both the Devas and the Asuras were seeking the nectar of immortality. In fact, she is seen as one of the treasures which arose from this event, choosing to side with the Devas and becoming their symbol of victory--especially since she symbolizes this divine nectar, amrita! Together with her husband, the god of cosmic order and water, this pair represent spiritual control and release. Varuni controls cosmic order while Varuna embodies spiritual freedom and release. Together they also represent the flow of emotions and the balance between earthly pleasure and divine purpose.

There are no festivals dedicated to Varuni alone but she is frequently invoked in Varuna's festivals and in abundance rituals such as harvest festivals. She also plays a role in Holi, a festival of color and joy where attendees drink and break their usual social restrictions in order to embody Varuni. But far more often Varuni influences tantric practices involving wine or other intoxicants, in rituals which alter consciousness. However, proper guidance under these influences and a need for respect is important, these practices less about indulgence than about surrendering to the divine.

Frequently depicted offering alcohol to other gods, Varuni is most associated with wine which is symbolic of amrita, desired by both humans and devas! With distinct beauty and a complexion resembling that of a conch shell or crystal, Varuni has four arms and carries lotus buds. She rides the same vahana as her husband, a Makara, which is a sea creature resembling a crocodile. Otherwise, Varuni is adorned by flower garlands, bracelets and a golden crown.