In the earliest Vedic hymns, before the rise of the Puranic Trimurti, Varuna was a supreme, all-encompassing sovereign god. The divine origin story of the god Varuna places him as one of the elder Adityas, a son of the cosmic mother Aditi and the sage Kashyapa. He was not just a god, but the very personification of the vast, celestial ocean and the overarching sky. He existed as a primordial force, a divine king who established the fundamental laws of the universe. His birth was not a single event, but part of the initial ordering of the cosmos, where he took his place as the supreme ruler and omniscient guardian of cosmic and moral order.
Varuna's abode is as vast and profound as his power. In the Vedic era, his location was the entire night sky and the celestial ocean that surrounds the world. From this omnipresent vantage point, he watched over all creation. In later Puranic mythology, as his role shifted, his primary abode became the underwater celestial palace of Nirmochini, located deep within the cosmic ocean. He is also revered as one of the great guardians of the directions, the Ashta-Dikpala who rules over the Western direction. This makes the west, the direction of the setting sun and the great ocean, a sacred space deeply connected to Varuna's divine presence and authority.
The primary symbol of Varuna is a direct and potent emblem of his role as the divine judge and keeper of order. The symbolism of Varuna's divine noose, the Pasha, is central to his identity. This is not a weapon for physical warfare, but an instrument of cosmic law. With this unescapable noose, he binds those who transgress the moral law (dharma) and the cosmic order (Rita). It represents the inescapable consequences of one's actions. He is also often depicted holding a pot of water, representing his dominion over the oceans and the very essence of life, which he can grant or withhold.