Varuna Stotram (Vedic Varuna Sukta)
ऋग्वेद ७.८६ – वसिष्ठ ऋषिकृत वरुण सूक्तम्
What is the Varuna Stotram?
Varuna Sukta The Varuna Stotram commonly refers to Rig Veda 7.86, an eight-verse Vedic hymn composed by Maharishi Vasishtha. In it the sage questions his own conduct and asks Varuna, guardian of rita and lord of the waters, for forgiveness and release from sin.
The Varuna Stotram on this page is Rig Veda 7.86, one of four hymns (7.86 to 7.89) that the sage Vasishtha addressed to Varuna. Rather than listing Varuna’s powers, the hymn turns inward: the sage asks what fault of his has displeased the god and prays to be released from it, the way a calf is loosed from its rope. It is one of the most personal and quietly honest hymns in the whole Rig Veda.
Varuna Stotram Lyrics in Sanskrit and English
The Rig Vedic text of this hymn carries svara (pitch accent) marks – udatta, anudatta and svarita – needed for traditional Vedic chanting. This page presents the plain, accent-free reading (the same convention used on this site's Mantra Pushpam page), so those marks are omitted below for readability. Anyone learning to chant it for ritual use should learn the accents from a qualified teacher or an accented text.
dhira tvasya mahina janumshi vi yastastambha rodasi chidurvi
pra nakamrishvam nunude brihantam dvita nakshatram paprathach cha bhuma
धीरा त्वस्य महिना जनूंषि वि यस्तस्तम्भ रोदसी चिदुर्वी ।
प्र नाकमृष्वं नुनुदे बृहन्तं द्विता नक्षत्रं पप्रथच्च भूम ॥
Meaning
Through his greatness Varuna, wise and steady, held heaven and earth apart and set each in its place. He pushed the high, wide sky into motion and stretched out the earth beneath the ancient stars.
uta svaya tanva sam vade tat kada nu antar varune bhuvani
kim me havyam ahrinano jusheta kada mrilikam sumana abhi khyam
उत स्वया तन्वा सं वदे तत्कदा न्वन्तर्वरुणे भुवानि ।
किं मे हव्यमहृणानो जुषेत कदा मृळीकं सुमना अभि ख्यम् ॥
Meaning
The sage asks his own heart how he can come close to Varuna again. What offering would please the god without stirring his anger, and when will Varuna look on him with a kind mind.
prichchhe tad eno varuna didrikshu upo emi chikitusho vipruchchham
samanam in me kavayash chid ahur ayam ha tubhyam varuno hrinite
पृच्छे तदेनो वरुण दिदृक्षूपो एमि चिकितुषो विपृच्छम् ।
समानमिन्मे कवयश्चिदाहुरयं ह तुभ्यं वरुणो हृणीते ॥
Meaning
Wanting to understand his fault, the sage goes and asks other wise people about it. They all give him the same answer: Varuna is displeased with you.
kim aga asa varuna jyeshtham yat stotaram jighamsasi sakhayam
pra tan me vocho dulabha svadhavo ava tvanena namasa tura iyam
किमाग आस वरुण ज्येष्ठं यत्स्तोतारं जिघांससि सखायम् ।
प्र तन्मे वोचो दूळभ स्वधावोऽव त्वानेना नमसा तुर इयाम् ॥
Meaning
He asks Varuna directly what great wrong he has done that the god would want to harm a devoted friend who sings his praise. He asks the unconquerable lord to tell him plainly, so he can approach again with an open heart, bowing in respect.
ava drugdhani pitrya srija no ava ya vayam chakrima tanubhih
ava rajan pashutripam na tayum srija vatsam na damno vasishtham
अव द्रुग्धानि पित्र्या सृजा नोऽव या वयं चकृमा तनूभिः ।
अव राजन्पशुतृपं न तायुं सृजा वत्सं न दाम्नो वसिष्ठम् ॥
Meaning
He prays for release from the faults passed down from earlier generations and from the wrongs he has done himself. Like a king freeing a herdsman falsely held as a thief, or a calf loosed from its rope, let Vasishtha be set free.
na sa svo dakshah varuna dhrutih sa sura manyur vibhidako achittih
asti jyayan kaniyasa upare svapnashchaned anritasya prayota
न स स्वो दक्षो वरुण ध्रुतिः सा सुरा मन्युर्विभीदको अचित्तिः ।
अस्ति ज्यायान्कनीयस उपारे स्वप्नश्चनेदनृतस्य प्रयोता ॥
Meaning
Our failings, he says, are rarely by our own clear will. Intoxication, anger, gambling and thoughtlessness lead us astray, an elder can lead a younger one wrong, and even sleep does not fully excuse a person from wrongdoing.
aram daso na milhushe karani aham devaya bhurnaye anagah
achetayad achito devo aryo gritsam raye kavitaro junati
अरं दासो न मीळ्हुषे कराण्यहं देवाय भूर्णयेऽनागाः ।
अचेतयदचितो देवोअर्यो गृत्सं रायेकवितरो जुनाति ॥
Meaning
Like a servant serving a generous master, the sage wants to serve Varuna without offense, since the god is gentle to the innocent yet still capable of anger. Varuna gives understanding to the simple and guides the wise on toward prosperity.
ayam su tubhyam varuna svadhavo hridi stoma upashritashchid astu
sham nah ksheme shamu yoge no astu yuyam pata svastibhih sada nah
अयं सु तुभ्यं वरुण स्वधावो हृदि स्तोम उपश्रितश्चिदस्तु ।
शं नः क्षेमे शमु योगे नो अस्तु यूयं पात स्वस्तिभिः सदा नः ॥
Meaning
May this hymn of praise reach Varuna and rest close to his heart. May all be well in rest and in daily work, and may the gods watch over the singer always with their blessings.
The Meaning Behind the Varuna Stotram
Varuna is one of the oldest gods of the Rig Veda, the guardian of rita, the cosmic and moral order that keeps the sun on its path, the rivers flowing to the sea, and human conduct honest. In hymn 7.86, Maharishi Vasishtha does not praise Varuna’s power in the abstract. He turns inward, asking what he has done to displease the god, and admits that most human failings come not from a clear intent to do wrong but from intoxication, anger, gambling, thoughtlessness, or the pull of bad company.
The hymn’s central image is release: a calf loosed from its tether, a herdsman set free by a fair king. Varuna, as lord of the waters and the oceans, is asked to loosen the bonds of sin the way water loosens a knot. This is why the sukta became closely tied to purification and confession, recited before ritual acts that call for a clean conscience, such as consecrating water for a puja or setting out on a journey over water.
How and When to Chant the Varuna Stotram
- – Bathe or at least wash your hands and face before reciting, since the hymn itself is a prayer about purity.
- – Sit facing east, or facing a source of water if one is nearby.
- – Light a lamp and keep a small vessel of water in front of you.
- – Recite the eight verses slowly and in order, following the sense of each line rather than rushing through it.
- – Offer a little water (arghya) toward the ground, or into a river or the sea, after the recitation.
- – Close with the phrase Om Vam Varunaya Namah and sit quietly for a moment before rising.
Benefits of Reciting the Varuna Stotram
Regular recitation of this hymn is associated with the following, though its real value lies as much in the honest self-examination it asks for as in any external result.
- : Encourages a clear, honest look at one's own conduct rather than blaming outside forces for setbacks.
- : Traditionally recited to seek relief from what astrology calls Varuna dosha or jal dosha, difficulties linked to water or emotional imbalance.
- : Believed to bless water used in a puja, a new well, a boat, or a journey by sea or river.
- : Cultivates humility, since the hymn is a confession rather than a demand for favors.
- : Recited in some households during the monsoon as a prayer for adequate, well timed rain.
- : Offers a short, complete Vedic hymn to Varuna for those who want an authentic text rather than a later composition.
Origin: Rig Veda, Mandala 7, Sukta 86
This hymn is Sukta 86 of the seventh Mandala of the Rig Veda, one of four consecutive hymns (7.86 to 7.89) that Maharishi Vasishtha addressed to Varuna. Mandala 7 is traditionally called the Vasishtha Mandala because its hymns are attributed to this rishi and his family line, and these particular verses are counted among the most personal and self-questioning hymns in the entire Rig Veda.
The meter is mostly Trishtup, an eleven-syllable Vedic line, with small variations noted verse to verse by the tradition’s commentators. Both this hymn (7.86) and an earlier one, Rig Veda 1.25, attributed to the sage Shunahshepa, are referred to in Sanskrit manuscript collections as a Varuna Sukta. This page follows 7.86, since it is the shorter, self-contained hymn with the stronger tradition of devotional recitation, rather than an excerpt from the longer 1.25.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Varuna?
Varuna is one of the oldest deities of the Rig Veda, associated with the sky, the oceans and rivers, and rita, the cosmic and moral order. In later Puranic tradition he becomes the regent of the western direction and the god of the seas.
Which Veda and hymn is this Varuna Stotram from?
It is Sukta 86 of Mandala 7 of the Rig Veda, composed by Maharishi Vasishtha and addressed to Varuna, mostly in the Trishtup meter.
Is Varuna Stotram the original Vedic name for this hymn?
The Rig Veda itself calls it a sukta, not a stotram. Later tradition and modern collections commonly present it as a Varuna Stotram or Varuna Suktam because of how widely it is recited in worship, but that label is a devotional convenience rather than the Vedic title.
Why does the hymn mention the sins of our fathers?
Vedic thought held that unresolved faults, including ritual errors or broken oaths, could carry forward through a family line. Verse 5 asks Varuna to release both inherited faults and personal ones.
Who is Vasishtha, named in verse 5?
Vasishtha is the rishi who composed this hymn. Referring to himself by name in the third person within his own verse is a device found in several Vedic hymns.
Why does this page omit the Vedic svara (accent) marks?
The original Rig Vedic text carries pitch-accent marks needed for traditional chanting. This page presents the plain, accent-free reading for readability, matching the convention used on this site's Mantra Pushpam page. Anyone chanting it for ritual use should learn the accents from a qualified teacher or an accented text.
When is the best time to recite the Varuna Stotram?
There is no single prescribed time, but it is commonly recited during the monsoon, before rituals involving water such as Kalasha sthapana, and before travel over water.
Is this the same text used in Vedic pujas as Varuna Suktam?
Sanskrit manuscript collections list both Rig Veda 1.25 and 7.86 under the heading Varuna Sukta. This page uses 7.86, the eight-verse hymn by Vasishtha; some ritual compilations instead use 1.25 or a mix of verses from both.
॥ ॐ वं वरुणाय नमः ॥