Varuni is called Varunidevi, Jaldevi or Varunani. She is also called the ‘Goddess of Wine’, ‘Goddess of Wine and Winning Ways’ and ‘Hindu Wine Goddess’. She is also one of the sixty four Yoginis. It is believed that she came out after the churning of the Ocean (Samudra Manthan) when the ocean was being churned for the Amrta. She got married to Lord Varuna and is often depicted with her husband.
Varuni is described in the RigVeda and she is also one of the Martrkas deity (half fish and half land creature). The Vishnu Purana explains that when the ‘Churning of the ocean’ or the ‘Samudra Manthan’ was taking place, the Daityas dismissed Varuni while she was accepted by the Devas. It is for this reason that the Devas came to be known as Suras while the Daityas were called as Asuras, for rejecting Varuni.
It is believed that Lord Balarama drinks a beverage made from a mixture of honey and curd which is called ‘Varuni’. This beverage makes him completely intoxicated with his eyes rolling. Amid many she-elephants, Balarama appears like the king of elephants.
On another occasion Balarama is believed to be the ‘Avatari – (the source of all avatars) and has two consorts. When he appears as Lord Nityananda, then Varuni and Revati both become Vasudha and Jahnava respectively. Varunidevi is described as an expansion of Revatidevi. It is believed that in the case of Avatars, the personalities could merge into one. Accordingly, Urmiladevi, the consort of Lakshamana, has been described as the combination of both Varuni and Revati.
