The God Varuna on his mount makara, 1675-1700 Painted in: India, Rajasthan, Bundi placed in LACMA museum
Originally a god and then reduced to a demigod in Vedic mythology, Varuna was ultimately demoted to an Asuras or yaksa and made to be the demon of the sea. Varuna was demoted from a solar deity to demon by degrees. Apart from having unlikeable personality, he punished sinners with vengeance, torturing their consciousness, causing sudden death and withholding water, the latter was said to have caused the disease edema to develop, a condition that causes bodily tissues to retain excess water.