Now comes the great dialogue between Indra and Varuṇa, each proclaiming his supremacy, each boasting of his might and his deeds. Hear them speak!

INDRA: "I am the greatest among the devas, the lord of heaven, the slayer of Vṛtra. My power knoweth no bounds. Have I not shattered the serpent that lay coiled in the mountains? Have I not freed the waters and made them flow to every land? When I strike with my thunderbolt, the very heavens tremble. No god is equal to me; no deva dares to contest my supremacy."

VARUṆA: "Thou speakest of thy deeds, O Indra, and truly they are great. Yet know thou that I am the mightier of the two. For I am the upholder of ṛta, the cosmic order upon which all things depend. Without my vigilance, chaos would reign; the world would dissolve into formlessness. I see all things, knowest all things. No secret is hidden from me, no wrong escapeth my sight. The foundations of the earth rest upon my will."

INDRA: "Thou art mighty in thy way, O Varuṇa, yet thy might is of knowledge and order. Mine is the might of action and victory! When Trasadasyu rode forth into battle, it was I who granted him the power to slay his enemies. Tens of thousands did he destroy through my favour. The mortal warrior who calls upon me is invincible. The god who opposes me is cast down."

VARUṆA: "And yet, O Indra, without the cosmic order that I maintain, thy victories would be hollow and fleeting. The warrior who breaketh the sacred oath may slay his foes, but I shall find him, and I shall bind him with chains that cannot be broken. Ask thyself: which is the greater power — to strike down a foe for a moment, or to maintain the structure of reality itself for all eternity?"

And thus they speak, each proclaiming his greatness, each correct, for both are essential. Neither can exist without the other. Strength without order is chaos; order without strength is weakness. The wise know that both Indra and Varuṇa must be honoured, must be invoked, must be appeased.