ɪnðə ɹˈɪɡvɛdə, ðɪ ˈoʊldɪst ʌvðə vˈɛdɪk tˈɛksts, mˈɪtɹə ɪz mˈoʊstli ˌɪndɪstˈɪŋɡwɪʃəbəl fɹʌm vɑːɹɹˈuːnə, təɡˌɛðɚ wɪð hˈuːm mˈɪtɹə fˈɔːɹmz ɐ dˈiːvˈændvə pˈɛɹ mˈɪtɹəvɑːɹɹˈuːnə, ænd ɪnwˌɪtʃ mˈɪtɹəvɑːɹɹˈuːnə hɐz ᵻsˈɛnʃəli ðə sˈeɪm kˌæɹɪktɚɹˈɪstɪks æz vɑːɹɹˈuːnə ɐlˈoʊn.
In the Rigveda, the oldest of the Vedic texts, Mitra is mostly indistinguishable from Varuna, together with whom Mitra forms a dvandva pair Mitra-Varuna, and in which Mitra-Varuna has essentially the same characteristics as Varuna alone.