7/20/2014

Lord Agni, the First God in the Vedas

Agni is the first word of the first prayer of the first Veda. Lord Agni is the
revered Fire God and accepter of sacrifices of the ancient world and even
today. He is also the divine messenger of the gods between different
worlds. He bridges humankind and heavenly orders - so all the sacrifices
are made to him in order to go to numerous deities in the cosmos. He has
the ability to transfer offerings across existences and is the link between
heaven and earth.
The brother of Lord Indra is ever young and immortal, being lit and re-lit
every day. His name itself literally means fire Ignis (Latin) and Agni
(Sanskrit). He is equivalently said to be the fire of the colossal sun and
countless stars, of powerful lightning and of the hearth that men light for
worship. While other gods exist faraway in different realms and have
personified representation on earth, he is the one who remains closest to
man in an elemental form. In fact the Fire God is the contact point of all
gods and he is said to encompass them as the circumference of a great
wheel, with each god being a spoke.
In the sacred Rig Veda he is sometimes addressed as Lord Rudra, who is
regarded by scholars to be a precursor of Lord Shiva. Though the Guardian
of the South East has no major sect in modern Hindu practices (except a
handful of Agnihotri Brahmins), he is invoked in all religious ceremonies
and pujas. Alongside Lord Indra and Lord Varuna, he is a part of the three
supreme Vedic gods who once ruled the roost. Gradually across centuries
without losing his esteemed standing he successfully transitioned into the
complex tiered Hindu pantheon of deities.

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Lord Agni, the First God in the Vedas

In most scriptures, Lord Agni is described as a ruddy-faced and double

headed divine being. While one face is benevolent and marks immortality,
the other face is malevolent and denotes the mysterious symbol of life.
His hair is his most amazing feature as it stands on end like fiery glowing
flames. His dark eyes peer through against his flushed red skin. The Fire
God wears a spectacular garland of beautiful fruit. Some accounts say that
he has three tongues while others say seven. Lord Agni has three legs
and seven arms and his vahana or vehicle is his prized ram. Flames of fire
shoot out from his mouth and seven streams of glory emanate from his
body.
According to one of the famous hymns from the Rig Veda, Lord Indra and
the other gods were summoned to kill the Rakshas who were flesh eaters
or Kravyads. Agni was a Kravyad himself whose flames consumed dead
bodies. While the other gods were baffled by the demons, Agni devoured
his enemies by producing two iron tusks. He further heatd up his seven
streams and drove them through the hearts of the Rakshasas. Another
famous tale is how he even overcame his brother the Lord of Thunder and
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Lord Agni, the First God in the Vedas

Rain to burn down the Khandava forest in order to regain his strength.
Similar to Lord Indras origin, there are several versions of the story of the
birth of Lord Agni. Some accounts say that he is the son of the Sky God
Dyaus and Earth Mother Prithvi. Others claim that he is the son of Brahma
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and is thus called called Abhimani. He is also said to be the son of

Kashyapa and Aditi. So he is an Aditya just like Lord Indra. Later day
scriptures attribute his origin to Angiras, the king of Pitris (the fathers of
mankind) and there are many hymns dedicated to this form of the Fire
God.
The swift messenger of divine and earthly communication is known by
many appellations. The most prominent ones include Vahni (burnt
sacrifice), Chhagaratha (he who rides the ram), Saptajihva (7 tongued
one), Dhananjaya (who conquers riches), Vitihotra (he who purifies the
worshipper), Jivalana (the one who burns) and dhumketu (whose symbol
is smoke) amongst others. He is believed to be a great sage and the
most divine one of all. He is the protector of all ceremonies so whether
marriage or death, his presence is a must. He enables mortals to justly
serve the gods in the proper manner and which they cannot do without
him in the process of puja. He even joins earth-visiting gods and shares
the reverence that they receive in temples, homes and shrines. According
to the Vishnu Purana he married Swaha, by whom he has three sons
Pavaka, Pavamana and Suchi. Hence, when offerings are made to Agni,
Swahas name is always taken while reciting Om Namaha Swaha.

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Lord Agni, the First God in the Vedas

Lord Agnis dwelling place is the most fascinating and unique. He dwells
in every abode and lives with every worshipful family that light a fire, a
lamp or an incense flame. This supreme mediator between god and man is
thus also known as the Lord of the House and blesses those who absorb
the sacred warmth of his fire. He is also a welcoming entity for other gods
as he sustains lamps during various Indian festivals and greets gods as
they enter the homes of mortals.
Praying to Lord Agni ensures several lifelong benefits including success
and material wealth. He nourishes those who offer food and protect
worshippers from enemies. In fact he is present in all phases of mortal
life when diyas are lit honoring birth, during birthdays when lamps or
candles on cakes are lit, and prayers during the coming of age
ceremonies. Of course the Fire Lord presides over Hindu weddings as the
holy union happens during the seven pheras (the bride and groom encircle
the fire seven times) before being pronounced man and wife. Lord Agni is
said to help man tide over calamities and also forgive sinners by showing
them the light and guiding them in inner reflection. At funerals, at the
time of cremation the Fire God warms the immortal part of the deceased,
and in his most auspicious form accompanies souls on their journey to the
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Lord Agni, the First God in the Vedas

heavens.
Thus Lord Agni is invoked for all temporal good wealth, food and
liberation.

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Radha Pukan

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12 Comments
Nice and useful information Sir, thank you..
arunachala
Jun 16 2014 03:02 AM

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Sir,
sekharsdr@gmail.com
Jun 16 2014 08:59 AM

Nice & Educative.

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Expect many more like this from VEDAS.Thank you very much sir
subbarayulu.k
Jun 16 2014 11:44 AM

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This is interesting and unknown info,thanks!!

ramanathan
Jun 16 2014 12:55 PM

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Sita Ram,
gyandeo persad
Jun 16 2014 01:56 PM

The Swaha Chaleesa is the only chaleesa compiled out of India and dedicated to
Swaha Devi, the consort of Agni. There is also the Swaha Artee which was written by
the same person, Pt. Gyandeo Persad. There is also an orthodox Hindu organisation
called Swaha Inc. inTrinidad. Thanks for the info on Agni devata,now all must know the
importance of Swaha Devi.

To recieve a copy of the Swaha Chaleesa and Swaha Artee please contact me.

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