AGNI
The opening line itself points out the roll of Agni in protecting from the
rogues and vandalism.
नाना । हि । अग्ने । अवसे । स्पर्धन्ते । रायः । अर्यः । तूर्वन्तः । दस्युम् ।
आयवः । व्रतैः । सीक्षन्तः । अव्रतम् ॥ R V 6 14 3
nānā | hi | agne | avase | spardhante | rāyaḥ | aryaḥ | tūrvantaḥ | dasyum
| āyavaḥ | vrataiḥ | sīkṣantaḥ | avratam
he (agne) vidvan ! jo (hi) nischaya (nana) anek (avratam) dharmmayukt karmm
se rahit (dasyum) dusht jan ki (turvantah) hinsa karate aura (vrataih)
karmmom se (sikshantah) sahane ki icha karate hua (aayavah) manushya
(avase) rakshan adi ke liye (spardhante) dusre ki badai ko nahim sahate
han, unake (rayah) dhan ka (aryyah) svaami satkar kare
O (Agne) learned one! Those (हि) surely (नाना) many (अव्रतम्) devoid of
righteous deeds (दस्युम्) the wicked (ऊर्न्तः) doing violence and (वृतैः)
with deeds (सीक्षन्तः) wishing to endure (आयवः) men (अवसे) for protection
etc. *do not tolerate the praise of others* ॥3॥
Nānā “variously; differently; many; individually.”/spardhante < spṛdh
“rival.”/rāyo
< rāyaḥ < rai “wealth; possession; rai [word]; gold.”//aryaḥ <
ari//tūrvanto
< tūrvantaḥ < tūrv “overpower.”//dasyum < dasyu “savage; outcast;
mugger.” //“vrata (vote); commandment; law; oath; command; rule; custom;
vrata [word]; rule; behavior.” //avratam < avrata “disobedient; evil.”
अग्निः । अप्साम् । ऋतिसहम् । वीरम् । ददाति । सत्पतिम् । यस्य । त्रसन्ति ।
शवसः । सम्चक्षि । शत्रवः । भिया ॥R V 6 14 4
agniḥ | apsām | ṛti-saham | vīram | dadāti | sat-patim | yasya | trasanti |
śavasaḥ | sam-cakṣi | śatravaḥ | bhiyā
“Agni bestows (upon his worshippers) a male descendant, (the performer of
good) works, the subduer of foes, the protector of the virtuous, at whose
appearance his enemies tremble through fear of his prowess.”
O men! (यस्य) whose (शभवः) strength (संचक्षि) face (भिया) fear (शत्रवः)
enemies (त्रसन्ति) are disturbed is (अग्निः) the great strong heroic man (
अपसाम्) dividing the best deeds and (ऋतीषहम्) bearing enemies who obtain
the things of others (सत्पतिम्) protector of the best (वीरम्) to the heroic
man (ददाति) gives.
Connotation: -Those celibates who are self-controlled and learned and do
not remove the power of body and soul, from them the enemies flee in fear
or come under their control.
In the Vedic era, Agni is considered as the mediator between the deities
and the devotees or sages. In the Viṣṇudharmottarapurāṇa it is clearly
stated that the requirement of making of temple is most important in the
Kaliyuga. Because, in the three other yugas i.e.,, Kṛta, Tretā and Dvāpara;
people could realize the existence of Gods and had tried directly to
connect themselves with the supreme spirit. But in the Kaliyuga it is
totally impossible due to the growth of unlawful activities in the society.
Agni (अग्नि).—
The God of Fire also known as Hutāśana, Havyavāhana and Vahni.1
A place sacred to Agni in the Sarasvatī which Vidura visited.2
Svāhā and her three sons are deities presiding over Agni.3
One of the gods with power to confer boons or pronounce curse on the
world, curse on elephants.4
On the tail of Śiśumāra.5
Invested by the māyā of Bhagavān, Agni does not sometimes understand his
will and work.6
A guardian of the world.7
The mouth of Hari as embodying all Vedas.8
Is pleased with a devotee of Hari.9
Even the powerful Agni could not digest Brahman’s property when
misappropriated.10
Identified with Hari.11
Swallowed the seed of Śiva borne by Gaṅgā as a punishment for disturbing
Umā's union with the Lord, and unable to digest it, he discharged it into a
bush of reeds (śarakānana) where it became Kumāra.12
Goes round Dhruva.13
Presented Ājagava bow to Pṛthu.14
Married a daughter of Dakṣa.15
Worshipped in Kuśadvīpa.16
His son was Manu Svārociṣa.17
Fought with Puloma in a Devāsura war,18
followed Indra's army against Kṛṣṇa who took away Pārijāta from heaven.
Beaten by Kṛṣṇa, he escaped alive from the field.19
His town visited by Arjuna in search of a dead child of a Brāhman of
Dvārakā. 20
13) Sky. अग्निर्मूर्धा (agnirmūrdhā) Muṇḍ 2.1.4. [cf. L. ignis.]
[Agni is the God of Fire, the Ignis of the Latins and Ogoni of the
Slavonians. He is one of the most prominent deities of the Rigveda. He, as
an immortal, has taken up his abode among mortals as their guest; he is the
domestic priest, the successful accomplisher and protector of all
ceremonies; he is also the religious leader and preceptor of the gods, a
swift messenger employed to announce to the immortals the hymns and to
convey to them the oblations of their worshippers, and to bring them down
from the sky to the place of sacrifice. He is sometimes regarded as the
mouth and the tongue through which both gods and men participate in the
sacrifices. He is the lord, protector and leader of people, monarch of men,
the lord of the house, friendly to mankind, and like a father, mother,
brother &c. He is represented as being produced by the attrition of two
pieces of fuel which are regarded as husband and wife. Sometimes he is
considered to have been brought down from heaven or generated by Indra
between two clouds or stones, created by Dyau, or fashioned by the gods
collectively. In some passages he is represented as having a triple
existence, which may mean his threefold manifestations as the sun in
heaven, lightning in the atmosphere, and as ordinary fire on the earth,
although the three appearances are also elsewhere otherwise explained. His
epithets are numberless and for the most part descriptive of his physical
characteristics : धूमकेतु, हुतभुज्, शुचि, रोहिताश्व, सप्तजिह्व, तोमरधर,
घृतान्न, चित्रभानु, ऊर्ध्वशोचिस्, शोचिष्केश, हरिकेश, हिरण्यदन्त, अयोदंष्ट्र
(dhūmaketu, hutabhuj, śuci, rohitāśva, saptajihva, tomaradhara, ghṛtānna,
citrabhānu, ūrdhvaśocis, śociṣkeśa, harikeśa, hiraṇyadanta, ayodaṃṣṭra) &c.
In a celebrated passage he is said to have 4 horns, 3 feet, 2 heads, and 7
hands. The highest divine functions are ascribed to Agni. He is said to
have spread out the two worlds and produced them, to have supported heaven,
formed the mundane regions and luminaries of heaven, to have begotten Mitra
and caused the sun to ascend the sky. He is the head and summit of the sky,
the centre of the earth. Earth, Heaven and all beings obey his commands. He
knows and sees all worlds or creatures and witnesses all their actions. The
worshippers of Agni prosper, they are wealthy and live long. He is the
protector of that man who takes care to bring him fuel. He gives him riches
and no one can overcome him who sacrifices to this god. He confers, and is
the guardian of, immortality. He is like a water-trough in a desert and all
blessing issue from him. He is therefore constantly supplicated for all
kinds of boons, riches, food, deliverance from enemies and demons, poverty,
reproach, childlessness, hunger &c. Agni is also associated with Indra in
different hymns and the two gods are said to be twin brothers. Such is the
Vedic conception of Agni; but in the course of mythological
personifications he appears as the eldest son of Brahmā and is called
Abhimānī [Viṣṇu Purāṇa]. His wife was Svāhā; by her, he had 3 sons Pāvaka,
Pavamāna and Śuchi; and these had forty-five sons; altogether 49 persons
who are considered identical with the 49 fires. He is also represented as a
son of Aṅgiras, as a king of the Pitṛs or Manes, as a Marut and as a
grandson of Śāṇḍila, and also as a star. The Harivaṃśa describes him as
clothed in black, having smoke for his standard and head-piece and carrying
a flaming javelin. He is borne in a chariot drawn by red horses and the 7
winds are the wheels of his car. He is accompanied by a ram and sometimes
he is represented as riding on that animal. Agni was appointed by Brahamā
as the sovereign of the quarter between the south and east, whence the
direction is still known as Āgneyī. The Mahābhārata represents Agni as
having exhausted his vigour and become dull by devouring many oblations at
the several sacrifices made by king Śvetaki, but he recruited his strength
by devouring the whole Khāṇḍava forest; for the story see the word खाण्डव
(khāṇḍava)].
Agni is the invariable agent in the process of Paka (digestion,
transformation). Ingested food is to be digested, absorbed and assimilated,
which is unavoidable for the maintenance of life, and is performed by the
Agni. Different examples are available in our classics to indicate that
Pitta is the same as Agni, but some doubt arises behind this concept, that
Pitta is Agni. Agni is innumerable because of its presence in each and
every paramanu of the body. But, the enumeration of the number of Agni
varies in various classical Ayurvedic texts. According to the functions and
site of action, Agni has been divided into 13 types, i.e. one Jatharagni,
five Bhutagni and seven Dhatvagni. Jatharagni is the most important one,
which digests four types of food and transforms it into Rasa and Mala. The
five Bhutagnis act on the respective bhutika portion of the food and
thereby nourish the Bhutas in the body. The seven Dhatvagni act on the
respective dhatus by which each Dhatu is broken into three parts. In this
way, the entire process of transformation consists of two types of products
– PRasad (essence) and Kitta (excrete). The former is taken for nourishment
while the latter one is thrown out, which otherwise defiles the body if it
stays longer. Keywords: Agni, bhutagni, dhatvagni, jatharagni, Pitta
Though there is some controversy regarding the form of Draviṇodā, still
most commentators agree that he is one of the forms of Agni. Commonly it is
known that the word draviṇam means wealth and who is the giver of wealth is
Draviṇodā. So the word would mean ‘giver of wealth’. This thing has been
mentioned in Bṛhaddevatā, 1.67. Again in the Ṛg-Veda, I.15.7, the god has
been praised by the Soma pressers for wealth.[1] Similarly in the next
verse i.e. Ṛ.V., I.15.8, the same idea has been expressed and the invoker
having pressing stone in hand, praises the god to give wealth.
In the Nirukta,Yāska quotes Śākapūṇi and as per him Agni is Draviṇodā. He
quotes the Ṛg-Veda, I.96.1,where it is mentioned that the gods hold
Draviṇodā, who is the substratum of oblation (draviṇodām). In this verse,
the terrestrial fire is Draviṇodā as per Yāska (Nirukta, 8.1). However,
towards the last of this chapter Yāska is of the opinion that this Agni is
Draviṇodā. To prove his point he has cited the verseof Ṛgveda 11.37.3 and
explained various words which favours the sense of Agni as Draviṇodā.
Śaunaka also has tried to explain the word Draviṇodā and in course of his
explanations,called it Indra also (Bṛhaddevatā 3.61). The seers churn him
at the sacrifice (3.62). He is called by the name Draviṇodā because he has
been designated as 'son of seers', 'son of strength' etc. (3.64). Also he
is the giver of wealth (3.61).40b It is seen that in the Ṛg-Veda, Draviṇodā
has been invoked in four verses (I.15.7-10) and it appears that in spite of
different opinions of scholars regarding the concept of this god, mostly he
is thought of as a form of Agni.
Synonyms of Agni.
"agnirvaiśvānaro' vahniḥ vītihotro dhanañjayaḥ kṛpīṭayonir jvalano
jātavedāstanūnapāt barhiśśūṣmā kṛṣṇavartmā śociṣkeśaḥ uṣarbhudhaḥ āśrayāśo
bṛhadbhānuḥ kṛśānuḥ pāvako'nalaḥ rohitāśvo vāyusakhaḥ śikhāvānāśuśukṣaṇiḥ
hiraṇyaretaḥ hutabhuk dahano havyavāhanaḥ śaptārcirdamunāḥ
śukra-ścitrabhānurvibhāvasuḥ śucirappittamaurvastu bāḍavo baḍavānalaḥ
vahnerdvayorjvālakīlā-varcirhetiḥ śikhā striyām triṣu sphuliṅgognikaṇaḥ
kṣantāpaḥ sajvaraḥ samau ulkāsyānnirgata jvālā bhūtir bhasita bhasmanī
kṣāro rakṣā ca dāvastu davo vanahutāśaṅaḥ. (amarakośa)"
The synonyms:
1) Agni, Vaiśvānaraḥ, Vahniḥ, Vītihotra, Dhanañjaya, Kṛpīṭayoni, Jvalana,
Jātavedas, Tanūnapāt, Barhis, Śūṣmā, Kṛṣṇavartmā, Sociṣkeśa, Uṣarbhudha,
Aśrayāśa, Bṛhadbhānu, Kṛśānu, Pāvaka, Anala, Rohitāśva, Vāyusakha,
Sikhāvān, Āśuśukṣaṇi, Hiraṇyaretas, Hutabhuk, Dahana, Havyavāhana,
Saptārcis, Damuna, Śukra, Citrabhānu, Vibhāvasu, Śuci, Appitta.
2) Baḍavāgni: Aurva, Bāḍava, Baḍavānala.
3) Agnijvālā: Jvalā, Kīla, Arcis, Heti, Sikhā. (Flame)
4) Sparks: Sphuliṅga, Agnikaṇa.
5) Heat: Santāpa, Sajvara.
6) Firebrand: Ulkā.
7) Ashes: Bhūti, Bhasita, Bhasma, Kṣāra, Rakṣa.
8) Wild-fire: Dāva, Dava, Vanahutāśana.
*) Manas=Mind. Putra=Son. Mānasa-putras are sons created from the mind of
Brahmā, Śloka 10, Chapter 65, Ādi Parva, Mahābhārata
**) Kathāsaritsāgara gives another version of why Agni went and hid himself
under the ocean. When Kāma, the God of Love, was burnt to death by Śiva,
Pārvatī, Śivā’s wife, did not find a way to get a child for her from her
husband. At last Brahmā approached Śiva and told him that the absence of
Kāma was making creation difficult. Śiva then declared that thereafter Kāma
would find a place in the minds of all living beings including himself.
Pārvatī and Śiva immediately commenced a sexual life which went on
incessantly for a hundred years without reaching the climax. The world was
agitated and the universe stood on the verge of ruin. The Devas decided to
send Agni to intervene But Agni was afraid of Śiva and so went and bid
himself under the ocean. (Chapter 6, Lāvāṇakalambaka of Kathāsaritsāgara).
. Purusha generating Agni, which creates liquid Soma , reinforces the
idea that the entire cosmos itself is created with Agni, the heat of
procreation. Just as Agni is there when humans are created, a hymn to Agni
is also “placed at the very beginning of the Rig Veda” (Selections from Rig
Veda, Doniger 99). Placing this hymn at the beginning of the Rig Veda not
only shows the importance that Vedic Hindus gave to Agni but also the
relationship that they had with fire. They pray for Agni to be “easy for us
to reach, like a father to his son”. When a human being is born, Agni
becomes their father figure who will listen to them, help them, and take
their messages with ease to the other gods. Fire becomes not only the heat
of the vagina in procreation, but also the father figure that protects his
brood. This duality of Agni is crucial to the power of fire and its
significance to the beginning of cosmic order and human life.
Even after birth, Agni was extremely important to human beings throughout
their lives, especially Brahmins. To send messages to the gods and receive
good favor, Vedic Hindus used to do fire sacrifices. There were two kinds
of fire sacrifices: agni-hotra sacrifices and kamya rituals. Agni-hotra
sacrifices were necessary for Vedic Brahmins since they would have to make
daily sacrifices into their eternal fire. As long as their flame burned
bright with daily sacrifices of ghee and other things, they would retain
their Brahmin status. Kamya rituals were another form of fire sacrifice
rituals, but they were done for specific rewards from the gods, rather than
to retain social class as seen with the agni-hotra. In both sacrifices,
Agni was essential, because the smoke rising from the fire was how humans
would communicate with the gods. In What is Hinduism, Baltutis wrote that
“Agni brings the gods down from heaven to participate in the earthly
sacrifice at the same time that he conveys the offering upwards to the gods
in heaven” (25). To live your life karmically and have the gods know about
it, Agni was an essential element to the Vedic Hindu’s daily life. Fire is
also important in daily life because the Vedic Hindus believed that “fire
is the same as the extent of speech” (Olivelle 55). The direct relationship
between speech and Agni is crucial because perfect speech through mantras
is what allows humans to please their yajamanas during rituals. By
mastering speech, Vedic Hindus would be able to get to the heavens, and
Agni is believed to be the physical material of speech itself. The Early
Upanishads even say that “[a]mong the gods the priestly power (brahman)
came into being only in the form of fire”, which is why Agni is used to
communicate celestially with the gods. Agni is seen as one of the only
sacred things that the gods and the humans share. This becomes even more
important in death.
When a human dies, Vedic culture begins death rituals with Agni in the
form of a cremation that burns the body away. This is because “[a]fter they
are cremated, humans destined to be reborn go up to the moon in the form of
smoke or vapor” (The Upanishads,). To release the atman from a body, Agni
is necessary, and Agni is even said to “lead the dead man to Yama [the god
of death]” . All of death seems to revolve around Agni. Throughout a Vedic
Hindu Brahmin’s life, he makes sacrifices into his agni-hotra until it is
finally the end of his life, which is when he joins his eternal fire and
meets the gods. For any of this to work, the connection of Agni is needed,
and without it, humans wouldn’t be able to go to the heavens after death.
When some Vedic Brahmins came to retirement age, they would let their
eternal fire burn out, but suck in the smoke from the flames. Although
socially they would be seen as Sudras with their agni-hotra fire burnt out,
they would be able to stoke the fire internally with breathing, meditation,
and yoga as ascetics (tapas). This tapas was thought to allow them to burn
away karma so that they can reach moksha, or liberation from the the cycles
of reincarnation (samsara). As the Vedic period died away, many of the fire
sacrifice rituals faded away, but death cremation rituals remained. Agni is
how man was created; Agni is how man is destroyed.
The purpose of Agni extends beyond being a god to worship and ask for
favors. Agni was the central god for humans in the Vedic Period to carry
out rituals and keep the spiritual connection with the rest of the gods.
Through birth, life, and death, Agni was thought to be present and helpful
for every human being. Agni these days mostly isn’t even found inside
temples. Instead, they carve figures of him outside on the southeast corner
of the temple, where he stands guard as people pray to the newer gods
inside. While modern Hinduism doesn’t place much importance on Agni, the
concepts of purification, creation, rta, and connection with the divine,
once fully embodied by Agni, are still found in the philosophical
foundations of Hinduism today.
K RAJARAM IRS 13425
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