Lord Agni, the First God in the Vedas

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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.

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 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 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.

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 heavens.

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