Lord Agni, the First God in the Vedas

Please help spread hinduism by sharing these articles on facebook:

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.