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34NamesofAgni,FireGod!|TamilandVedas

34NamesofAgni,FireGod!

ResearchpaperwrittenbyLondonSwaminathan
ResearcharticleNo.1353Dated17thOctober2014.
Agniisthegodofsacrificialfire.HindusworshiphimfromtheVedicdaystillthisday.Allthehousehold
festivalsandtemplefestivalsbeginwiththeworshipoffire/Agni.Brahminswereworshippinghimtwice
adayinthemorningandeveningandslowlyitisdisappearingnow.Butyetheisworshippedinthedaily
ritualSandhyaVandhana.
AgniisthesonofKasyapaandAditiorDyausandPrithvi.DyausisheavenandPrithviisearth.His
Vahana/vehicleisagoat.HeistheguardiandeityofSouthEast.Agniisshownridingachariotdrawnby
redhorsesorparrotsinlatericonography.
HisconsortisSvahaandhissonisSkanda.Thisissymbolic.Alltheofferingsareputintofirewiththe
mantraSvahaandAgniisworshippedwithoutfireintheformofSkandaorMuruga.Soallthe
Subrahmanya(Skanda)worshippersareworshipersofAgni.
AgniisfireandalsoPriest,Father,Brother,Friend,GuestandfinallytheLightoflights,theSoulwithin
oursoulandtheDevawhoisidentifiedwitheveryotherDevaorDeviandwiththeultimatereality.The
VedicsagespoeticmindmostenthusiasticallycontemplateseveryoneoftheseaspectsofAgni.
AssimplefireAgniisthechildoftwomothers(thetwosticksthatproduceitbyconcussion)andislifted
byTenYoungVirginsthepriestsfingersanguliandbyanotheranalogyheistheBanner/ketuofthe
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people.
WealsoneedtoknowthestyleofmysticexpressiontounderstandwhatsignificancetheVedicsage
intendstoconveybydescribingthedomesticfireGargapatyaAgniastheLordoftheHousehold,
theHusbandofWives,theLoverofMaidensastheHouseholdFriend(damunas)andtheloved
andtherespectedguestathome(athithirdurone).

AgniinGuimetMuseum,France
WelearntwoimportantthingsfromtheworshipofAgni:
1.VedicpoetsimaginationflyskyhighwhentheypraiseAgni.Theyaregreatpoetsandtheyaregreat
intellectuals.Fromordinarylight(Fire)theytakeustotheSupremeLight.Whenwecomparethiswith
otherancientpoemssuchasBabylonianGilgamesh,wecanestimatetheirlevelofintelligence!!
2.AgniisnotworshippedanywhereexceptIndia(ParseesinIranwentfromIndia)andonlythecognate
wordsareinotherlanguages.ThisshowsthatIndiaistheoriginalhomeoftheHindusandthosewho
wentoutsidespreaditorobservedittosomeextentanditpeteredoutincourseoftime.Theoriginal
homeoftheHindusstillkeepsitglowing.SriSatyaSaiBabaandothergreatsaintsofIndiaperformed
AdiRudraYajnas(recitationofthelongRudrahymn14641timesalongwiththefireoffering)inourown
time.
34NamesofAgni
Amarakosa,ancientSanskritthesaurusgives34namesfortheVedicfiregodAgni.Englishwordssuch
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asignite,ignition,igneousrockscamefromthisSanskritwordAgni.Theoldestreligiousbookandthe
oldestrecordofthehumanbeings,theRigVeda,beginwithahymntoAgniandendswithahymnto
Agni.ThatisthebeautyoftheVeda.ItshowstheimportancetheHindusgivetoAgni.NexttoIndra,
Agnihasthehighestnumberofhymns.Hisnameismentionedinotherhymnsaswell.Ifwetakethem
intoaccount,hetopsthelistofalldeities.
FiregodisthewitnessofallritualsinHinduism.FrombirthtodeathallHinduritualsincludefire
worship.TheycelebratethefirstanniversaryofthechildwithaHavan/Homaorfiresacrificeandenda
personslifejourneybyconsumingthebodytofire.Eventheweddingiscelebratedinfrontoffireor
Agni.Heisthewitnessforallgoodandbadthings.

AgniinLosanjaleseMuseum
ThefiregodAgniisextremelyimportantintheVedicreligion.Heisthemessengerofthegods.Hetakes
alltheofferingspouredintothefiretothegods.Heiseverywhere.Heisinthesunandmoonandas
jataragniinthestomach,saysSayanainhiscommentary.Jataragniisthemetabolicactivitiesinthe
bodythatproduceheat.HeisintheseaasBadavaAgni.Allthegirlsarepossessedbyhimbeforethe
marriage.Thismeansthatallthegirlsmustbemarriedinfrontofhim(sacrificialfire)ashegivesthem
likeafathergiveshisdaughtertothebridegroom.Thecouplehavetowalkaroundthefire.Itiscalled
Saptapadi.
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OrthodoxHinduskeepfireinapotfromthebirthtodeathanduseitforalloccasions.Theaupasana
potcontainspaddyhuskburningforever.Itisneverextinguished.Whenababyisbornitislightedand
thesamefireisusedtolightthefuneralpyrewhenthepersondiesatanoldage.
AgnihasgotcognatewordsignisinLatinogniinOldSlavicandugnisinLithuanian.Heisworshipped
inthehousesinthreeformsbytheBrahminsandtheyareGarhapatya,Dhakshinagniand
Ahavaneeyam.
Tamilshaveseparatewordsforfire:Thii,Neruppu,Kanal.ItprovesTamilisanindependentlanguage.
34namesofAgniintheAmarakosaandthecommentariesonthemgivelotofinterestinginformation:

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AgniinBritishMuseum,London
1.Agni
Meaning:Goingforward
2.Vaisvanara
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RelativeofthepeopleRelativeofVisvaNara:
3.Vahni
Travelswithwind
4.Vitihotra
PlacewheremanyAhutisareoffered
5.Dananjaya
HelpstoearnwealthalsonameofArjunaandasnake
6.Krupeetayoni
SourceofwaterviceverseWaterproducesAgni
Agnerapa:
7.Jwalana:
Glittering,glowing

8.Jataveda:
HewhoknowsallHeatcreateseverythinge.g.sun,bodyheat
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9.Tanunapath
Heneverallowsthebodytofallonewhodoesnotprotecthisownshapebecomingdryoronewhoeats
ghee
10.Barhi:
Creeping,crawling
11.Sushma
Onewhoshortensordrieseverything
12.Krsnvartma
Onewhoproducesblacksmoke
13.Sochiskesa
Onewhohasflameashishair
14.Usharbuh
BrightinthemorningBrahminsmakehimbrightinthemorning.
15.Asrasya:
Onewhoburnseverythingassociatedwithhim
16.Brhatbanu
Onewhocreateslight

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17.Krshanu:
emaciating
18.Pavaka:
Onewhopurifies
19.Anala:
OneoftheEightVasus
20.Rohitasva
Onewhohasaredhorse
21.Vayusaka:
Friendofthewind
22.Shikavan
Onewhohasflamesoftuft

23.Asusukshani:
Driesanythingatonceorshortens
24.Hiranyareta:
Goldenshaktiorveeryam
25.Hutabuk
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Whateverofferediseatenbyhim
26.Dahana:
Onewhomakeseveryonefeelshot
27.Havyavahana:
Onewhohaswindasavehicle
28.Saptarchi
Onewhohasgotsevenflames.
Kali,Karala,Manojawa,Sulohita,Sudumravarna,Spulingini,Visvadaraarehisseventongues/flames.

BirminghamChandruKurukkaldoingHomam/Havan
29.Damuna:
Onewhosubdue,quietens
30.Sukra:
ColourofSukraVenusBrightWhite
31.Chitrabanu
Colourfullight
32.Vivavasu
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Lightishiswealth
33.Suchi
Onewhopurifieseverything
34.Apapitta:
Heistheembodimentofpittainthewater
colourofhorses
Agni=redhorserohitaswa
Varun=whitehorse
Kuberan=horseofKumuda(waterlily)flowercolour
Vayu=babru/browncolourhorse
(Amarakosacommentarygivesthesedetailsofcolourhorses)

Agnihasgotothernamesaswell:
Abjahasta=lotusinhand
Dhumaketu=whosesignissmoke
Chhagaratha=ramrider
Saptajihva=seventongued
Tomaradhara=javelinbearer

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NumberSevenandAgni
AgniisassociatedwithNumber7forsomeunknownreasons.HeiscalledSaptaarchiandSaptajihva
(Saptais7).Hisseventongueshaveseparatenames(givenabove).intheVishnuPuranaheiscalled
Abhimani,andtheeldestsonofBrahma.HehadthreesonsbySwaha.TheirnameswerePavaka,
PavamanaandSuchi.Theyhad45sonsaltogether49persons(7X7).Agnischariothadsevenwheels
representingsevenwinds.IntheRigVedichymnsonAgni,wecomeacrossnumber7often.

contactswami_48@yahoo.com
Picturesareusedfromfacebookandothersitesthanks.

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