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At the command of Bhrigu, Agni was brought down from the heavens for man’s use by Matarishvan, in the later writings Agni is described as a son of Angiras who happened to discover fire and its uses.  Agni is flanked on either side by his two consorts, Svāhā and Svadhā. The smoke is his banner and the ram is his mount.  Agni married Svāhā (invocation offering) and fathered three sons - Pāvaka (purifier), Pāvamāna (purifying) and Śuchi (purity) who in their turn had forty-five children, all different aspects of fire.^[29][30] Agni’s three sons, according to the Vayu Purana, stand for three different aspects of Agni (fire): ''Pāvaka'' is the electric fire,''Pāvamanā'' is the fire produced by friction, and ''Śuchi'' is the solar fire. Every fire has a corresponding relation to one of the human psychic faculties. They also represent body, spirit and soul, and body.^[31] ''Abhimāni'', his three sons, and their 45 sons constitute the 49 mystic fires of the Puranas, especially the Agni Purana.  Agneya is the daughter of Agni and the Hindu Goddess of Fire. Medhā (intelligence) is Agni’s sister.^[29]

At the command of Bhrigu, Agni was brought down from the heavens for man’s use by Matarishvan, in the later writings Agni is described as a son of Angiras who happened to discover fire and its uses.  Agni is flanked on either side by his two consorts, Svāhā and Svadhā. The smoke is his banner and the ram is his mount.  Agni married Svāhā (invocation offering) and fathered three sons - Pāvaka (purifier), Pāvamāna (purifying) and Śuchi (purity) who in their turn had forty-five children, all different aspects of fire.^[29][30] Agni’s three sons, according to the Vayu Purana, stand for three different aspects of Agni (fire): ''Pāvaka'' is the electric fire,''Pāvamanā'' is the fire produced by friction, and ''Śuchi'' is the solar fire. Every fire has a corresponding relation to one of the human psychic faculties. They also represent body, spirit and soul, and body.^[31] ''Abhimāni'', his three sons, and their 45 sons constitute the 49 mystic fires of the Puranas, especially the Agni Purana.  Agneya is the daughter of Agni and the Hindu Goddess of Fire. Medhā (intelligence) is Agni’s sister.^[29]

=== '''Pavaka ॥ पावकः''' ===

=== '''पावकः ॥ Pavaka''' ===

Offended by Agni, Bhrigu had cursed Agni to become the devourer of all things on this earth, but Brahma modified that curse and made Agni the purifier of all things he touched.^[32]

Offended by Agni, Bhrigu had cursed Agni to become the devourer of all things on this earth, but Brahma modified that curse and made Agni the purifier of all things he touched.^[32]

In the "Khandava-daha Parva" (Mahabharata CCXXV), Agni in the guise of a Brahmin is seen to approach Krishna and Arjuna seeking sufficient food for gratification of his hunger; and on being asked about the kind of food which would gratify, Agni expressed the desire to consume the forest of Khandava protected by Indra for the sake of Takshaka, the chief of the ''Nagas''. Agni wanted to regain his own nature, which had been dulled by the sacrifice of King Swetaki, who had poured clarified butter for twelve years into a fire. Aided by Krishna and Arjuna, Agni consumed the ''Khandava Forest'', which burnt for fifteen days, sparing only Aswasena, Maya, and the four birds called ''sarangakas''; later, as a boon Arjuna got all his weapons from Indra and also the bow, ''Gandiva'', from Varuna.^[33]

In Mahabharata (Adi Parva. Khandava daha parva Chap. 221 to 226), there is a legend about Agni.  Agni who suffers from stomach ailments (due to the Yagnas of Svetaki King) was advised to consume the Khandava forest which contains the medicinal herbs that can treat his condition.  In the process, Indra protects Takshaka who resides in the same forest, thus preventing Agni from consuming the medicinal plants. In this parva, Krishna and Arjuna, are requested by Agni to  

 

Aided by Krishna and Arjuna, Agni consumed the ''Khandava Forest'', which burnt for fifteen days, sparing only Aswasena, Maya, and the four birds called ''sarangakas''; later, as a boon Arjuna got all his weapons from Indra and also the bow, ''Gandiva'', from Varuna.^[33]

=== Kartikeya ===

=== Kartikeya ===

Ganganatha, Jha. (1923). ''The Chandogya Upanishad and Sri Sankara's Commentary'', Fourth Volume, Madras: The India Printing Works   

Ganganatha, Jha. (1923). ''The Chandogya Upanishad and Sri Sankara's Commentary'', Fourth Volume, Madras: The India Printing Works   

== References ==

== References ==