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== परिचय || Introduction ==

== परिचय || Introduction ==

Agni (Samskrit: अग्निः) is the god of fire, sacrifice and divine knowledge, and a large number of mantras and suktas are devoted to describing and praising Agni in various texts. Agni is the very personification of the sacrificial fire. He is associated with Vedic sacrifice, taking offerings of men to the other world in his fire. Through ''yajna'' he carries the oblations to the gods, to ensure the continuance of conditions favorable to mankind.  

Agni (Samskrit: अग्निः) is the god of fire, sacrifice and divine knowledge, and a large number of mantras and suktas are devoted to describing and praising Agni in various texts. Agni is the very personification of the sacrificial fire. He is associated with Vedic sacrifice, taking offerings of men to the other world in his fire. Through yagna or sacrificial fires he carries the oblations to the gods, to ensure the continuance of conditions favorable to mankind.  

This aspect of Agni is significantly highlighted in the Rig veda and gradually as one progresses towards the Upanishads Agni is personified as the Knower of Brahman. The sacrificial fires attain the position of Guru of Upakosala, in the Chandogya Upanishad, wherein they preach the [[Brahmavidya (ब्रह्मविद्या)|brahmavidya]] to Upakosala.  

This aspect of Agni is significantly highlighted in the Rig veda and gradually as one progresses towards the Upanishads Agni is personified as the Knower of Brahman. The sacrificial fires attain the position of Guru of Upakosala, in the Chandogya Upanishad, wherein they preach [[Brahmavidya (ब्रह्मविद्या)|brahmavidya]] to Upakosala.  

== Agni in Vedas  ==

== Agni in Vedas  ==

=== Rig veda ===

=== Rig veda ===

Rigveda starts with Agnisukta and thereafter many mandalas have suktas related to and in praise of Agni.  The very first word, mantra and sukta of the oldest veda, Rig veda starts with Agni as revealed to Rishi Madhuchchandah Vaishvamitah in Gāyatri metre..  <blockquote>"

Rigveda starts with Agnisukta and thereafter many mandalas have suktas related to and in praise of Agni.  The very first word, mantra and sukta of the oldest veda, Rig veda starts with Agni as revealed to Rishi Madhuchchandah Vaishvamitah in Gāyatri metre..  <blockquote>अग्निसूक्त - ९ मधुच्छन्दा वैश्वामित्रः ऋषिः । अग्निः देवता।  गायत्री छन्दः। प्रथमं मण्डलम्।</blockquote><blockquote>"अ॒ग्निमी॑ळे पु॒रोहि॑तं य॒ज्ञस्य॑ दे॒वमृ॒त्विज॑म् । होता॑रं रत्न॒धात॑मम् ॥१"</blockquote><blockquote>"अ॒ग्निः पूर्वे॑भि॒र्ऋषि॑भि॒रीड्यो॒ नूत॑नैरु॒त । स दे॒वाँ एह व॑क्षति ॥२"</blockquote><blockquote>"अ॒ग्निना॑ र॒यिम॑श्नव॒त् पोष॑मे॒व दि॒वेदि॑वे । य॒शसं॑ वी॒रव॑त्तमम् ॥३"</blockquote><blockquote>"अग्ने॒ यं य॒ज्ञम॑ध्व॒रं वि॒श्वत॑: परि॒भूरसि॑ । स इद् दे॒वेषु॑ गच्छति ॥४"</blockquote><blockquote>"अ॒ग्निर्होता॑ क॒विक्र॑तुः स॒त्यश्चि॒त्रश्र॑वस्तमः । दे॒वो दे॒वेभि॒रा ग॑मत् ॥५"</blockquote><blockquote>"यद॒ङ्ग दा॒शुषे॒ त्वमग्ने॑ भ॒द्रं क॑रि॒ष्यसि॑ । तवेत् तत् स॒त्यम॑ङ्गिरः ॥६"</blockquote><blockquote>"उप॑ त्वाग्ने दि॒वेदि॑वे॒ दोषा॑वस्तर्धि॒या व॒यम् । नमो॒ भर॑न्त॒ एम॑सि ॥७"</blockquote><blockquote>"राज॑न्तमध्व॒राणां॑ गो॒पामृ॒तस्य॒ दीदि॑विम् । वर्ध॑मानं॒ स्वे दमे॑ ॥८"</blockquote><blockquote>"स न॑: पि॒तेव॑ सू॒नवे ऽग्ने॑ सूपाय॒नो भ॑व । सच॑स्वा नः स्व॒स्तये॑ ॥९ (Rig. Ved. 1.1.1)</blockquote>Summary : Agni, the chosen one as the minister of sacrifice, is worthy to be praised for he brings along other deities with him (He is the bearer of sacrificial offerings from the Yajamani or the Performer of the Yagna). Agni bestows his worshipper with boundless riches and wealth. Indeed greatly revered is Agni, the dispeller of the darkness.

अग्निसूक्त "</blockquote><blockquote>"

९ मधुच्छन्दा वैश्वामित्रः ऋषिः । अग्निः देवता।  गायत्री छन्दः। प्रथमं मण्डलम्।"</blockquote><blockquote>"

अ॒ग्निमी॑ळे पु॒रोहि॑तं य॒ज्ञस्य॑ दे॒वमृ॒त्विज॑म् । होता॑रं रत्न॒धात॑मम् ॥१"</blockquote><blockquote>"

अ॒ग्निः पूर्वे॑भि॒र्ऋषि॑भि॒रीड्यो॒ नूत॑नैरु॒त । स दे॒वाँ एह व॑क्षति ॥२"</blockquote><blockquote>"

अ॒ग्निना॑ र॒यिम॑श्नव॒त् पोष॑मे॒व दि॒वेदि॑वे । य॒शसं॑ वी॒रव॑त्तमम् ॥३"</blockquote><blockquote>"

अग्ने॒ यं य॒ज्ञम॑ध्व॒रं वि॒श्वत॑: परि॒भूरसि॑ । स इद् दे॒वेषु॑ गच्छति ॥४"</blockquote><blockquote>"

अ॒ग्निर्होता॑ क॒विक्र॑तुः स॒त्यश्चि॒त्रश्र॑वस्तमः । दे॒वो दे॒वेभि॒रा ग॑मत् ॥५"</blockquote><blockquote>"

यद॒ङ्ग दा॒शुषे॒ त्वमग्ने॑ भ॒द्रं क॑रि॒ष्यसि॑ । तवेत् तत् स॒त्यम॑ङ्गिरः ॥६"</blockquote><blockquote>"

उप॑ त्वाग्ने दि॒वेदि॑वे॒ दोषा॑वस्तर्धि॒या व॒यम् । नमो॒ भर॑न्त॒ एम॑सि ॥७"</blockquote><blockquote>"

राज॑न्तमध्व॒राणां॑ गो॒पामृ॒तस्य॒ दीदि॑विम् । वर्ध॑मानं॒ स्वे दमे॑ ॥८"</blockquote><blockquote>"

स न॑: पि॒तेव॑ सू॒नवे ऽग्ने॑ सूपाय॒नो भ॑व । सच॑स्वा नः स्व॒स्तये॑ ॥९ (Rig. Ved. 1.1.1)"</blockquote>Summary : Agni, the chosen one as the minister of sacrifice, is worthy to be praised for he brings along other deities with him (He is the bearer of sacrificial offerings from the Yajamani or the Performer of the Yagna). Agni bestows his worshipper with boundless riches and wealth. Indeed greatly revered is Agni, the dispeller of the darkness.

Agni is the Rishi or mantra drasta of many suktas in the 9th Mandala. He figures prominently in as many as 200 suktas in the Rig veda. Along with Indra and Surya, Agni is a significant deity of Rig veda (Sukta 10.124).  

Agni is the Rishi or mantra drasta of many suktas in the 9th Mandala. He figures prominently in as many as 200 suktas in the Rig veda. Along with Indra and Surya, Agni is a significant deity of Rig veda (Sukta 10.124).  

Shatapatha Brahmana (SB 6.1.1.1) tells us that Prajapati was generated through the ''tapas'' of the ''rishis'' (equated with the non-existent of the Beginning), thereafter, through his own ''tapas'' Prajapati generated all the gods and all the creatures. He also generated Agni as the sacrificial fire and as the second self having wearied himself his glow and essence of him heated up and developed Agni (SB 10.6.5.2). Ritually Agni, as the altar built by the sacrifice, reconstitutes Prajapati.

Shatapatha Brahmana (SB 6.1.1.1) tells us that Prajapati was generated through the ''tapas'' of the ''rishis'' (equated with the non-existent of the Beginning), thereafter, through his own ''tapas'' Prajapati generated all the gods and all the creatures. He also generated Agni as the sacrificial fire and as the second self having wearied himself his glow and essence of him heated up and developed Agni (SB 10.6.5.2). Ritually Agni, as the altar built by the sacrifice, reconstitutes Prajapati.

=== The one who knows === Agni, who is addressed as ''Atithi'' ('guest'), is also called जातवेदसम्, meaning "the one who knows all things that are born, created or produced."^[59] He is the god of will-power, united with wisdom. The Vedic people knew human will-power to be a feeble projection of this power which they believed could be strengthened by the Rig Vedic chants to Agni.^[60]  The Kanvasatpathabrahmanam (SB.IV.i.iv.11) calls Agni "wisdom" and the "ind."^{[note 15][61]} Rishi Bharadavaja Barhaspatya, in a mantra addressed to Agni Vaishvanara^{[note 16]} calls Agni "the mind swiftest among (all) those that fly."^[62]  Rishi Praskanva states that Agni represents great learning and enlightening wisdom, which ought to be sought, located and humbly approached. Agni excites ''Buddhi''(reason and intellect), the perceiving and the determining factor, and by illuminating the mind it makes one understand and comprehend the truth – प्रचेतसोऽग्ने देवाँ इह द्रवत् (Rig Veda I.xliv.7).

== Agni in Brahmanas ==

Agni, also called as जातवेदसम्, meaning "the one who is knowlegeable from birth about  all things that are born, created or produced."^[59] He is the god of will-power, united with wisdom.  

 

The Kanvasatpathabrahmanam (SB.IV.i.iv.11) calls Agni "wisdom" and the "ind."^{[note 15][61]} Rishi Bharadavaja Barhaspatya, in a mantra addressed to Agni Vaishvanara^{[note 16]} calls Agni "the mind swiftest among (all) those that fly."^[62]  Rishi Praskanva states that Agni represents great learning and enlightening wisdom, which ought to be sought, located and humbly approached. Agni excites ''Buddhi''(reason and intellect), the perceiving and the determining factor, and by illuminating the mind it makes one understand and comprehend the truth – प्रचेतसोऽग्ने देवाँ इह द्रवत् (Rig Veda I.xliv.7).

== Agni in Upanishads ==

== Agni in Upanishads ==

In Shrimad Bhagavad Gita (Sloka 15.14) it is said: ":अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः

In Shrimad Bhagavad Gita (Sloka 15.14) it is said: ":अहं वैश्वानरो भूत्वा प्राणिनां देहमाश्रितः

 

== सम्वाद || Discussion ==

 

* Diti: in a sukta addressed to Agni,^{[note 25]} Vamadeva calls Agni as ''Diti'' (दिति) which word is to be read as Aditi, the all devouring Death.^{[78][note 26]} Aditi is an ancient Rig Vedic deity; she is the divine mother of all Vedic gods and therefore, is the source of all things. Her womb, protected by Vishnu, is the navel of prithvi. Aditi means boundlessness.^[80]  == Agni and Hindu astrology == Jyotiśa, the study of astronomy and astrology, is one of the six vedangas or limbs of the Vedas. The first ''drekkana'' of Taurus and Virgo sign is ruled by Agni, and the 10th shashtiamsa (1/60th part of the sign) is the ''Agni-amsa''.^[81] Persons born in fiery signs ruled by Agni are enthusiastic, energetic but accident prone.^[82] The 3rdnakshatra (constellation) beginning with Ashvinī is ruled by Agni.^[83]

== References ==

== References ==