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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 अ॒ग्निहोत्रः (sacrificial fire). He is associated with वैदिकयज्ञः (Yagnas are sacrificial rituals prescribed in Vedas) taking offerings of men to the other world in his fire. Through yagna (sacrificial fires) 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 अ॒ग्निहोत्रः (sacrificial fire). He is associated with वैदिकयज्ञः (Yagnas are sacrificial rituals prescribed in Vedas) taking offerings of men to the other world in his fire. Through yagna (sacrificial fires) he carries the oblations to the gods, to ensure the continuance of conditions favorable to mankind.

अग्निः ॥ Agni next to Indra, occupies a very important place as the carrier of offerings in yagna. Agni is thus, significantly highlighted in the Rig veda with many suktas rendered to propitiate Him.  Further as we gradually progress towards the Upanishads, Agni is personified as the Knower of Brahman. The three Fires (गार्हपत्यः ॥ Gaarhapatya, आहवनीयः॥ Aahavaniya, and दक्षिणाग्निः ॥ Dakshinaagni) assume the position of a Guru for Upakosala (student of Satyakama Jabaali), in the Chandogya Upanishad, to teach [[Brahmavidya (ब्रह्मविद्या)|brahmavidya]] to him.   

अग्निः ॥ Agni next to Indra, occupies a very important place as the carrier of offerings in yagna. Agni is thus, significantly highlighted in the Rig veda with many suktas rendered to propitiate Him.  Further as we gradually progress towards the Upanishads, Agni is personified as the Knower of Brahman. The three Fires (गार्हपत्यः ॥ Gaarhapatya, आहवनीयः॥ Aahavaniya, and दक्षिणाग्निः ॥ Dakshinaagni) assume the position of a Guru for Upakosala (student of Satyakama Jabaali), in the Chandogya Upanishad, to teach [[Brahmavidya (ब्रह्मविद्या)|brahmavidya]] to him.   

Thus Agni, starting with the sacred agnihotras tended by the householder, as the sacred bearer of offerings, to the feared Kravaaya form of Fire which is invoked to burn corpses, and finally to the inner subtle form of representation of Jnana , Agni is the crucial lifeline of a grihastha engaged in Bharateeya samskriti.   

Thus, starting with the sacred agnihotras tended by the householder, as the sacred bearer of offerings, to the feared Kravaaya form of Fire which is invoked to burn corpses, and finally to the inner subtle form of representation of Jnana , Agni is the crucial lifeline of a grihastha engaged in Bharateeya samskriti.   

 

== 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>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 yagnas (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 worshiper with boundless riches and wealth. Indeed greatly revered is Agni, the dispeller of darkness.

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 yagnas (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 worshiper with boundless riches and wealth. Indeed greatly revered is Agni, the dispeller of 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). A brief compilation of different mantras of Rig veda are presented below  

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). A brief compilation of different mantras of Rig veda are presented below  

* Rig Veda mantras (1.95.1 to 11) - दशेमं त्वष्टुर्जनयन्त गर्भमतन्द्रासो युवतयो - describes the birth of Agni from the ten daughters of Tvashtr. This sukta describes the purifying form of agni.  

* Rig Veda mantras (1.95.1 to 11) - दशेमं त्वष्टुर्जनयन्त गर्भमतन्द्रासो युवतयो - describes the birth of Agni from the ten daughters of Tvashtr. This sukta describes the purifying form of agni.  

* Rig Veda mantras (1.77.1 to 5) - यो अध्वरेषु शन्तम रतावा होता तमू नमोभिरा कर्णुध्वम | अग्निर्यद वेर्मर्ताय देवान स चा बोधाति मनसायजाति || (1.77.2) describes the role of Agni as the Hota, who carries the yagna offerings of the mortals to the deities. एवाग्निर्गोतमेभिर्र्तावा विप्रेभिरस्तोष्ट जातवेदाः | (1.77.5) describes Agni as the Jataveda, meaning one who has the knowledge of vedas at birth.

* Rig Veda mantras (1.77.1 to 5) - यो अध्वरेषु शन्तम रतावा होता तमू नमोभिरा कर्णुध्वम | अग्निर्यद वेर्मर्ताय देवान स चा बोधाति मनसायजाति || (1.77.2) describes the role of Agni as the Hota, who carries the yagna offerings of the mortals to the deities.

*  

* Rig Veda mantras (1.99.1) describes अग्निर्जातवेदाः Agni as Jataveda. जातवेदसे सुनवा मसोममरातीयतो निदहाति वेदः | स नः पर्षदति दुर्गाणि विश्वा नावेव सिन्धुं दुरितात्यग्निः || अभि तवा गोतमा गिरा जातवेदो विचर्षणे | दयुम्नैरभि परणोनुमः || (1.78.1) describes Agni as the Jataveda, meaning one who has the knowledge of vedas and a learned by birth.

*

Rishi Tritapti (Rig Veda X.v.3), in a mantra in praise of Agni, refers to the bearers of water, the most subtle and the most refined aspects of manifestations. In a subsequent mantra he says that in the conditions prevalent prior to the formation of water, Agni, which was the first visible manifestation of the Unmanifested, was the giver and the taker, both, because as energy it had transformed into matter, beginning with water.

Rishi Tritapti (Rig Veda X.v.3), in a mantra in praise of Agni, refers to the bearers of water, the most subtle and the most refined aspects of manifestations. In a subsequent mantra he says that in the conditions prevalent prior to the formation of water, Agni, which was the first visible manifestation of the Unmanifested, was the giver and the taker, both, because as energy it had transformed into matter, beginning with water.

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# विश्ववेदा, appearing in the Taittiriya Samhita (IV.iii.2.10) – अभून्मम सुमतौ विश्ववेदा आष्ट प्रतिष्ठामविदद्धि गाधम्, and in the Rig Veda: * ये पायवो मामतेयं ते अग्ने पश्यन्तो अन्धं दुरितादरक्षन्

# विश्ववेदा, appearing in the Taittiriya Samhita (IV.iii.2.10) – अभून्मम सुमतौ विश्ववेदा आष्ट प्रतिष्ठामविदद्धि गाधम्, and in the Rig Veda: * ये पायवो मामतेयं ते अग्ने पश्यन्तो अन्धं दुरितादरक्षन्

# In a prayer (R.V.I.27.10) addressed to Agni, the sage prays ": जराबोध तद्विविड्ढि विशेविशे यज्ञियाय

#  

# स्वाध्यो दिव आ सप्त यह्वी रायो (Rig Veda I.72.8)

#  

# According to tradition, Agni first appeared in the heavens in the form of lightening. His second birth was among the human beings as ''Jātaveda'' (learned by birth). His third birth was in water (Rig Veda I.45.1).

# His third birth was in water (Rig Veda I.45.1).

# Rig Veda X.v.7: अग्निः ऋतस्य पूर्वे आयुनि वृषभ्श्च

# Rig Veda X.v.7: अग्निः ऋतस्य पूर्वे आयुनि वृषभ्श्च

# Rig Veda I.xliv.4

#  

=== Yajur Veda ===

=== Yajur Veda ===

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.

=== Saama Veda ===

=== Saama Veda ===

=== Atharva veda ===

=== Atharva veda ===

अग्नेर्होत्रेण प्रणुदे सपत्नान् - Atharvaveda 9.2.6

अग्नेर्होत्रेण प्रणुदे सपत्नान् - Atharvaveda 9.2.6

== Agni in Brahmanas ==

== 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.  

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.  

SB X.vi.5.8-9

SB X.vi.5.8-9

== Agni in Upanishads ==

== Agni in Upanishads ==

'''Isavasyopanishad'''

'''Isavasyopanishad'''

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (I.ii.5)

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (I.ii.5)

== Agni In Ramayana and Mahabharata ==

== Agni In Ramayana and Mahabharata ==

Valmiki Ramayana ( Balakanda Chap 36) details the birth of Kaartikeya and the role of Agni, His leadership of Krittika nakshatra.  

Valmiki Ramayana ( Balakanda Chap 36) details the birth of Kaartikeya and the role of Agni, His leadership of Krittika nakshatra.  

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

== Agni and Vedic Deities ==

== Agni and Vedic Deities ==

* Varuna and Mitra: in the evening he becomes Varuna, when he rises in the morning he becomes Mitra.

* Varuna and Mitra: in the evening he becomes Varuna, when he rises in the morning he becomes Mitra.