All primitive men had undoubtedly noticed the phenomena of forest fire during the early stage of their existence. With awe and wonder men would have looked at such forest fires, uncontrolled ravages of which would provoke deep and sustained fear and adoration for fire in their minds.1 Apart from sustaining a feeling of awe and wonder at the sight of forest fire, primitive men might also have noticed some of the beneficial outcomes of such fire. Such fire might have rendered the flesh of some animals edible, regions destroyed by such fire would promote growth of fresh vegetation and such fire would cause wind to blow and clouds to gather. In all these outcomes primitive men might have found with the passage of time possibilities of expansion of agriculture.2
Agni, indispensable for Vedic sacrifices
Sacrifice had been the most important religious function extolled and held in the highest esteem in the Vedic hymns and sacrificial fire had been the centre of all religious functions of the people of Vedic tradition. That accounts for the importance of Agni in the horizon of Vedic culture. In the Rigveda there are about 200 hymns in which Agni is invoked as deity par excellence and in numerous other hymns Agni is found invoked with other principal deities like Surya, Indra, Ashwins and others.3
Association of Agni with the practice of sacrifice in the Vedic culture has undoubtedly been a unique feature of the Indian tradition. This association was based on two characteristics of fire. First of all its power to consume everything, in most cases leaving no traceable remains and secondly the upward trend of the progress of fire which led the Vedic people to surmise that whatever was offered to Agni was carried upward by him to reach the offerings to their respective destination, to the reach of the Gods. Thus Agni was held as having a clear link between the worlds above and the surface of the earth.4
Agni on earth has been supposed to be identical with Apam Napat (lightning in the clouds) in the atmospheric region and with Surya (sun) in heaven.5 This realization about the fundamental oneness lying in the terrestrial fire, lightning in the sky and the sun shows the advanced knowledge possessed by Vedic rsis.6
Dispeller of darkness and invoker of the gods
The reason for lighting Agni was due to the fact that fire as light was considered as a counter entity of darkness and thus an adversary of all the forces of evil that prosper or function in darkness. The lighting of fire dispelled darkness and setting up of Agni and his worship became necessary before the performance of any sacrifice. Agni became the invoker of the gods because the lighting of fire was a signal to the gods to get ready for partaking of offerings made by men. When these offerings began to be made in Agni, he became the mouth of the Gods.7
Symbolism of Agni
Agni as envoy of Gods
According to R.N.Dandekar, Agni was originally conceived as duta, as the envoy of the gods, as the successful intermediary between gods and men.8 It was only secondarily and as an afterthought he was brought in relationship with fire symbolism.9
An enlightener of men
Agni is typically known as the all-knowing god (Vishvavedas, Vishvavid), the knower of beings or becoming (Jatavedas) and inspired sage (Kavi). These epithets and names make Agni not only enlightened but also the enlightener of men. Hence there is a good deal of possibility that Agni symbolizes enlightenment, insight, illumination, etc., opines, Dipak Bhattacharya.10
Agni the god different from sacrificial fires
Agni as a Vedic god is to be clearly distinguished from the sacrificial fires such as the Ahavaniya, the Garhapatya and the Daksina. These fires are never referred to as devatas. Sacrificial oblations are offered on these fires, but never to these fires.11
Agni’s association with Angiras, Bhrgu and Manu
Angiras, a seer of pre-historic period is closely connected with the enkindling of Agni and the cult of sacrifice. The Vedic seers often refer to him and his descendants, the Angirasas very respectfully as ‘our ancient fathers’.12 The Angirasas are said to have found out Agni concealed in the trees of the forest and to have churned him out and therefore the fire is called Angiras. Hence the Angirasas are the first priests of Agni and employed him for the sacrificial purposes.13
Likewise Bhrgus has been described as having brought fire from heaven. This may permit an inference that they were responsible for the introduction of a special fire cult. The names Atharavan (possessor of fire) and Angiras (messenger) were also associated with Bhrgu. But it is not yet clear what that special fire cult was like.14
The Rigveda holds Manu as the first kindler of fire and sacrificers are spoken of as the people of Manu and Agni is said to abide among the offsprings of Manu who was the first sacrificer.15
Agni’s role in Hindu Samskaras
In Vedic tradition, every Brahmana householder, strictly so called was required to maintain the sacred fire in his house without quenching it and to offer oblations regularly three times a day, along with his usual prayers to Gayatri.16 Hence the family hearth17 became the centre of all domestic rites and ceremonies.18 As Agni was believed to be a great and renowned protector against illness, demons and other hostile spirits, he was always kindled in the beginning of every samskara; as one of the objects of the samskaras was to ward off evil influences.19 To ancient Hindus Agni was not only the house lord and protector but also the high priest and mediator and messenger between gods and men. In the first capacity it supervised the ceremonies and in the second it bore offerings to gods.20 Agni was regarded as the director of rites and guardian of morality. Every rite was performed and contract and bond executed by Agni. It was an eternal witness around which during Upanayana and the Vivaha ceremonies, the student and the husband and wife made circumambulations, so that their ties may be valid and permanent.21
Fire cult led to development of Geometry and Arithmetic
For construction of fire altars necessary for conducting Vedic sacrifices, manuals called Sulba Sutras were composed. According to Bibhutibhusan Datta the problems which presented themselves in connection with the construction of the sacrificial altars led to the study and development of geometry and arithmetic in ancient India just as the study of astronomy is known to have begun and developed out of necessity for fixing the proper time for the sacrifice.22
Hostility of the Rakshasas to sacrifices
It is interesting to note that the Rakshasas have been held hostile to sacrifice of the Vedic hymnists who invoked Agni more frequently than other gods to dispel the depredation of the Rakshasas and to destroy them.23 The Ramayana give accounts of the hostility between the offerers of sacrifices and the opposer of sacrifices.24
The offerers of sacrifices held Agni in high esteem for his efficacy in promoting different ventures of life. Firstly as forest fire, Agni cleared primeval forests, forests full of wild animals and other dangers. Land cleared of jungles became suitable for new habitation and cultivation. Fire kindled in household protects from wild animals and as sacrificial fire carries oblations higher to other gods.25
The Rakshasas were opposed to the efficacy of fire because of two reasons. Wild forest fires affect the forest dwelling of the Rakshasas and deprive them of natural goods such as fruits and roots and also scare away animals. Also the attempt on the part of the descendants of Manu to clear jungles and spread agriculture called for powerful resistance from the Rakshasas (who probably considered it as an encroachment of their territory).26
Agni, a symbol of suffering and destruction
Hence for the Rakshasas, Agni became the symbol of their ouster, suffering and destruction. As such they became the sworn enemies of Agni and as such, sacrifice and the performers of sacrifice. Thus the encounter between the Rakshasas and the Manavas (descendants of Manu) was a clash of two culture and two modes of life in which the Manavas emerged victorious.27
Iconography of Agni
Agni as an image is represented to be an old man; he is the oldest of the gods and a counter part of the sun on earth. He has a red body, two heads, six eyes, seven arms, seven tongues, four horns and three legs. He is surrounded by a circle of light; is seated on a lotus pedestal and is supposed to reside in a quadrangle- evidently the quadrangle sacrificial fire-pit. His vehicle is the ram and he is attended on either side by his two wives, Svaha and Svadha.28
Reference
Kalyan Kumar Ganguli – Agni – A Primal deity of the Rgveda, Journal of Ancient Indian History, vol-ix, part 1-2, 1975-76, D.R.Bhandarkar Centenary Number, Calcutta University, 1976, p.3
Ibid, p.2
Ibid
Ibid, p.9
Kshetresh Chandra Chattopadhyaya – Vedic Religion, Centre of Advanced Study in Philosophy, Banaras Hindu University, 1975
Kalyan Kumar Ganguli – Op.Cit, pp:2,3
Kshetresh Chandra Chattopadhyaya – Studies in Vedic and Indo-Iranian Religion and Literature, Vol- I, Bharatiya Vidya Prakasana, 1976, pp:97,98
R.N.Dandekar – Vedic Mythological Tracts, Ajanta Publications, Delhi, 1979, p.311
Ibid, p.296
Dipak Bhattacharya - Mythological and Ritual Symbolism- A Study with reference to the Vedic and Tantric Agni, Sanskrit Pustak Bhandar, Calcutta, 1984, p.40
R.N.Dandekar – Op.Cit, p.279
N.J.Shende – Angiras in Vedic Literature, ABORI, vol 31, No ¼, 1950, p.108
Ibid, p.110
Kshetresh Chandra Chattopadhyaya – Studies in Vedic and Indo-Iranian Religion and Literature, , p.98
Kalyan Kumar Ganguli – Op.Cit, p.19
H.Krishna Sastri- South Indian Images of Gods and Goddesses, Madras Government Press, 1916, p.22
The family hearth or grhya fire was the nuptial fire which was kindled on the day of the marriage by the newly married pair, which the bridegroom carried in a vessel to his house and lit. (P.V.Kane – History of Dharmashastras, vol – 2, part I, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona, 1941 pp:678,679
Raj Bali Pandey – Hindu Samskaras, A Socio-religious study of the Hindu Sacraments, Vikrama Publications, Banaras, 1949, p.59
Ibid, pp:58,60
Ibid, p.61
Ibid, p.62
Bibhutibhusan Datta – The Science of the Sulba: A Study in Early Hindu Geometry, University of Calcutta, 1932, pp:1,2
Kalyan Kumar Ganguli – Op.Cit, p.18
Ibid, p.19
Ibid, p.21
Ibid, pp: 21,22
H.Krishna Sastri- Op.Cit, pp: 242,243
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