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Agni
(Fire)
See also
Tongues of Fire
Synonyms - Aag, Anal, Chitrabhaanu, Paavak, Vaishwaanar, Vibhaavasu,
(1) Sacred fire. Agni is of several kinds -
(a) The Heavenly Agni appears as Soorya (Sun) and is called as "Aavaahneeya"
Agni.
(b) The atmospheric Agni appears as lightning and is called "Dakshin"
Agni.
(c) The Earthly Agni appears at worship and cooking and digests the food
inside the body of living beings. It is called "Gaarhapatya"
Agni.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Besides
it is of other types also -
(1) Vaishwaanar Agni - belonging to all men;
(2) Usharbudh Agni - the one who arrives in the house when the morning fire
is kindled;
(3) Havyavaahan Agni - Havya means offering to Devtaa through fire and Vaahan
means carrier or ride; so Havyavaahan means one that carries the
oblations of men to Devtaa;
(4) Paavak - the one who purifies; it is a synonym of Agni also; and
(5) Jaatved - the one who knows all that is born.
(Aangiras, p. 30)
(2) Fire god or Agni Dev.
He is very important as Vaidik Devtaa, second only to Indra. He is said to
be the messenger priest who carries man's offerings to various Devtaa.
He have seven tongues - (1) Hiranyaa, (2) Kanakaa,
(3) Raktaa, (4) Aaraktaa, (5) Suprabhaa, (6) Bahuroopaa, and (7) Satee.
Meditating upon these seven tongue-Devee gives all kinds of fruits.
(Bhavishya
Puraan, p. 254)
Agni
has 10 Kalaa - (1) Dhoomraa, (2) Archi, (3) Ooshmaa, (4) Jwalinee, (5)
Jwaalinee, (6) Visphulinginee, (7) Sushree, (8) Suroopaa, (9) Kapilaa,
(10) Havya-Kavyavaahaa.
(Naarad
Puraan, p 414)
The
Agni Deity
A. Mission and special features - Providing the path for dispersion
of Deities from the absolute ether (Aakaash) element to the site of the
fire sacrifice (Yagya). Every spiritual rite (Sanskaar) is performed in
the presence of fire. In the Indian scriptures of Deities, Agni is
accorded status only next to Indra, the king of Deities. In the Rig Ved,
Agni is referred to as the presiding Deity of the home (Grihapati) and
an excellent guest. He is the liaison between Deities and man. Since it
is he who delivers the oblations offered in the Fire (Havi) by man to
deities in every spiritual rite he is invoked on the altar (Sthandil)
first. The name of Agni used in every spiritual rite varies. After the
ritual of invoking Agni, oblations are offered to the principal deities
through it and then the respective spiritual rites are performed. He is
the presiding deity of the south-western direction
B. Science behind the idol - The idol has three eyes, four teeth
and four arms. It sports a beard and smoky grey clothing and is red in
complexion.
C. Family - Consorts - Swaahaa and Swadhaa. "Swaahaa - She is one of the
consorts of Lord Agni. When performing a sacrificial fire (Hom), at the
end of a Mantra an oblation is offered after chanting Swaahaa only
because it is believed that a sacrificial fire bestows benefits only if
Swaahaa is uttered in this way. When praying to Agni, Sage Grutsamad
says, “O Agni deliver the oblation offered through the fire amidst
chanting of the word Swaahaa to deities.” (Rig Ved 2.3.11).
Swaaha is the daughter of Daksh Prajaapati and Prasooti. She acquired
the ability to deliver food to Deities because of her austerities. She
gave birth to four sons namely the three fires Paavak, Pavamaan and
Shuchi and Swaarochish Manu (Brahmavaivarta Puraan 2.40).
The Devee Bhaagvat narrates her story as - "Lord Vishnu manifested in
the form of a sacrificial fire so that deities would get food. Braahman
began to offer oblations in that sacrificial fire. However Agni would
not deliver that part of the oblation to the respective Deity. Hence the
Deities approached Lord Brahmaa once again. Then he meditated upon the
female deity (Devee) and she manifested herself in the form of a woman.
Lord Brahmaa named her Swaahaa and instructed her to deliver oblations
which were offered in the fire amidst chanting of her name to the
Deities. She accepted the task. Then Agni married her and she bore three
sons, their names being Gaarhapatya Agni (the fire worshipped in the
home), Dakshinaagni (the fire placed in the south) and Aahvaaneeya Agni
(the sacred fire lit for a specific spiritual purpose). Since then
Brahmans began to offer oblations suffixing Swaahaa to the Mantra and
deities began to receive their share of oblations. When offering an
oblation the name of the Deity is chanted along with the nae of the
Deity - for example ‘Indraaya Swaahaa’ means ‘I offer this oblation to
Indra’. It is said that Swaahaa should be worshipped with the Mantra “Om
hreem shreem, vaahnijaayaayai devyai Svaha’ (ॐ र्हीं श्रीं वह्निजायायै
देव्यै स्वाहा ।)”.’ (2) Vehicle : A
chariot drawn by four parrots.
D. Spiritual practice: Hindus and Zoroastrians worship Agni.
Agnihotree - He is the one who performs the ritual of Agnihotra, that is
concentrates on Agni and keeps a fire lit in his home throughout his
life. He ritualistically worships the Gaarhapatya, Aahvaaneeya and
Dakshinaagni fires everyday in the morning and evening. Some Agnihotree
offer oblations to the Gaarhapatya fire in the morning and evening and to
the Aahvaaneeya and Dakshinaagni Fires only during the day. The sacred fire is
offered oblations twice, at sunrise in the morning and after sunset in
the evening. In the morning, an oblation is offered to the
Sun Deity and
in the evening to Agni. Agnihotree also give offerings to all living
beings and the seven great sages (Saptarshi) along with the fire. An
Agnihotree couple has to carry the fire with them even during travel. An
oblation offered to it consists of sacrificial firewood (Samidhaa), milk
and water.
The
Tongues of Agni (Fire)
Yagya
Datt Muni has told that Agni has three Jivhaa (tongue or flames) - Hiranyaa, Kanakaa, and Krishnaa;
but with the difference of their types these Jivhaa are of seven types - (1) Vishwamoorti,
(2) Sphulinginee, (3) Dhoomravarnaa, (4) Manojavaa, (5) Lohitaasyaa, (6)
Karaalaasyaa, (7) Kaalee.
These
tongues are different with the difference of Samidhaa. Bahuroopaa,
Atiroopaa, and Saatwikaa - these Agni Jivhaa are used in Yog Karm.
In
Aajya Hom it becomes Hiranyaa Agni;
by doing Havan with Tri-Madhu (milk, sugar and honey mixed in equal
quantity) it becomes Karnikaa Agni;
by doing Havan with pure milk it becomes Raktaa Agni;
in Naityik (daily) Karm it becomes Prabhaa Agni;
in Pushp Hom it becomes Bahuroopaa Agni;
when doing Havan with Ann and Kheer it becomes Krishnaa Agni;
in Ikshu Hom it becomes Paraagaa Agni;
in Padm Hom it becomes Suvarnaa and Lohitaa Agni;
when Havan is done with Bilva leaves it becomes Shwetaa Agni;
in Til (sesame seed) Hom it becomes Dhoominee Agni;
in Kaashth (wood) Hom it becomes Karaalikaa Agni;
in Pitra Hom it becomes Lohitaasyaa Agni;
in Dev Hom it becomes Manojavaa Agni.
Whatever
Samidhaa (the wood or the material to be put in fire) is used in Havan,
Vaishwaanar Dev exists in those Samidhaa. When an Aahuti is offered in
Agni. Agni Dev helps in all phases of life. One should offer Aahuti in
the mouth of Agni, if it is offered at some other place it gives wrong
results. Hiranyaa is the tongue of Agni while offering Aahuti with Ghee;
while in other Aahuti it is called Gananaa, Vakraa, Krishnaabhaa,
Suprabhaa, Bahuroopaa, and Atiroopaa.
(Bhavishya Puraan, p 238)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seven
tongues of Fire are described - (1) Hiranyaa, (2) Kanakaa, (3) Raktaa, (4) Aaraktaa, (5) Suprabhaa, (6)
Bahuroopaa, and (7) Satee.
(Bhavishya Puraan, p 254)
Synonyms of Agni
Aag,
Agni, Anal, Paavak
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