Agni Mile Purohitam

Agni

Agni in the Veda is not merely the fire o the Vedic Altar or even the deity behind the physical fire. The ordinary fire is a source of heat and light which prompted the Vedic sages to symbolise the edity of spiritual Light and spiritual Force by the word Agni. The physical flame gives light all through the night amidst darkness and it impels human beings to study or work otherwise Similarly, the Divine Power of Agni is residing in every human being who is full of ignorance and in conscience pushing him or her towards progress. Agni is that Divine Power of will united with wisdom, denoted by the word “Kratu’.

It is not desire; but it embraces desire and surpasses and surpasses it. In the Veda Agni is essentially Knowledge, or Light taking the form of force. Agni is the mental force, will power, necessary for all action. It is Agni who makes the Divine knowledge of the Supreme Sun accessible to human beings.

He has many other functions, particularly the force of concentration, tapas, austerity. he is the force of combustion in the cosmos and also the fire in the stomach “jatharagni” who digests the food in man.

In the Rig Veda Agni is said to reside hidden in teh cave of the heart, Guha. The ordinary human being in his outward activities is unaware of the presence of Agni. Still Agni prompts him/her on the journey.

The first hymn of Rig Veda

To understand the nature of Rig Veda, there is no better beginning than he first hymn. In the India spiritual tradition, the meditation and japa of the first hymn is the beginning for the understanding of the secrete of the Vedas.

It is a hymn of nine verses in the gayatri meter. It is made of three parts each of eight syllables. Rishi is Madhuchhanda, son of Vamadeva. Following are the paraphrase of each of the verse -

  1. ॐ अग्निमीळे पुरोहितं यज्ञस्य देवमृत्विजम् । होतारं रत्नधातमम् ॥१॥
    • I adore Agni, placed in front, the deva of the Yajna, the invoker or summoner in the Yajna and carrier of felicities.
  2. अग्निः पूर्वेभिर्ऋषिभिरीड्यो नूतनैरुत । स देवाँ एह वक्षति ॥२॥
    • Agni, adorable by the ancient seers, is adorable by the later ones also. He brings here the Devas.
  3. अग्निना रयिमश्नवत्पोषमेव दिवेदिवे । यशसं वीरवत्तमम् ॥३॥
    • The treasure obtained from Agni is full of hearing and strength, increasing day by day; not subject to dwindling like ordinary wealth.
  4. अग्ने यं यज्ञमध्वरं विश्वतः परिभूरसि । स इद्देवेषु गच्छति ॥४॥
    • Only the yajna, which is guarded by Agni, all round reaches the devas.
  5. अग्निर्होता कविक्रतुः सत्यश्चित्रश्रवस्तमः । देवो देवेभिरा गमत् ॥५॥
    • Endowed with Vision and Audition, wise and firm of will, Agni is the associate of the Gods.
  6. यदङ्ग दाशुषे त्वमग्ने भद्रं करिष्यसि । तवेत्तत्सत्यमङ्गिरः ॥६॥
    • Agni’s special Truth is his power of conferring happy and good Bhadra, which averts falsehood.
  7. उप त्वाग्ने दिवेदिवे दोषावस्तर्धिया वयम् । नमो भरन्त एमसि ॥७॥
    • We approach thee day by day, in he night and in the light, carrying our surrender by our thought.
  8. राजन्तमध्वराणां गोपामृतस्य दीदिविम् । वर्धमानं स्वे दमे ॥८॥
    • The cast Truth is the own Home of Agni, There he increases for yajamana; Tat he protects.
  9. स नः पितेव सूनवेऽग्ने सूपायनो भव । सचस्वा नः स्वस्तये ॥९॥
    • O Agni, cling to us like a father to the son, be easy of access to us.

From the book : Why Read Rig Veda by Prof. R. L. Kashyap.