Lord Agni: Powers of the Lord of Fire

Lord Agni: Men had remained in their most primitive stages before they found the fire. When they discovered fire, they both feared and revered it, and for good reason. While fire protected them from cold and dangerous animals, was useful in cooking meals, creating weapons, and lighting up the place they were living, it was also a dangerous factor that could cause them severe burns and eat up many things in the process. Thus, it is not just in India, but also in many other parts of the world and many religions that the fire god is worshipped by many names.

Mantra:

Om VaisvanarayaVidhmahe

LalelayaDhimahi

Tanno Agni Pracodayat

About Lord Agni

It is said that Agni is the child of the water lord because when water falls on the earth in the form of rain, it gets trapped in various living things, including trees. When barks of trees were rubbed together, fire sparks were created. The fire god was initially hesitant to take up his duties as he had watched three of his siblings lose their life while trying to perform their duties, so he tried to hide in different forms. But various living things, including fish, frogs, elephants, and parrots, let the cat out of the bag, and finally, Lord Agni was forced to assume his official role. He, however, cursed all those animals and birds that gave his secret away, and they still cannot communicate with other living things in a normal voice; their voice shall always remain distorted.

After assuming his role, it was the duty of this god represented with hair like flames and three feet, seated on a ram, to transport the offerings that people made to the gods. That is why fire is so important in all religious practices because without fire; there are no other means for us to send our offerings to the various gods. In fact, because of this, many people considered Lord Agni to be the second-most God after Lord Indra.

The downfall of the fire god

However, Lord Agni also had the propensity to enjoy the good things in life and was known to have shared somras, the addictive drink that was a favourite of Indra. As a remuneration for the services that he offers to the gods, he takes away a small part of the sacrifices that we offer to the gods, and that is why he is depicted to have a fat belly as he enjoys the good things in life. Once one of the most powerful gods, he, however, had to be dropped from his elevated position as he had a tendency to become too strong and overbear everything that came in his way. Large forests are known to be consumed by fire whose beginning was just a tiny spark caused by dry woods or two stones.

Lord Agni in modern days

We harness the powers of Lord Agni in various ways even today, including in the kitchen as we cook over a fire, in all religious rituals, to sterilize various things with the help of water, to light the funeral pyre, and to light our houses during the evening with diyas and lamps. Thus, Lord Agni will always remain one of the most powerful and prominent gods in our lives for eternity.