DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.638#0075
20 INDIAN MYTH AND LEGEND
several myths had gathered round the fascinating and
wonderful fire god. One hymn refers to him as a child
whose birth was kept a secret; his mother, the queen, con-
cealed him from his sire; he was born in full vigour as a
youth, and was seen sharpening his weapons at a distance
from his home v/hich he had forsaken.1 Sometimes he is
said to have devoured his parents at birth: this seems to
signify that he consumed the fire sticks from which holy
fire was produced by friction. Another hymn says that
"Heaven and Earth (Dyaus and Prithivi) fled away in
fear of (the incarnation of) Twashtri when he was born,
but they returned to embrace the lion ".2
Agni was also given ten mothers who were " twice five
sisters",8 but the reference is clearly explained in another
passage: " The ten fingers have given him birth, the
ancient, well-loved Agni, well born of his mothers ".*
Dawn, with its darkness-consuming fires, and starry
Night, are the sisters of Agni; "they celebrate his three
births, one in the sea, one in the sky, one in the waters
(clouds) ". Typical of the Oriental mind is the mysterious
reference to Agni's " mothers " owing their origin to him.
The poet sings:
Who among you hath understood the hidden (god) ?
The calf has by itself given birth to its
mothers.
:
Professor Oldenberg, who suggests that the waters are
the "mothers", reasons in Oriental mode: "Smoke is
Agni, it goes to the clouds, the clouds become waters".
In his early humanized form Agni bears some resem-
blance to Heimdal, the Teutonic sentinel god, who has
1 Rigveda, v, z. * Rigveda, i, 95.
' Rigveda, iv, 6. 8. * Rigveda, iii, 23. 3.
6 Rigveda, i, 95. 4, and note, Oldenberg's Vtdit Hymns (Sacred Booh of the £■"'<
vol. xlvi).
several myths had gathered round the fascinating and
wonderful fire god. One hymn refers to him as a child
whose birth was kept a secret; his mother, the queen, con-
cealed him from his sire; he was born in full vigour as a
youth, and was seen sharpening his weapons at a distance
from his home v/hich he had forsaken.1 Sometimes he is
said to have devoured his parents at birth: this seems to
signify that he consumed the fire sticks from which holy
fire was produced by friction. Another hymn says that
"Heaven and Earth (Dyaus and Prithivi) fled away in
fear of (the incarnation of) Twashtri when he was born,
but they returned to embrace the lion ".2
Agni was also given ten mothers who were " twice five
sisters",8 but the reference is clearly explained in another
passage: " The ten fingers have given him birth, the
ancient, well-loved Agni, well born of his mothers ".*
Dawn, with its darkness-consuming fires, and starry
Night, are the sisters of Agni; "they celebrate his three
births, one in the sea, one in the sky, one in the waters
(clouds) ". Typical of the Oriental mind is the mysterious
reference to Agni's " mothers " owing their origin to him.
The poet sings:
Who among you hath understood the hidden (god) ?
The calf has by itself given birth to its
mothers.
:
Professor Oldenberg, who suggests that the waters are
the "mothers", reasons in Oriental mode: "Smoke is
Agni, it goes to the clouds, the clouds become waters".
In his early humanized form Agni bears some resem-
blance to Heimdal, the Teutonic sentinel god, who has
1 Rigveda, v, z. * Rigveda, i, 95.
' Rigveda, iv, 6. 8. * Rigveda, iii, 23. 3.
6 Rigveda, i, 95. 4, and note, Oldenberg's Vtdit Hymns (Sacred Booh of the £■"'<
vol. xlvi).