69-651: Atri or Attri is a Vedic sage, who is credited with composing numerous hymns to Agni , Indra , and other Vedic deities of Hinduism . Atri is one of the Saptarishi (seven great Vedic sages) in the Hindu tradition, and the one most mentioned in its scripture Rigveda . The fifth Mandala (Book 5) of the Rigveda is called the Atri Mandala in his honour, and the eighty seven hymns in it are attributed to him and his descendants. Atri
138-671: A rishi ( Sanskrit : ऋषि IAST : ṛṣi ) is an accomplished and enlightened person. They find mention in various Vedic texts . Rishis are believed to have composed hymns of the Vedas . The Post-Vedic tradition of Hinduism regards the rishis as "great yogis " or "sages" who after intense meditation ( tapas ) realized the supreme truth and eternal knowledge, which they composed into hymns. The term appears in Pali literature as Ishi; in Buddhism they can be either Buddhas , Paccekabuddhas , Arahats or
207-421: A monk of high rank. According to Indian tradition, the word may be derived from two different meanings of the root 'rsh' ( ṛṣ ). Sanskrit grammarians derive this word from the second meaning: "to go, to move". V. S. Apte gives this particular meaning and derivation, and Monier-Williams also gives the same, with some qualification. Another form of this root means "to flow, to move near by flowing". (All
276-402: A Brahmin last name. In Carnatic music , "Rishi" is the seventh chakra (group) of Melakarta ragas . The names of chakras are based on the numbers associated with each name. In this case, there are seven rishis and hence the 7th chakra is "Rishi". The descendant families of these Rishis, refer to their ancestral lineage through their family " gotra ". This is a common practice among
345-415: A beard, pot-bellied and holding in his right hand a amrtaghata (nectar-pot). Many of these early carvings and early statues show just one head, but elaborate details such as ear-rings made of three fruits, a detailed necklace, a slightly smiling face wearing a crown, and flames engraved into the hairs at the back of Agni's statue. The iconographic statues and reliefs of god Agni are typically present in
414-507: A cardinal direction, world body, eye and knowledge, and the abstract principle of Brahman which the Upanishad states is in everything and is everywhere and he becomes a boy sage. Agni appears in section 1.13 of Chandogya Upanishad as well. In verse 18 of the Isha Upanishad , Agni is invoked with, "O Agni, you know all the paths, lead me on to success by the good path, keep me away from
483-670: A cheerful woman in hymn 5.80. While the fifth mandala is attributed to Atri and his associates, sage Atri is mentioned or credited with numerous other verses of the Rigveda in other Mandalas, such as 10.137.4. In the Ramayana, Rama, Sita and Lakshmana visit Atri and Anasuya in their hermitage. Atri's hut is described to be in Chitrakuta, near a lake with divine music and songs, the water loaded with flowers, green water leaves, with many "cranes, fisherbirds, floating tortoises, swans, frogs and pink geese". A number of sages named Atri are mentioned in
552-471: A class of reincarnated beings and is discussed in its texts with the equivalent term Tejas . Traditional Sanskrit अग्नि ( Agni ) continues one of two core terms for fire reconstructed to Proto-Indo-European , * h₁n̥gʷnis , other reflexes of which include Albanian : *Enj-i ( [ɛɲi] ), the reconstructed name of the fire god in the Albanian pagan mythology , which continues to be used in
621-560: A personage or deity) and dakshinagni (for fighting against all evil). Yāska states that his predecessor Sākapuṇi regarded the threefold existence of Agni as being in earth, air and heaven as stated by the Rig Veda, and the Brāhmanas considered the three manifestations of Agni to be the fire, the lightning, the sun. A sage of the Ṛg Veda (Sūkta IV.iii.11) states that the Sun became visible when Agni
690-550: A symbol of divine energy. During the autumn celebrations of Deepavali, traditional small fire lamps called Diya are included to mark the festivities. For Holi, Hindus burn bonfires as Holika, on the night before the spring festival. The bonfire marks god Agni, and in the Indian subcontinent, mothers and fathers carry their babies around the fire clockwise on Holika in Agni's remembrance. Agni has two forms: Jataveda and Kravyada : Agni
759-729: Is Atri Samhita , which survives in highly inconsistent fragments of manuscripts. The text are rules of conduct aimed at Brahmins of the Vaikhanasas tradition. The surviving parts of the Atri Samhita suggest that the text discussed, among other things, yoga, and ethics of living, with precepts such as: Self restraint: Charity: Compassion: The Vaikhanasas continue to be a significant community in South India, and they adhere to their Vedic heritage. Agni Agni ( Sanskrit : अग्नि , Sanskrit pronunciation: [ˈɐgni] )
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#1732858213235828-585: Is Saptajihva , "the one having seven tongues", to symbolize how rapidly he consumes sacrificial butter. Occasionally, Agni iconography is shown in Rohitasva form, which has no ram as his vahana, but where he is pulled in a chariot with seven red horses, and the symbolic wind that makes fire move as the wheels of the chariot. In Cambodian art , Agni has been depicted with a rhinoceros as his vahana. The number seven symbolizes his reach in all seven mythical continents in ancient Hindu cosmology where Agni lives and also
897-600: Is also mentioned in the Puranas and the Hindu epics of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata . Atri is one of the seven great Rishis or Saptarshi along with Marichi , Angiras , Pulaha , Kratu , Pulastya and Vashistha . According to the legends of the Vedic era, sage Atri was married to Anasuya Devi. They had three sons, Dattatreya , Durvasa and Chandra . As per divine account, he
966-561: Is originally conceptualized as the ultimate source of the "creator-preserver-destroyer" triad, then one of the trinities, as the one who ruled the earth. His twin brother Indra ruled the atmosphere as the god of storm, rain and war, while his other brother Sūrya ruled the sky and heavens were the other two gods in that trinity. His position and importance evolves over time, in the "creator-preserver-destroyer" aspects of existence in Hindu thought. The Shatapatha Brahmana mentions there have been three previous Agnis who died and current Agni
1035-524: Is performed around Agni. It is called the Saptapadi (Sanskrit for "seven steps"), and it represents the legal part of Hindu marriage. The ritual involves a couple completing seven actual or symbolic circuits around the Agni , which is considered a witness to the vows they make to each other. Each circuit of the consecrated fire is led by both the bride or the groom, varying by community and region. With each circuit,
1104-457: Is relating to all people), Tanūnapāta (he who is self-made), Narāśaṃsa (he who embodies all people's praise), Tripatsya (he who is with three dwellings), and many others. In Hindu mythology, Agni is also presented as one who is mysterious with a tendency to play hide and seek, not just with humans but with the deities. He hides in strange places such as waters, where in one myth, he imbues life force into fishes that dwell therein, due to which
1173-574: Is repeatedly presented in the Vedas, such as with the following words in the Maṇḍala 1 of the Rigveda : They call it Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni , and he is heavenly-winged Garuda. To what is One, sages give many a title, they call it Agni , Yama, Matarisvan (Agni). — Rigveda 1.164.46 , Translator: Klaus Klostermaier Agni features prominently in the major and minor Upanishads of Hinduism. Among
1242-413: Is same as Agni, and Parvati is same as Svaha. Mundaka Upanishad (2.4) mentioned the seven tongues of Agni as kālī , karālī , manojavā , sulohita , sudhāmravarṇā , sphuliṅginī, visvarucī . Vedic rituals involve Agni. He is a part of many Hindu rites-of-passage ceremonies such as celebrating a birth (lighting a lamp), prayers (aarti lamp), at weddings (the yajna where the bride and groom circle
1311-488: Is shown as a strong looking man, sometimes bearded, with a large belly because he eats everything offered into his flames, with golden brown hair, eyes and mustache to match the color of fire. Agni holds a rosary in one hand to symbolize his prayer-related role, and a sphere in another hand in eastern states of India. In other regions, his four arms hold an ax, torch, spoon (or fan) a flaming spear (or rosary). Seven rays of light or flames emit from his body. One of his names
1380-495: Is symbolism for "the mind swiftest among (all) those that fly". The iconography of Agni varies by region. The design guidelines and specifications of his iconography are described in the Hindu Agama texts. He is shown with one to three heads, two to four arms, is typically red-complexioned or smoky-grey complexioned standing next to or riding a ram, with a characteristic dramatic halo of flames leaping upwards from his crown. He
1449-487: Is symbolism for psychological and physiological aspects of life, states Maha Purana section LXVII.202–203. There are three kinds of Agni inside every human being, states this text, the krodha-agni or "fire of anger", the kama-agni or "fire of passion and desire", and the udara-agni or "fire of digestion". These respectively need introspective and voluntary offerings of forgiveness, detachment and fasting, if one desires spiritual freedom, liberation. Agni variously denotes
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#17328582132351518-485: Is the Hindu god of fire. and the guardian deity of the southeast direction , he is typically found in southeast corners of Hindu temples . In the classical cosmology of Hinduism , fire ( Agni ) is one of the five inert impermanent elements ( Pañcabhūtá ) along with sky ( Ākāśa ), water ( Apas ), air ( Vāyu ) and earth ( Pṛthvī ), the five combining to form the empirically perceived material existence ( Prakṛti ). In
1587-516: Is the duty of man to perform Agnihotra . A wide range of Agnihotra procedures are found in the Brahmana layer of the Vedas, ranging from the most common simple keeping of sacred fire and its symbolism, to more complicated procedures for the expiation of guilt, to rituals claimed to grant immortality to the performer. According to the Jaiminiya Brahmana , for example, an Agnihotra sacrifice frees
1656-510: Is the fourth one now. In the Hindu pantheon, Agni occupies, after Indra, the most important position. Agni is prominent in the hymns of the Vedas and particularly the Brahmanas . In the Rigveda there are over 200 hymns that praise Agni. His name or synonyms appear in nearly a third of 1,028 hymns in the Rigveda . The Rigveda opens with a hymn inviting Agni, who is then addressed later in
1725-417: Is the last among the seven Saptarishis and is believed to have originated from the tongue. The wife of Atri was Anasuya, who is considered one of the seven female pativratas. When instructed by divine voice to do tapas , Atri readily agreed and did severe tapas. Pleased by his devotion and prayers, the Hindu trinity, namely, Brahma , Vishnu , and Shiva appeared before him and offered him boons. He sought all
1794-401: Is used in many contexts, ranging from fire in the stomach, the cooking fire in a home, the sacrificial fire in an altar, the fire of cremation, the fire of rebirth, the fire in the energetic saps concealed within plants, the atmospheric fire in lightning and the celestial fire in the sun. In the Brahmanas layer of the Vedas, such as in section 5.2.3 of Shatapatha Brahmana, Agni represents all
1863-625: The Buddhist Jataka scriptures , this Ruesi is mentioned as the bodhisatta and practiced his ascetism in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia . Veneration of Ruesis is a notable practice in Southeast Asian Buddhism . The name "Rishi" (pronounced "ruesi") is also the basis of one of the letters of the Thai alphabet , so reu-si ( Thai : ษ ฤๅษี ). Rishi is also a male given name , and less commonly
1932-669: The Buddhist texts . In Pali , they are known as "Isi"s. A Rishi can also be called a Buddha, Paccekabuddha, Arhat or monk of high rank. In Buddhist Pali literature , Buddha is called many times as "Mahesi"(Pali; Sanskrit: Maharṣi; meaning the greatest sage). The Isigili Sutta in Pali Canon , mentions the name of Five hundred Rishis (Paccekabuddhas). The Buddhist text, Mahamayuri Tantra , written during 1–3rd centuries CE, mentions Rishis throughout Jambudvipa (modern day India , Pakistan , Afghanistan , Bangladesh , Nepal ) and invokes them for
2001-683: The Upanayana ceremony of rite of passage, as well being part of the diyā (lamp) in festivals such as Deepavali and Arti in Puja . Agni ( Pali : Aggi ) is a term that appears extensively in Buddhist texts and in the literature related to the Senika heresy debate within the Buddhist traditions. In the ancient Jainism thought, Agni (fire) contains soul and fire-bodied beings, additionally appears as Agni-kumaras or "fire children" in its theory of rebirth and
2070-400: The Vedas , Agni is a major and most invoked god along with Indra and Soma . Agni is considered the mouth of the gods and goddesses and the medium that conveys offerings to them in a homa (votive ritual). He is conceptualized in ancient Hindu texts to exist at three levels, on earth as fire, in the atmosphere as lightning, and in the sky as the sun. This triple presence accords him as
2139-459: The Albanian language to refer to Thursday ( e enjte ), Latin ignis (the root of English ignite ), Lithuanian ugnis , Kurdish agir , Old Slavonian огнь ( ognĭ ) and its descendants: Russian огонь ( ogon´ ), Serbian oganj , Polish ogień , etc., all meaning "fire". The ancient Indian grammarians variously derived it: In the early Vedic literature, Agni primarily connotes
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2208-618: The Reality (Brahman) and the Truth (Satya), is Rta , the order, the organizing principle of everything that is. Agni, who is addressed as Atithi ('guest'), is also called Jatavedasam (जातवेदसम्), meaning "the one who knows all things that are born". He symbolizes will-power united with wisdom. Agni is the essence of the knowledge of Existence. Agni destroys ignorance and all delusions, removes nescience. The Kanvasatpathabrahmanam (SB.IV.i.iv.11) calls Agni "wisdom" (मेधायैमनसेऽग्नये स्वाहेति). Agni
2277-588: The Rigveda are significant for their melodic structure as well as for featuring spiritual ideas in the form of riddles. These hymns include lexical, syntactic, morphological and verb play utilizing the flexibility of the Sanskrit language. The hymn 5.44 of the Rigveda in Atri Mandala is considered by scholars such as Geldner to be the most difficult riddle hymn in all of the Rigveda. The verses are also known for their elegant presentation of natural phenomenon through divinely inspired poems, such as poetically presenting dawn as
2346-889: The Rishis as "sages" or saints , constituting a peculiar class of divine human beings in the early mythical system, as distinct from Asuras , Devas and mortal men. Swami Vivekananda described "Rishi"s as Mantra-drashtas or "the seers of thought". He told— "The truth came to the Rishis of India — the Mantra-drashtâs, the seers of thought — and will come to all Rishis in the future, not to talkers, not to book-swallowers, not to scholars, not to philologists, but to seers of thought." The Rig Veda mentions female rishikas such as Romasha, Lopamudra , Apala , Kadru , Visvavara, Ghosha , Juhu, Vagambhrini, Paulomi, Yami , Indrani , Savitri and Devayani . The Sama Veda adds Nodha, Akrishtabhasha, Sikatanivavari and Gaupayana. In Mahabharata 12, on
2415-571: The case open, and do not prefer a connection to ṛṣ "pour, flow" ( PIE *h 1 ers ), rather one with German rasen "to be ecstatic, be in a different state of mind" (and perhaps Lithuanian aršus ). In the Vedas , the word denotes an inspired poet of Vedic hymns. In particular, Ṛṣi refers to the authors of the hymns of the Rigveda . Some of the earliest lists of Rishi are found in Jaiminiya Brahmana verse 2.218 and Brihadaranyaka Upanishad verse 2.2.4. Post-Vedic tradition regards
2484-481: The collection at Bharata Kalā Bhavana, there is a red sandstone sculpture from around the start of the common era but no later than 1st-century CE, identifiable as Agni shown in the garb of a Brahmana, very much like sage Kashyapa . In the Panchala coins of Agnimitra , Agni is always present with a halo of flames. In Gupta sculptures, Agni is found with a halo of flames round the body, the sacred thread across his chest,
2553-644: The compilation of the Rig Veda and other Vedic texts. Mandala 5 comprises 87 hymns, mainly to Agni and Indra , but also to the Visvedevas ("all the gods'), the Maruts , the twin-deity Mitra-Varuna and the Asvins . Two hymns each are dedicated to Ushas (the dawn) and to Savitr . Most hymns in this book are attributed to the Atri clan composers, called the Atreyas . The Atri hymns of
2622-566: The couple makes a specific vow to establish some aspect of a happy relationship and household for each other, with Agni as the divine witness to those mutual vows. In the Indian subcontinent and Suriname , the bride leads the first four circuits followed by the groom leading the last three circuits. The Agnihotra involves fire, and the term refers to the ritual of keeping fire at home, and in some cases making "sacrificial offerings" such as milk and seeds to this fire. The Srauta texts state that it
2691-550: The demons and win, the deities wonder, "what is this Brahman, a wonderful being?" Agni goes first to find out, but fails. Vayu too goes to find out and fails. Then Indra tries and fails, but meets the Parvati who already understands Brahman, explains what Brahman is and how the deities reached victory through the nature of Brahman. Indra shares this knowledge with Agni and Vayu. The Kena Upanishad closes these sections by stating that "Agni, Vayu, Indra" are revered first because they were
2760-501: The desire to consume the forest of Khāṇḍava protected by Indra for the sake of Takṣaka , the chief of the Nāgas . Aided by Krishna and Arjuna, Agni consumes the Khāṇḍava Forest , which burnt for fifteen days, sparing only Ashvasena, Maya, and the four birds called sarangakas ; later, as a boon Arjuna got all his weapons from Indra and also the bow, Gāṇḍīva , from Varuṇa . There is
2829-473: The earliest mention is the legend of a boy sage named Satyakāma Jābāla , the son of an unwed father and an unwed mother, in chapter 4 of the Chhāndogya Upanishad (~700 BCE). He honestly admits his poverty and that his mother does not know who his father was, an honesty that earns him a spot in a Hindu school ( gurukula ). During his studies, the boy sage meets Agni, who then becomes the god for him as
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2898-675: The entire universe, and that all the deities are internalized in the temple of a living body with Agni as the eyes. Agni is mentioned in many minor Upanishads, such as the Pranagnihotra Upanishad , the Yogatattva Upanishad , the Yogashikha Upanishad , the Trishikhibrahmana Upanishad and others. The syncretic and monistic Shaivism and Shaktism text, namely Rudrahridaya Upanishad states that Shiva
2967-426: The falcon hides and disappears to heaven. Agni is molded in similar mythical themes, in some hymns with the phrase the "heavenly falcon that flies". The earliest layers of the Vedic texts of Hinduism, such as section 6.1 of Kaṭhaka Saṃhitā and section 1.8.1 of Maitrāyaṇī Saṃhitā state that the universe began with nothing, neither night nor day existed, what existed was just the god Prajāpati. Agni originated from
3036-442: The fire as a god, one reflecting the primordial powers to consume, transform and convey. Yet the term is also used with the meaning of a Mahabhuta (constitutive substance), one of five that the earliest Vedic thinkers believed to constitute material existence, and that later Vedic thinkers such as Kanada and Kapila expanded widely, namely Dyaus (aether), Vayu (air), Varuna (water), Bhumi (earth) and Agni (fire). The word Agni
3105-415: The fire seven times) and at death (cremation). According to Atharvaveda , it is Agni that conveys the soul of the dead from the pyre to be reborn in the next world or life. However, this role was in post-Vedic texts subsumed in the role of god Yama. Agni has been important in temple architecture, is typically present in the southeast corner of a Hindu temple . The most important ritual of Hindu weddings
3174-476: The first among the deities to realize Brahman from Parvati. The allegorical legend, states Paul Deussen, aims to teach that all the Hindu deities and natural things have their basis in the timeless, universal monistic principle called Brahman. Another ancient major Hindu scripture named Prashna Upanishad mentions Agni in its second Prashna (question section). The section states that Agni and other deities manifest as five gross constituents that combine to make
3243-486: The fishes report his presence to the deities, who take Agni to heaven. Agni is in hymn 10.124 of the Rigveda , a Rishi (sage-poet-composer) and along with Indra and Sūrya makes up the Hindu trinity of gods who create, preserve, destroy. Agni is considered equivalent to all the deities in the Hinduism, which formed the foundation for the various non-dualistic and monistic theologies of Hinduism. These theme of equivalence
3312-567: The forehead of Prajāpati , assert these texts. With the creation of Agni came light, and with that were created day and night. Agni, state these Saṃhitā s , is the same as the Brahman , the truth, the eyes of the manifested universe. These mythologies develop into more complex stories about Agni's origins in the later layers of Vedic texts, such as in section 2.1.2 of the Taittiriya Brahmana and sections 2.2.3–4 of Shatapatha Brahmana . Agni
3381-560: The gods and goddesses, all concepts of spiritual energy that permeates everything in the universe. In the Upanishads and post-Vedic literature, Agni additionally became a metaphor for immortal principle in humans, and any energy or knowledge that consumes and dispels a state of darkness, transforms and procreates an enlightened state of existence. Agni is also famously known as: Other names include Śikhī, Pingesa, Plavanga, Bhūritejaḥ, Rudragarva, Hiraṇyakṛta. There are many theories about
3450-604: The hymn as the guardian of Ṛta ( Dharma ). The Vedas describe the foster-parents of Agni as two kindling fire sticks of Prajapati, whose loving action creates him. Just born, he is poetically presented as a tender baby, who needs loving attention lest he vanishes. With care, he sparks and smokes, then flames and grows stronger than his foster-parents, finally so strong that he burns to ashes what created him his residence by Prajapati. The hymns in these ancient texts refer to Agni with numerous epithets and synonyms, such as Jātaveda (he who knows all knowledge), Vaiśvānara (he who
3519-454: The individuality of every one of these deities including of Agni, thus journey unto the universal reality, for a communion with the Purusha , which is the Ātman . Sections 3 and 4 of Kena Upanishad , another major ancient Upanishad, presents a story which includes gods Agni, Vayu , Indra and goddess Parvati . After a battle between good deities and evil demons, where the deities kill all
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#17328582132353588-467: The meanings and derivations cited above are based upon Sanskrit English Dictionary of Monier-Williams). Monier-Williams also quotes Tārānātha who compiled the great (Sanskrit-to-Sanskrit) dictionary named "ṛṣati jñānena saṃsāra-pāram" (i.e., "one who reaches beyond this mundane world by means of spiritual knowledge"). Before Monier-Williams' work was published, Yāska suggested it came from "drish" and quotes Aupamanyava to support his opinion. However,
3657-557: The messenger between the deities and humans in the Vedic scriptures. The relative importance of Agni declined in the post-Vedic era, as he was internalised and his identity evolved to metaphorically represent all transformative energy and knowledge in the Upanishads and later Hindu literature. Agni remains an integral part of Hindu traditions, such as being the central witness of the rite-of-passage ritual in traditional Hindu weddings called Saptapadi (seven steps and mutual vows), in
3726-404: The natural element fire, the supernatural deity symbolized by fire and the inner natural will aspiring for the highest knowledge. Heat, combustion and energy is the realm of Agni which symbolizes the transformation of the gross to the subtle; Agni is the life-giving energy. Agnibija is the consciousness of tapas (proto-cosmic energy); agni (the energizing principle); the sun, representing
3795-633: The notable being in Treta Yuga during Ramayana , when he and Anasuya advised Rama and his wife Sita . The pair is also attributed to bringing river Ganga down to earth, the mention of which is found in the Shiva Purana . He is said to be a resident of the south in Valmiki Ramayana. The same is supported by Puranic tradition. He is the seer of the fifth Mandala (Book 5) of the Rigveda . Atri had many sons and disciples who have also contributed in
3864-415: The origins of the god Agni, some tracing it to Indo-European mythology, others tracing to Hindu mythology. The origin myth found in many Indo-European cultures is one of a falcon that carries or brings fire from the deities to people. This messenger also brings an elixir of immortality from heaven to earth. In either case, the falcon returns everyday with sacrificial offerings for the deities, but sometimes
3933-832: The other hand, there is the post-Vedic list of Marīci , Atri , Angiras , Pulaha , Kratu , Pulastya and Vashista . The Mahābhārata list explicitly refers to the saptarshis of the first manvantara and not to those of the present manvantara. Each manvantara had a unique set of saptarshi. In Harivamsha 417ff, the names of the Rishis of each manvantara are enumerated. In addition to the Sapta rṣi , there are other classifications of sages. In descending order of precedence, they are Brahmarshi , Maharshi , Rajarshi . Deva rṣi , Param rṣi , Shruta rṣi and Kānda rṣi are added in Manusmriti iv-94 and xi-236 and in two dramas of Kālidasa. The Chaturvarga-Chintāmani of Hemādri puts ' riṣi ' at
4002-485: The performer from evil and death. In contrast, states the Shatapatha Brahmana, Agnihotra is a symbolic reminder and equivalent to the Sun, where the fire keeper is reminded of the heat that creates life, the fire in beings, the heat in the womb behind the cycle of life. Two major festivals in Hinduism, namely Holi (festival of colors) and Deepavali (festival of lights) incorporate Agni in their ritual grammar, as
4071-684: The protection of the Buddhadharma . Many Jatakas also mentions various Rishis. The Naḷinikā Jātaka (Jā 526) introduces a past life of the Buddha , a Rishi(Isi), living alone in the Himālayas. His son, who was also a Rishi, was named Isisiṅga ( Pali ; Sanskrit: Ṛṣyaśṛṅga ). The Agastya Jataka (Sanskrit; Pali: Akitta Jataka) story, mentions Bodhisattva , named Agastya(Sanskrit; Pali: Akkhata) as Rishi. Most medieval era Hindu temples of Java , Indonesia show Rishi Agastya statues or reliefs, usually guarding
4140-549: The root has a close Avestan cognate ərəšiš "an ecstatic " (see also Yurodivy , Vates ). Yet the Indo-European dictionary of Julius Pokorny connects the word to a PIE root *h 3 er-s meaning "rise, protrude", in the sense of "excellent" and thus cognate with Ṛta and right and Asha . In Sanskrit, forms of the root rish become arsh- in many words, (e.g., arsh ) Modern etymological explanations such as by Manfred Mayrhofer in his Etymological Dictionary leave
4209-453: The seven colours of a rainbow in his form as the sun. Agni has three forms, namely fire, lightning, and the Sun, forms sometimes symbolized by giving his icon three heads or three legs. He sometimes is shown wearing a garland of fruits or flowers, symbolic of the offerings made into the fire. The earliest surviving artwork of Agni have been found at archaeological sites near Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), and these date from 1st-century BCE. In
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#17328582132354278-446: The seventh place in the eightfold division of Brāhmanas. Amarakosha (the famous Sanskrit synonym lexicon compiled by Amarasimha) mentions seven types of riṣi s : Shrutarshi, Kāndarshi, Paramarshi, Maharshi, Rājarshi, Brahmarshi and Devarshi. Amarakosha strictly distinguishes Rishi from other types of sages, such as sanyāsi, bhikṣu , parivrājaka, tapasvi, muni, brahmachāri, yati, etc. The term Rishi found mentions throughout
4347-491: The southeast corners of a Hindu temple. However, in rare temples where Agni is envisioned as a presiding astrological divinity, according to texts such as the Samarangana Sutradhara , he is assigned the northeast corner. Agni is historically considered to be present in every grihastha (home), and therein presented in one of three forms – gārhapatya (for general domestic usage), āhavaniya (for inviting and welcoming
4416-649: The southern side of Shaivite temples. Some examples include Candi Sambisari and the Prambanan temple near Yogyakarta . Ruesi (Sanskrit: ṛṣi , Khmer : តាឥសី , Thai : ฤๅษี , Lao : ລືສີ ) is a hermit sage , the equivalent of Rishi in India . In Myanmar , there are some known as ရေသ့ Rase . Rishi Akkhata(Pali; Sanskrit: Agastya), known as Phra Reusi Akkhot in Thailand , is an important Ruesi in Southeast Asia , as in
4485-426: The story about King Shibi who was tested by Agni assuming the form of a pigeon and by Indra assuming the form of a hawk; Shibi offered his own flesh to the hawk in exchange of pigeon's life. The pigeon which had sought Shibi's shelter was thus saved by the king's sacrifice from the hawk and then, Indra and Agni restore Shibi to his intact state and bless him to live happily then. Rishi In Indian religions ,
4554-462: The three to be born to him. Another version of the legend states that Anasuya, by the powers of her chastity, rescued the three gods and in return, they were born as children to her. Brahma was born to her as Chandra , Vishnu as Dattatreya and Shiva in some part as Durvasa . The mention of Atri is found in various scriptures, with the notable being in Rig Veda . He is also associated with various ages,
4623-469: The various medieval era Puranas. The legends therein about Atri are diverse and inconsistent. It is unclear if these refer to the same person, or to different Rishis who had the same name. The Vaikhanasas sub-tradition within Vaishnavism found in South India near Tirupati, credit their theology to four Rishis (sages), namely Atri, Marichi, Bhrigu and Kashyapa. One of the ancient texts of this tradition
4692-534: The wrong path of sin". In sections 4.5–6 of the Maitri Upanishad , the students ask their Hindu Guru (teacher) Maitri about which deity is best among deities they name, a list that includes Agni. The Guru replies that they are all supreme, all merely forms of the Brahman, the whole world is Brahman. So pick anyone, says the Upanishad, meditate and adore that one, then meditate over them all, then deny and discard
4761-433: Was born. Offended by Agni, Bhṛgu had cursed Agni to become the devourer of all things on this earth, but Brahma modified that curse and made Agni the purifier of all things he touched. In the "Khāṇḍava-daha Parva" ( Mahābhārata CCXXV), Agni in disguise approaches Krishna and Arjuna seeking sufficient food for gratification of his hunger; and on being asked about the kind of food which would gratify, Agni expressed
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