AGNI

  (Sanskrit: fire), in Hinduism, the fire god, second only to Indra in the Vedic mythology of ancient India. He is equally the fire of the sun, of lightning, and of the hearth that men light for purposes of worship. Agni could -assume three forms: celestial as the sun, -atmospheric as lightning, and terrestrial as fire. As the divine personification of the fire of sacrifice, Agni is the mouth of the gods and thus the messenger between the human and the divine orders. Born from a lotus created by Brahman (the supreme), Agni is described in the scriptures as ruddy-hued with two faces, one kind and one severe. He has three or seven tongues, hair that stand on end like flames, three legs, and seven arms. In the Rig Veda, he is sometimes identified with Rudra, the forerunner of Shiva. Though Agni has no sect in modern Hinduism, his presence is invoked in several ceremonies, especially by Agnihotri Brahmins. Agni is believed to be the presiding deity and guardian of the southeast direction according to Hindu cosmology.