The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v2.c41.s5.1

v2.c41.s5.1

That fire should be regarded in its own right as a divine power, worthy of worship, appears so natural that it is only reasonable to recognize such worship as Indo-European. The sanctity of Agni in the Rigveda is, of course, especially that of the fire regarded as the recipient of sacrifice and the bearer of oblations, but it seems wholly unjustifiable to suggest ¹ that his sanctity arose from his nature as the sacrificial fire; rather he was the recipient of offerings as sacred in his own right.