Vedic Mythology c5.s3.t2.21

c5.s3.t2.21

Agni's origin in heaven is moreover frequently spoken of. He is born in the highest heavens (1, 143²; 6, 8²). He existed potentially though not actually in the highest heavens (10, 5⁷), and was brought from heaven, from afar by Mātariśvan (§ 25). In such passages Agni doubtless represents lightning; for lightning is regarded as coming from heaven as well as from the waters (AV. 3, 21¹· ⁷; 8, 1¹¹), and in a Brāhmaṇa passage (AB. 7, 7²) it is spoken of as both celestial (*divya*) and aqueous (*apsumat*). When lightning is mentioned by its proper name *vidyut* (which occurs hardly 30 times in the RV.) along with Agni, it is commonly compared with and thereby distinguished from him²⁰, doubtless as a concrete phenomenon in contrast with the god. The myth, too, of the descent of fire from heaven to earth, due undoubtedly to the actual observation of conflagrations caused by the stroke of lightning, implies the identity of the celestial Agni and lightning. The heavenly origin of Agni is further implied in the fact that the acquisition of fire by man is regarded as a gift of the gods as well as a production of Mātariśvan; and Agni's frequent epithet of 'guest (*atithi*) of men' may allude to the same notion (5, 1⁹ &c.).