Vedic Mythology c5.s3.t2.37

c5.s3.t2.37

Agni is a seer (*ṛṣi*) as well as a priest (9, 66²⁰); he is kindled as an eminent seer (3, 21³); he is the most gracious seer (6, 14²); he is the first seer Aṅgiras (1, 31¹). He is the divine one (*asura*) among the sages (3, 3⁴). Agni knows the sacrifice exactly (10, 110¹¹) and knows all rites (10, 122²). Knowing the proper seasons he rectifies the mistakes which men commit through ignorance of the sacrificial ordinances of the gods (10, 2⁴. 5) He knows the recesses of heaven (4, 8². 4). He knows everything (10, 11¹) by his wisdom (10, 91³). He has all wisdom (3, 1¹⁷; 10, 21⁵), which he embraces as the felly the wheel (2, 5³) and which he acquired as soon as born (1, 96¹). He is 'all-knowing' (*viśvavid*); and the epithets 'possessed of all knowledge' (*viśvavedas*), 'sage' (*kavi*), and 'possessing the intelligence of a sage' (*kavikratu*) are predominantly applicable to him. He exclusively bears the epithet *jātavedas*, which occurs upwards of 120 times in the RV. and is there (6, 15¹³) explained as meaning 'he who knows all generations' (*viśvā veda janimā*)⁴⁰. He knows the divine ordinances and the generations of men (1, 70⁴. ³). He knows and sees all creatures (3, 55¹⁰; 10, 187⁴) and hears the invocations addressed to him (8, 43²³). Agni is also a producer of wisdom (8, 91⁸). Wisdom and prayers arise from him (4, 11³). He is an inspirer (10, 46⁵), an inventor of brilliant speech (2, 9⁴), the first inventor of prayer (6, 1¹). He is also said to be eloquent (6, 4⁴) and a singer (*jaritṛ*).