Vedic Mythology c5.s3.t2.38

c5.s3.t2.38

Agni is a great benefactor of his worshippers. He protects them with a hundred iron walls (7, 3⁷. 16¹⁰, cp. 6, 48⁸; 1, 189²). He preserves them from calamities or takes them across calamities as in a ship over the sea (3, 20⁴; 5, 4⁹; 7, 12²). He is a deliverer (8, 49⁵) and a friend of the man who entertains him as a guest (4, 4¹⁰). He grants protection to the worshipper who sweats to bring him fuel (4, 2⁶). He watches with a thousand eyes the man who brings him food and nourishes him with oblations (10, 79⁵). He consumes his worshippers’ enemies like dry bushes (4, 4⁴) and strikes down the malevolent as a tree is destroyed by lightning (6, 8⁵, cp. AV. 3, 2¹ &c.). He is therefore invoked in battle (8, 43²¹), in which he leads the van (8, 73⁸). The man whom he protects and inspires in battle wins abundant food and can never be overcome (1, 27⁷). All blessings issue from him as branches from a tree (6, 13¹). He gives riches, which he abundantly commands (1, 1³. 31¹⁰. 36⁴). All treasures are collected in him (10, 6⁶) and he opens the door of riches (1, 68¹⁰). He commands all riches in heaven and earth (4, 5¹¹) or in earth, heaven, and ocean (7, 6⁷; 10, 91³). He gives rain from heaven (2, 6⁵) and is like a water-trough in the desert (10, 4¹). He is therefore constantly besought to bestow every kind of boon: food, riches, deliverance from poverty, childlessness, enemies, and demons⁴¹. The boons which Agni bestows are rather domestic welfare, offspring, and prosperity, while Indra for the most part gives power, victory, and glory. Agni also forgives sin⁴² committed through folly, makes guiltless before Aditi (4, 12⁴; 7, 93⁷, cp. p. 121), and averts Varuṇa’s wrath (4, 1⁴). He even frees from guilt committed by a man’s father and mother (AV. 5, 30⁴; TB. 3, 7, 12³·⁴)