Page:The Mythology of All Races Vol 6 (Indian and Iranian).djvu/75

Rh suckle. The ten maidens who generate him are the ten fingers, and as "Son of Strength" his name bears witness to the force needed to create the flame. As thus produced for the sacrifice every morning he has the title of youngest, although as the first sacrificer he is also the oldest. Or, again, he is born in the trees or the plants or on the navel of earth, the place of the sacrifice.

But Agni is born also in the waters of the atmosphere; he is Apāṁ Napāt ("Child of the Waters"), the bull which grows in the lap of the waters. Possibly, however, in some cases at least, the waters in which he is found are those of earth, for he is mentioned as being in the waters and the plants. He is born likewise from heaven in the form of lightning; Mātariśvan brought him down, doubtless a reminiscence of conflagrations caused by the lightning. He is also identified sometimes with the sun, though the solar luminary is more often conceived as a separate deity. Thus he has three births—in the sky, in the waters, and on earth, though the order is also given as sky, earth, and waters. This is the earliest form of triad in Indian religion, and probably from it arose the other form of sun, wind, and fire, for which (though not in the Ṛgveda) sun, Indra, and fire is a variant. The three fires in the ritual correspond with the three divine forms. On the other hand, Agni has two births when the air and the sky are taken as one; he descends in rain and is born from the plants, and rises again to the sky, whence we have the mystic commands that Agni should sacrifice to himself or bring himself to the sacrifice. Or, again, he can be said to have many births from the many fires kindled on earth. Yet the number three reappears in the conception of the brothers of Agni. Indra is said to be his twin, and from him Agni borrows the exploit of defeating the Paṇis. Mystically Agni is Varuṇa in the evening, Mitra in the morning, Savitṛ as he traverses the air, and Indra as he illumines the sky in the midst.

Agni is closely connected with the home, of which he is the