This god rides on a sheep, he fell in love with the wives of sagesThis god used to lose his senses when he used to look at the wives of sagesWhy did the sages think that this god had a son due to relations with their wives
There is an incident in Mahabharata that how a god did something that no one could even imagine. Angry at that, the Sapta Rishis broke off their relationship with their beautiful wives. Because they felt that the god had a strong son because of his relationship with their wives. This god is so important in our life that nothing can be done in the kitchen without him.
Rishi Markandeya mentioned this story to the Pandavas in the Vana Parva of Mahabharata. Swaha was the daughter of Daksha. She fell in love with Agnidev. She started following him. Agni did not pay any attention to her. He used to preside over the Yagya rituals of the Saptarishis. Then a day came when he fell in love with the wives of the Saptarishis, they were so attractive that he kept looking at them.
Was attracted to the wives of the Seven Sages
Agni Dev started lusting after the wives of these sages. One day his feelings went out of control. When the Saptarishis were performing the Yagya, Agni Devta came out of the fire pit and saw that the beautiful wives of the sages were sitting on the asanas and some were sleeping. Since Agni had been infatuated with these beautiful women for a long time, but that day he became so lustful that it became difficult to control himself.
Agnidev and his wife Swaha. (Wikicommons)
Agnidev was heartbroken because he knew that the husbands of these beautiful wives were sages and it was impossible to get them. He decided that now he would go to the forest and give up his life. He also felt guilty about why he was repeatedly thinking wrong about these sage wives.
The vehicle of Agni Dev is a sheep. In some images, Agni Dev is also shown riding a chariot which is being pulled by goats and parrots.
she used to love them
Daksha Kanya Swaha, who loved Agnidev, felt very bad that Agnidev did not pay attention to her feelings. Now he has left everything and gone to the forest. Since she wanted to get him at any cost, she thought of changing her form and becoming the wife of the sages and going to them. At least in this way she will be able to come closer to Agnidev.
How the wives of the sages reached the deity
She came to Agni in the form of Shiva, wife of Maharishi Angira. Mated with him. She brought Agni’s semen and put it in a golden pool on Mount Kailash. Similarly, she mated with Agni by taking the form of other sages’ wives. Only Vashishtha Rishi’s wife was not there in this. Every time she kept putting semen in the same pool on Mount Kailash. This resulted in the birth of a unique child.
And then the sages broke off their relations with their wives
The sages came to know from somewhere that their wives had gone to Agni and had given birth to a son named Skanda. Except for one sage, all left their wives. Everyone tried to convince him but it had no effect on him. Later Agni understood that all this was Swaha’s trick. Now he agreed to marry her. From that day onwards, no offering to Agni is considered complete without saying Swaha.
Who are the Saptarishi
Saptarishi or Saptarishi are the seven sages who have been mentioned repeatedly in the Vedas and other Hindu scriptures. However, their names are different in different Vedas, Puranas and texts. On studying the Vedas, the names of the seven sages or Rishi clans that are revealed are as follows –
1. Vasishtha, 2. Vishwamitra, 3. Kanva, 4. Bharadwaj, 5. Atri, 6. Vamadeva 7. Shaunak.
In the seventh Manvantar of the Vishnu Purana the names of the Seven Rishis are Vasishtha, Kashyap, Atri, Jamadagni, Gautama, Vishwamitra and Bharadwaj.
Apart from this, according to other Puranas, the list of Saptarishi is as follows – Kratu, Pulaha, Pulastya, Atri, Angira, Vasishtha and Marichi
These gods are important in every religion
Fire is central to rituals and worship in Hinduism. Fire is used in ceremonies such as homa or yagna, where offerings are made into the fire as a means of purification and receiving blessings.
In the ancient Persian religion Zoroastrianism, fire is considered a symbol of purity and divinity. The fire temple known as “Atash Behram” or “Atash Kadeh” is their most sacred place of worship, where a sacred flame burns continuously.
Judaism also has a flame burning continuously in houses of worship. In many African traditional religions, fire is associated with life force, vitality, purification and communication with ancestors.
In Christianity, fire is used in the sacrament of baptism. In Buddhism, fire is used to purify negative energies. In Islam, Sufi practices use fire in Aarti, which symbolizes purification and divine presence.
Tags: beauty and the beast, Mahabharat
FIRST PUBLISHED : June 15, 2024, 09:10 IST