Agni - Agni (English spelling)

The ancient Indian god of fire. Characterized as Ajita or Ajini. It has the same origin as the Latin word ignis, and is thought to be a remnant of the time when early Indo-Europeans sanctified the hearth fire, which was the center of family life, and worshipped it for its warding off evil and purification functions. One-fifth of the Rig-Veda, the oldest sacred text in India, is a hymn to this god, making him the second most important god after Indra. He has golden jaws and teeth, flames as hair, and three or seven tongues. He was believed to carry the offerings of his followers that were thrown into his body to the gods in heaven, and was therefore regarded as the intermediary between gods and humans and the model of a priest.

He is said to be the oldest god because he is always young as he is lit every morning and has existed since ancient times, but among the various deities, he is the one who is loved by many as a family god, and is treated as a guest in the home, and is the god of safety in the home and the prosperity of descendants. On the other hand, he exists as lightning in the sky, and in the human body as the fire of digestion, the fire of rage, and the fire of thought, and was born from a flint and was also closely related to water. His power of purification was evident in later Shinmei trials, and it was believed that fire would not burn the innocent. He was also one of the eight guardian deities, and was in charge of the southeast direction.

[Hara Minoru]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

古代インドの火の神。阿祇儞または阿祇尼の字をあてる。ラテン語ignisなどと同一語源で、原始インド・ヨーロッパ人が家庭生活の中心であった「炉の火」を神聖化し、これに厄除(やくよ)け、浄化の機能を帰して崇拝していたものの名残(なごり)と思われる。インド最古の聖典『リグ・ベーダ』のなかでは、全体の5分の1がこの神への賛歌で、インドラに次いで重要な神であった。黄金の顎(あご)と歯をもち、炎を頭髪となし、3個あるいは7個の舌をもつ。彼は自己のなかに投じられた信者の供物を天上の神々に運ぶと信じられたことから、神と人間の仲介者、祭官の塑型と目された。

　毎朝点火されるのでつねに若く、また太古より存在するためもっとも古い神といわれるが、諸神格中にあっては家庭の神として親近感がみなぎり、家の賓客とされ、家内安全、子孫繁栄の神となった。他面、空界では雷光、人体中では消化の火、憤怒(ふんぬ)の火、思想の火としても存在し、燧木(ひうちぎ)より生まれ、また水との関係も深かった。その浄化の力は後世の神明裁判にも明らかで、火は潔白なる者を焼かない、と信じられた。また護世八天の一つとして南東の方位をつかさどった。

［原　實］

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