Agni is the Sanskrit word for ‘fire’. Agni is one of the foremost among the Vedic deities. In regard of the number of Vedic hymns (sūkta; sukta) attributed to the deities, Agni comes only second to Indra (almost two hundred hymns have been dedicated to Agni). Since Agni’s deeds and actions are mainly observable on […]

A mountain called Trikakuda or Traikakuda has been referred to more than once in Atharvaveda and other Vedic literatures. Maybe the name was inspired by a presence of three peaks of the mountain (Sanskrit kakuda means ‘hump’ or ‘projection’). Atharvaveda was the first book to call this Trikakuda Hills Añjanaparvata (Anjanaparvata) —devāñjana traikakudaṃ pari mā […]

In Brāhmaṇa-texts, the branches of an Udumvara tree is referred to as the manifestation of anna and rasa (food and nectre). At the time of Somayāga, the Udumvara branch is grounded onto the mahāvedī (grand altar), and touching that, the Udgātā and his associates sing stotra(s). In Aitareya Brāhmaṇa, about the origin of Udumvara, it […]