By Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik - Author, Speaker, Illustrator, Mythologist
Of the thousand songs in the Rig Veda, we find 200 songs praising Agni. In fact, the first song of the Rig Veda is a praise to Agni, who is called the priest and messenger of the Gods. Agni must be placed in the eastern direction and it is through him that offerings reach the Gods. Fire is clearly the most important element in a Vedic ritual.






