Āgneya Tīrtha (Agnitīrtha)

Āgneya Tīrtha · āgneya-tīrtha, “the tīrtha of Agni”

Āgneyatīrtha has other meanings too: see all meanings of Āgneyatīrtha.

Āgneya Tīrtha is one of the tīrthas at Agnitīrtha, also called Vahnitīrtha, on the Gautamī (the Godāvarī). This is the place where Agni entered the waters of the Gaṅgā after his brother Jātavedas was slain, and where the devas drew him out and consecrated him. About seven hundred tīrthas of great puṇya arose there; Devatīrtha, Āgneyatīrtha and Jātavedasa are all among them. Brahmā tells Nārada of them in the Gautamī Māhātmya of the Brahma Purāṇa.

The account of the place

Agni‘s dear brother Jātavedas, the bearer of havya to the devas, was slain by Madhu, the mighty son of Diti, at the āśrama of the ṛshis on the banks of the Gautamī. Overcome with anger, Agni entered the waters of the Gaṅgā, and the devas and human beings, who live by Agni, began to lose their lives. The devas, the ṛshis and the pitṛs came to the place and praised Agni, asking him to revive the devas with havya, the pitṛs with kavya, and human beings by the cooking of food and the sprouting of seeds. Agni feared that he would share his brother’s fate. Then the devas and ṛshis gave him long life, love for his work, the power to move everywhere, and the prayājas and anuyājas of every yajña, and made him the mouth of the devas, to whom every āhuti is offered first.

Agni was pleased. The devas drew him out of the water and performed his abhisheka. He became Sarvaga, the one who goes everywhere, with an abode on earth and one in svarga. His names are Jātavedas, Bṛhadbhānu, Saptārcis, Nīlalohita, Jalagarbha, Śamīgarbha and Yajñagarbha.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 28

The tīrthas and their phala

The tīrtha is called Vahnitīrtha, and about seven hundred tīrthas of great puṇya arose there: Devatīrtha, Āgneyatīrtha and Jātavedasa are all there.

  • The tīrtha gives the fruit of all yajñas and removes all obstacles.
  • A self-controlled man who bathes or gives dāna there gains the fruit of an aśvamedha and more, splendid and without any lack.
  • Agni established a multicoloured liṅga there; its darśana gives the fruit of all yajñas.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 28

Sources

  • Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 28