Skanda the son of agni - Vadavagni – The Story of the Agni or Fire under the Ocean an Mayasita – The Story of Maya Sita

Skanda the son of agni
Skanda, popularly known as Muruga, Kartik, Subrahmanya and Shanmugha, is the son of Shiva. But there are some legends that suggest that Skanda is the son of Agni. As per this legend Skanda is the son of Agni and Goddess Svaha.

Legend has it that Agni was enamored by the beauty of the seven wives of Sapta Rishis or the seven sages – Kashyapa, Atri, Bharadhvaja, Vishvamitra, Gauthama, Jamadagni and Vashishta.

Goddess Svaha was worried that Agni would end up doing something stupid and would end up getting cursed by the Rishis.

Goddess Savaha then took the form of the six wives of Saptarishis and made love to Agni, her husband. Skanda was born to Goddess Svaha after this incident.

It must be noted that in the story of Skanda as son of Shiva, it is Agni who carries the fiery semen of Shiva to Ganga who deposits in the forest and where Skanda is born as six babies looked after by Krittika Nakshatra. The six babies are later joined together by Goddess Parvati.

Thus in all stories associated with Skanda, the presence of Agni is there.

is worshipped in Hinduism and it is believed that Agni, the god of fire, stayed in the tree after the curse by Sage Bhrigu. The sacredness of Shami Tree is due to Agni hiding in the tree.

Legend has is that Agni was cursed by Sage Bhrigu for providing wrong information regarding his marriage with Puloma.

Agni then hid underground to escape from the curse.

During this period, Devas lost heaven to demons. Only a son born from Shiva could defeat the demons.  For this Devas need the help of Agni.

But they could not locate Agni has he was missing. Finally Devas found Agni hiding in the Shami Tree. He helped Devas in the birth of Lord Kartikeya.

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Shami Puja during Vijayadasami

Vadavagni – The Story of the Agni or Fire under the Ocean

Vadavagni is a form of Agni (fire) that is mentioned in the Hindu scriptures. It is believed that it is the escape of this fire from under the ocean which will finally consume the current cycle of creation and prepare the universe for the next cycle of creation.

Hindu Puranas states that Vadavagni was born in the lineage of Sage Bhrigu. The sons of Kartavirya Arjuna in order to finish off the lineage of the Sage Bhrigu started killing descendents of Bhrigu including children. A wise woman of the lineage, who was pregnant, in order to save her child moved the unborn child from her womb to her thighs. When the child was born it was called Aurva. 

Later when the sons of Kartavirya came to know about the child they came to kill it. When they held it up they became blind due to the rays that emitted from the child’s body. The child’s anger did not subside and it gave rise to a flame which had the power to eat up the whole world. Sages then put the flame under the ocean. This is the story of Vadavagni.

Vadavagni is located beneath the ocean and has the face of a horse. Hindu Scriptures suggest that mists and clouds are formed due to the activity of the Vadavagni under the sea. It also prevents the sea from consuming the land.

Just before Pralaya, Vadavagni will burst forth as volcanoes from under the sea and escape. Subsequently the seas will consume the land. 

Mayasita – The Story of Maya Sita

There is a legend that the Sita that Demon Ravana kidnapped from the forest was not the real Sita but Mayasita – one that looked like Mata Sita. This interesting story is found in the Devi Bhagavatham but is not mentioned in the Valmiki Ramayan. One day when Sri Ram, Lakshman and Mata Sita were on exile in the forest, Agni Bhagavan – the Hindu Fire God – appeared before Sri Ram and reminded him that objective of his avatar was to kill Demon Ravana and the time has arrived for Ravan to kidnap Mata Sita.

Agni thought that it was improper for demon Ravana to touch Mata Sita, an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. Therefore Agni suggested that He will guard the original Sita and provide a Maya Sita to Sri Ram.

Sri Ram agreed and the original Sita was thus replaced with Mayasita.

Ravana thus kidnapped Mayasita from the forest.

After Ravana was killed, Lord Ram asked Mayasita to undergo Agnipariksha to prove her chastity. When Mayasita entered Agni (fire), Agni Bhagavan took her back and returned the original Mata Sita to Sri Ram.