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Agni the Priest and Messenger in Hinduism
Agni (अग्नि: Sanskrit, meaning "fire") is one of the most ancient and important gods (deva) in Vedic Hinduism that plays a central role in sacrificial rituals (yajna). As the god of fire, Agni is the conduit and messenger between the human realm and the celestial realm. Burnt sacrifices made through him are believed to go directly to other deities in heaven. During the Vedic age, Agni was frequently propitiated as an integral part of the animal sacrifices during this period. In modern times, Agni continues to be a central part of the traditional Hindu wedding ceremony, which revolves around a fire-altar.
Agni is the supreme director of religious ceremonies and duties, serving as a high-priest who carries oblations directly to the gods from human beings. He is afforded this role since his jurisdiction spans both heaven and earth, which allows him to become the meeting point between the celestial and terrestrial worlds. His many tongues are said to consume sacrificial offerings, and then transfer them in the form of smoke so they may be presented to the gods above. Not only does Agni provide the offerings from men to gods by way of his flames, but he also brings the gods to the altar. He is singularly responsible for transmitting the boons of the gods to humanity. The very first verse of the Rg Veda lauds his power:
I extol Agni, the household priest, the divine minister of the sacrifice, the chief priest, the bestower of blessings.
May that Agni, who is to be extolled by ancient and modern seers, conduct the gods here.Through Agni may one gain day by day wealth and welfare which is glorious and replete with heroic sons.
O Agni, the sacrifice and ritual which you encompass on every side, that indeed goes to the gods. (Rg Veda I:1)
Although Agni enjoys pervasive power in the heavens and in the atmosphere, he also humbles himself as the household fire, the focal point of domestic rituals. Considering his immense significance in both public and private sacrifice, Agni has been given many honorific titles. He is considered the first to have conducted the sacrifice, and no performer of sacrifice is older than he is, suggesting the eternal nature of Agni's role. As such, he is the prototype for the ideal priest.
Agni as Witness
Fire was also used as a test of credibility, rendering Agni as a witness apt in discerning what was truth and what was a lie. Since Agni presided over speech, the truth of one's words was sometimes evaluated by making a speaker walk through (or else in proximity of) fire, a practice called Agni-priksha. Successful negotiation of such a trial was thought to demonstrate the veracity of one's speech. Taking Agni as a witness is a very old tradition, dating back as far as the Vedas, which describe him as such:
O Agni...each fault done in a village or in forest, in society or mind, each sinful act that we have committed to Shudra or Vaishya or by preventing a religious act, even of that sin, you are the expiation... (Yajurveda, Hymn i.8.3.d)
One particularly famous story in the Ramayana describes how Lord Rama asked his wife Sita to affirm her chastity in the presence of fire after she had been unwillingly confined in the harem of Ravanna. Sita obliged, swearing an oath confirming her chastity and denying all complicity in Ravanna's scheme; since she did so in the presence of fire, all parties in attendance were satisfied. In the Valmiki Ramayana, where Rama and Sugreeva vow that they will help each other and circle the fire thrice as a seal of their bond. Similarly in the epic Mahabharata, Susarma and his brothers the Trigartas swear by the fire to either defeat Arjuna or die at his hands. This tradition stems from the idea that fire is the purest, and therefore the holiest, of all natural elements. Thus, as the personification of fire, Agni embodies the truth of this purity and holiness.
Please read more from here
Agni - New World Encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_wedding
Agni (अग्नि: Sanskrit, meaning "fire") is one of the most ancient and important gods (deva) in Vedic Hinduism that plays a central role in sacrificial rituals (yajna). As the god of fire, Agni is the conduit and messenger between the human realm and the celestial realm. Burnt sacrifices made through him are believed to go directly to other deities in heaven. During the Vedic age, Agni was frequently propitiated as an integral part of the animal sacrifices during this period. In modern times, Agni continues to be a central part of the traditional Hindu wedding ceremony, which revolves around a fire-altar.
Agni is the supreme director of religious ceremonies and duties, serving as a high-priest who carries oblations directly to the gods from human beings. He is afforded this role since his jurisdiction spans both heaven and earth, which allows him to become the meeting point between the celestial and terrestrial worlds. His many tongues are said to consume sacrificial offerings, and then transfer them in the form of smoke so they may be presented to the gods above. Not only does Agni provide the offerings from men to gods by way of his flames, but he also brings the gods to the altar. He is singularly responsible for transmitting the boons of the gods to humanity. The very first verse of the Rg Veda lauds his power:
I extol Agni, the household priest, the divine minister of the sacrifice, the chief priest, the bestower of blessings.
May that Agni, who is to be extolled by ancient and modern seers, conduct the gods here.Through Agni may one gain day by day wealth and welfare which is glorious and replete with heroic sons.
O Agni, the sacrifice and ritual which you encompass on every side, that indeed goes to the gods. (Rg Veda I:1)
Although Agni enjoys pervasive power in the heavens and in the atmosphere, he also humbles himself as the household fire, the focal point of domestic rituals. Considering his immense significance in both public and private sacrifice, Agni has been given many honorific titles. He is considered the first to have conducted the sacrifice, and no performer of sacrifice is older than he is, suggesting the eternal nature of Agni's role. As such, he is the prototype for the ideal priest.
Agni as Witness
Fire was also used as a test of credibility, rendering Agni as a witness apt in discerning what was truth and what was a lie. Since Agni presided over speech, the truth of one's words was sometimes evaluated by making a speaker walk through (or else in proximity of) fire, a practice called Agni-priksha. Successful negotiation of such a trial was thought to demonstrate the veracity of one's speech. Taking Agni as a witness is a very old tradition, dating back as far as the Vedas, which describe him as such:
O Agni...each fault done in a village or in forest, in society or mind, each sinful act that we have committed to Shudra or Vaishya or by preventing a religious act, even of that sin, you are the expiation... (Yajurveda, Hymn i.8.3.d)
One particularly famous story in the Ramayana describes how Lord Rama asked his wife Sita to affirm her chastity in the presence of fire after she had been unwillingly confined in the harem of Ravanna. Sita obliged, swearing an oath confirming her chastity and denying all complicity in Ravanna's scheme; since she did so in the presence of fire, all parties in attendance were satisfied. In the Valmiki Ramayana, where Rama and Sugreeva vow that they will help each other and circle the fire thrice as a seal of their bond. Similarly in the epic Mahabharata, Susarma and his brothers the Trigartas swear by the fire to either defeat Arjuna or die at his hands. This tradition stems from the idea that fire is the purest, and therefore the holiest, of all natural elements. Thus, as the personification of fire, Agni embodies the truth of this purity and holiness.
Please read more from here
Agni - New World Encyclopedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_wedding
