Week 7 Story: Agni's Desperate Hunger

An updated version of this story has been added to my portfolio project here.

Image Source: By E. A. Rodrigues [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

I, Agni the god of fire, spent the past twelve years secluded in the forest fasting and performing the rituals to show my virtue and devotion to the gods. During these twelve years I consumed nothing but the ghee offered to the gods by other devoted followers' yajnas or fire rituals, and I am now very weak from malnourishment. The radiance with which my flames usually shine has dulled and I can barely stand from hunger. I need to eat, but what could be so satisfying as to fulfill the hunger of a twelve year fast?

There! Nothing could possibly satisfy this hunger better than the Khandava Forest!

This will not be an easy task. This forest is protected by Indra, my twin brother, and he will surely do everything he can to prevent me from consuming it. We are equals in strength and power under normal situations, but in my current state ... I have to try.

"This forest is under my protection, Brother! I will not allow you to catch one more spark on even a long felled tree!" Indra called down from the heavens as a torrential downpour of rain fell from the sky as if pulled from the clouds by Indra's mighty words.

I cannot withstand such an overpowering swell of rain, and I barely consumed a single twig from this massive forest. I must try again, but what could I possibly do to change the outcome of a confrontation with an overwhelming force like Indra?

My only chance to overcome my brother is with a superior strategy.

I begin setting the stage for my victory by walking along the perimeter of the entire forest. I am so weak at the moment that it will take three whole years to make it all the way around. Hopefully it will be worth it. As I go I will drop a single spark every fifty paces and will keep them burning secretly until I finish my circuit. Then all at once the sparks will spring to life igniting a blazing ring around the entire forest. Indra will surely not be able to extinguish flames over so wide an area before any of them can get the rest of the forest to begin to burn.

Image Source: By Awesomoman (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

It has been three years, but I have finally finished my tour along the entire perimeter of the Khandava Forest. I can now set the final stages of my plan into action.

"All of the nascent infernos I left along my journey spring forth to your full potential and fill me with the nourishment of the Khandava Forest!"

With that all my planning and three long years of exertion came to fruition. The flames begin to rise over the trees all along the edge of the forest, but before they can reach their full brilliance I hear Indra's voice calling again from the heavens.

"Brother you are still far too weak to contend with the likes of me! Your flames are still much too dull and sputtering to pose a real threat to the forest under my protection!"

And again Indra's rains extinguished my flames with ease. I cannot face him with my own power and stand a chance. I'll have to find some brave and powerful warriors that can fight back Indra's rain if I hope to satisfy my hunger.

Author's Note:

I chose to base my story on "The Burning of the Forest" from The Mahabharata, a Summary by John Mandeville Macfie. In the original story Krishna has payed a visit to the Pandavas and they were celebrating his arrival with a picnic. Their celebrations are interrupted by the arrival of Agni, the fire god, disguised as a brahmin. Agni then tells Arjuna and Krishna that he needs their help to satisfy his hunger after fasting for twelve years by burning the Khandava forest which is protected by Indra. Agni explains he has tried to burn the forest down more than once, but has been stopped by Indra calling forth a massive rain storm to extinguish his flames. Arjuna and Krishna agree to help Agni if he will reward them with celestial weapons. Agni agrees and they proceed to successfully burn the forest down and fulfill Agni's hunger.

I chose to write about Agni from the time that he finished his sacrifice to just before he appears in the source story, when he decides to look for help to overcome Indra. I chose this approach because I thought that focusing on Agni's hunger would fit into my food-themed portfolio project.

I did some additional research on why Agni would have eaten only ghee during his sacrifice. I found that homas and yajnas or fire rituals are Hindu rituals that involve making offerings to the gods by placing them into a sacred fire. As Agni is both the fire god and fire itself he is the medium through which the oblations are given to the gods. One of the most common offerings in these rituals is ghee, so that is why Agni would be consuming nothing but ghee during his sacrifice.

Bibliography. "The Burning of the Forest" from The Mahabharata, A Summary by John Mandeville Macfie. Source.