The Rig Veda Begins with a Hymn to Agni — Yet Some Dismiss Chhath Puja. How Absurd.

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The Rig Veda Begins with a Hymn to Agni — Yet Some Dismiss Chhath Puja. How Absurd.

The Rig Veda, the oldest surviving Vedic text, opens not with a philosophical discourse or a social code, but with an invocation to Agni, the sacred fire:

ऋग्वेद 1.1.1

अग्निमीळे पुरोहितं यज्ञस्य देवमृत्विजम्।
होतारं रत्नधातमम्॥

Transliteration

Agnim īḷe purohitaṃ yajñasya devam ṛtvijam,
hotāraṃ ratnadhātamam.

Meaning

“I praise Agni, the divine priest of the sacrifice, the sacred officiant, the invoker of the gods, and the bestower of precious blessings.”

This opening verse is deeply symbolic. It reflects the Vedic reverence for the elemental forces that sustain life: fire, light, energy, and the cosmic order embodied in nature.

Chhath Puja is rooted in the very same ethos. Dedicated to Surya, the Sun God, and Chhathi Maiya — the goddess associated with the sixth day of the lunar fortnight — the festival expresses gratitude for the source of life, health, nourishment, and energy. Devotees offer Arghya to both the setting and the rising Sun, honouring the rhythms of nature with discipline, devotion, and humility.

There is no contradiction between revering Agni and venerating Surya. In fact, the Rig Veda itself binds them together. RV 1.115.1 praises the risen Sun as the very eye of Mitra, Varuṇa, and Agni — and as the soul (ātmā) of all that moves and stands still:

RV 1.115.1

चि॒त्रं दे॒वाना॒मुद॑गा॒दनी॑कं॒ चक्षु॑र्मि॒त्रस्य॒ वरु॑णस्या॒ग्नेः ।
आप्रा॒ द्यावा॑पृथि॒वी अ॒न्तरि॑क्षं॒ सूर्य॑ आ॒त्मा जग॑तस्त॒स्थुष॑श्च ॥

Transliteration

citraṃ devānām ud agād anīkaṃ cakṣur mitrasya varuṇasyāgneḥ |
āprā dyāvāpṛthivī antarikṣaṃ sūrya ātmā jagatas tasthuṣaś ca ||

Meaning

“The wondrous face of the gods has risen — the eye of Mitra, Varuṇa, and Agni. The Sun, the soul of all that moves and stands still, has filled heaven, earth, and the mid-region.”

To honour the Sun is thus not a departure from the Vedic ethos, but a direct continuation of it.

A civilisation whose oldest sacred text begins with a hymn to Agni should have no difficulty understanding the cultural and spiritual significance of offering reverence to the Sun.

To dismiss or mock such traditions is not a sign of rationality. More often, it reflects a lack of familiarity with the very foundations of India’s heritage.

Disclaimer

This article is published by SumanSpeaks for general informational and educational purposes only. It reflects the author’s personal opinion on scripture and tradition. Sanskrit verses are cited with English renderings, and readers are encouraged to consult the primary texts and recognised commentaries for their own study.

SumanSpeaks | Estd 2006 | sumanspeaks.blogspot.com