Agni is cursed by Bhrigu and withdraws from sacrifices
Agni, the god of fire, testifies truthfully about the abduction of the sage Bhrigu's wife, leading to her death. Enraged, Bhrigu curses Agni to become an omnivore, tainting him. Agni argues his innocence, then withdraws his presence from every sacrificial fire in the world.
The sage Bhrigu’s wife, Puloma, was abducted. When asked what had happened, Agni — the divine witness present in all things — told the truth. His testimony led to Puloma’s destruction. For this, Bhrigu cursed him: “You will become an omnivore,” he declared, meaning Agni would be tainted by consuming all things, pure and impure alike.
Agni was furious. “O Brahmana! What is this rashness?” he demanded. “I always walk the path of righteousness and speak the truth impartially. When asked, I told it. Where is my transgression?” He laid out the law of witnesses: a man who knows the truth but speaks falsely dooms seven generations of his ancestors and descendants. A man who knows the truth and stays silent is equally tainted by sin. “I am capable of cursing you in return,” Agni said, “but I hold Brahmanas in esteem.”
Then he explained his own nature. Through his powers of yoga, he had multiplied himself. He was present in many forms — in every agnihotra (daily fire offering), every sattra (sacrificial session), every ritual prescribed by the Vedas. When ghee was offered into his flames in the proper way, the gods and the ancestors manifested within it and were satisfied. “The gods are the waters and the ancestors are also the waters,” Agni said. “They have equal rights to the darsha (new moon) and pournamasa (full moon) offerings. Therefore, the gods are the ancestors and the ancestors are the gods.” They were fed through his mouth: the ancestors on the new moon, the gods on the full moon. “I am known as the mouth of the thirty-three gods and the ancestors. If I am their mouth, how can I become an omnivore?”
The question hung in the air. After contemplating the problem, Agni made a decision. He withdrew. He removed his presence from everywhere — from the Brahmanas’ agnihotras, from the sattras, from every sacrifice. The ritual sounds ceased: no more omkaras, no vashatkaras (invocatory cries), no svadhas (offerings to ancestors) or svahas (offerings to gods). Deprived of the sacred fire, all creatures became miserable. The three worlds were thrown into confusion, their central channel of communication with the divine severed.