Agni Hides in the Ocean and Is Restored
When the sage Niyata arrives, Agni is so frightened he abandons his cosmic duty and hides in the ocean. The gods cannot find him. He asks Atharva to carry oblations in his place, then discards his body entirely — creating minerals, gems, and metals from his flesh — before being restored to his sacrificial role through Atharva's churning.
Niyata arrived, and Agni was afraid.
The fire that bore the oblations of all beings — the messenger between the mortal world and the gods — looked at the approaching sage and fled. He plunged into the ocean and vanished. The gods searched every road, every direction, every hidden place. They could not find him.
Then Agni saw Atharva.
"O brave one," Agni said, "I am extremely weak. Please carry the oblations to the gods. Become one with sweetness in your eyes and perform this task for my pleasure."
Atharva agreed. And Agni went somewhere else.
But the fish saw where he concealed himself. They revealed his location. Agni, enraged, turned to them and spoke: "In your different forms, you will be the food of beings."
Then he spoke to Atharva again. The gods begged him to return to his duty. He paid no heed. He refused to bear the oblations. He gave up his entire body.
Having discarded his body, he entered the earth.
From his mouth came fragrances and energy. From his bones came devadaru trees. From his phlegm came crystal. From his bile came emeralds. From his liver came black iron. His nails became mica. His arteries became coral. All beings blaze with these substances. Various other minerals were produced from his body.
Having discarded his body, he remained established in supreme austerities.
The rishis Bhrigu and Angiras and the others roused him through their own austerities. Gratified by the power of their penance, the crested fire blazed forth in great resplendence. But on seeing the rishis, he was frightened again. He hid once more in the great ocean.
The universe was scared. The asuras, gods, and rishis all sought refuge with Atharva. They worshipped him. Atharva looked at the ocean where Agni had hidden. While all beings watched, he churned the great ocean. And the illustrious Atharva restored Agni to the earlier position he had lost.
Since then, Agni has always borne the oblations of all beings.
While he roamed and travelled in many different countries, he created the many different sacrificial hearths that are mentioned in the Vedas. The five rivers other than the Sindhu — Devika, Sarasvati, Ganga, Shatakumba, Sarayu, Gandaki, Charmanvati, Mahi, Medhya, Medhatithi, the three rivers Tamravati, Vetravati and Koushiki, Tamasa, Narmada, Godavari, Venna, Praveni, Bhima, Medratha, Bharati, Suprayoga, Kaveri, Murmura, Krishna, Krishnavenna, Kapila and Shona — these rivers are famous as the mothers of the sacrificial hearths. Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 509