Vedic view on heaven, hell and afterlife

All major religions in the world believes in the concept of final redemption after death. It is the ultimate goal of our lives. Dharmic traditions call it as Mokṣa or Nirvāṇa or Mukti, the eternal release from the endless cycle of death and birth or Saṃsāra. The belief is that after death one will attain Svarga (heaven) or Vaikuṇṭha (Viṣṇu's abode) or Kailāśa (Śiva's abode) or any other realm and union with specific divinities according to the different sects. In this post I shall explain the concept of redemption according to the early Vedic tradition.

According to the early Vedic texts, the man who does good deeds, rituals etc goes to the heaven. Vedas calls heaven by many names such as Div, Vyoma, Dyaus, Svarga etc. It seems that Vedic people visualized the heaven as some realm deep within the sky because these terms are also synonymous the sky.

The heaven in Vedic thought is divided into three realms said in Ṛg Veda  1.35.6. First two heavens are the realms of Savitar or the solar deity. The third and the final realm of heaven is under the God of death, Yama Vaivasvata who is son of the Sun or Vivasvān .

Yama has his two four-eyed dogs to guard the pathway to the heavenly realm as stated in Ṛg Veda  10.14.10-12. He also has a twin sister named Yamī, whom the river Yamuna in northern India is named after and Manu Vaivasvata, the first ancestor of Vedic Aryans is also the brother of Yama as both are sons of Vivasvān or the Sun God. Ṛg Veda  10.14.2 informs Yama was the first mortal to die and discover the imperishable heavenly realm. Ṛg Veda 1.83.5 talks of Yama's 'deathless birth' i.e he got immortality in realm of heaven.

Ṛg Veda  10.165.4 identifies Yama with death itself. Vājasaneyi Saṁhita 39.13 also mentions Yama along with death and the destroyer.  It is possible that Yama had two aspects, first one being the ruler of heavenly realm who is also the guardian of ancestors and granter of immortality, and the second aspect being identified with death itself, as the annihilator.

Yama who was originally regarded as king of heaven gradually became degraded to mere judge of death, and further in later texts he became associated with Naraka or hell. However, he still retained his role as overlord of Dharma or Dharma Raja, and Yama has Iranian counterpart named Yima or Jamshed as he's known in later periods. He is the protector of creation in a mythical compound named Vara and the ruler of paradise. However, just like in Vedic tradition, Yima also gradually became a sinner after he instituted blood sacrifices by sacrificing an ox as stated in Yasna 32.8, an ancient Iranian scripture.

It is interesting to note that Yama is only mentioned once in the core books (books 2-7) of Ṛg Veda  which are considered as the earliest, he is mentioned in hymn 7.33 just twice. This could probably indicate that Yama was originally a latecomer into the Vedic pantheon possibly from tradition of early Iranians or some other early tradition which was parallel to Vedic tradition. It is however important to note that Yama's realm of highest heaven is mentioned may times in the core parts of Ṛg Veda .

The third realm of heaven (Tridiv) or the highest heaven (parame vyoman) is the realm of divinities as said in Ṛg Veda  10.135.1 & 7. Clearly even though Vedic authors viewed this highest heavenly realm as existing deep within the sky as in Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 8.6.3.19, they also made it something transcendental or mystical. Many verses from Ṛg Veda  speaks of divinities like Agni, Brhaspati, Indra etc taking birth in this supreme heavenly realm as in Ṛg Veda 6.8.2, 4.50.4, 3.32.10 etc. Ṛg Veda 3.32.10 specifically states that Indra took birth in highest heaven and then pervaded from there throughout sky and earth. Highest heaven is the realm where both Sat (existence) and Asat (non-existence) meets as said in Ṛg Veda 10.5.7. It is also the place where Vak ( speech) and Brahman (mystical divine power of the Vedic speech) is united as in Ṛg Veda 1.164.35. Ṛg Veda 7.82.2 mentions all the Gods are in the highest realm of heaven. Further Chandogya Upaniṣad 8.5.3 mentions that the world of Brahman (i.e the supreme absolute cause of the existence) is in third heaven.The famous creation hymn of Ṛg Veda  also 10.129.7 claims that the creator who controls the world is located in the highest realm of heaven.

So without a shed of doubt, this realm is  ethereal and transcendental.

The highest realm of heaven is the deathless, imperishable place where the souls can feel the warmth of their departed Pitr̥-s or ancestors again, who reside with the divinities as said in Ṛg Veda  10.14.8. This realm is filled with everlasting pleasure, freedom, happiness etc as said in Ṛg Veda 9.113.7-11. These verses prays to Indu or Soma, the divine drink to grant immortality in the third or highest heaven. Atharva Veda 12.3.17 states that man will be reunited with his wife and children in  heaven. Verses from Ṛg Veda like 10.16.5 and 10.14.8 talks about gaining a new glorious body in the heaven after the parts of physical body is merged with various elements in the physical realm as in Ṛg Veda 10.16.3. Further Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 2.6.4.8 says that it is possible to attain union with specific divinities in their world (i.e heaven) by worshiping them.

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 10.5.2.3 mentions Puruṣa or alter ego of Prajāpati which is located in the Sun is  both death and immortality. Vājasaneyi Saṁhita 31.18 also compares the color of Puruṣa to that of the Sun. Further Vājasaneyi Saṁhita 23.48 compares the light of the Sun with the light of Brahman. The Vedic authors perhaps knew  that the Sun is an immense source of energy and light, and no life was possible without it. In Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 10.5.2.8 it is said that the Puruṣa in the Sun is also located in the right eye of human, with it’s female half in the left eye. Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 10.5.2.16 states that the Puruṣa is one and many, for he is in the Sun, and indeed he is present in everything in the physical world. Also Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 10.5.2.17 states that the Puruṣa in the Sun is both near and far away, since the Sun is far away from us, the Puruṣa seated in the Sun is located far away, but Puruṣa is also near to us since everything is his manifestation. Thus, the Sun is the seat of the absolute in the manifested realm according to Vedic texts. Prajāpati or manifested Brahman shines forth as the spirit within the Sun in physical realm and is also embodiment of Svarga (in the physical realm) as said in Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 1.9.3.10.

Now, to gain access to Svarga one must know the true identity of oneself as narrated in Jaiminīya Brāhmaṇa 1.17-18. It is stated that after one dies, the soul goes towards the region of the Sun (representing Prajāpati ). When the soul comes near to the Sun, the Sun will ask the soul to identify itself. If the soul identifies itself by it's personal or family name from physical realm where the notion of 'I' 'me' 'mine' etc exists, the soul will be dragged away from that region towards the physical realm by seasons (who are guardian of heaven's door) and the day and night will take possession of the soul, i.e it will return to the physical world and will be be caught up in endless cycle of rebirth or Saṃsāra . But if the soul identifies itself with the Svarga represented by Prajāpati, who in turn represents  the source of everything in the manifested existence, the soul can attain union with that spirit in the Sun representing Prajāpati and go onward to the transcendental heavenly realm of Svarga and attain immortality.

Thus, the only way to free oneself from the Saṃsāra or endless cycle of death and birth is by knowing one's true identity and source, which is nothing else than the supreme absolute.

This doctrine in my opinion clearly represents the earliest form of non-duality going back to the early Vedic texts. Some authors have argued that the notion of Saṃsāra or cycle of deaths and births is a theory adopted by early Upaniṣadic authors from early non-Vedic traditions which gave rise to Buddhism and Jainism. But I beg to differ with them because the doctrine from Jaiminīya  Brāhmaṇa clearly represents the theme of Saṃsāra , and this passage occurs in early Vedic ritualistic theme. Further same passages are repeated other text Jaiminīya Upaniṣad Brāhmaṇa  3.14.1-5. Also the core theme of the departed soul attaining union with the Sun or it's light can be seen in Ṛg Veda 10.154.5, 1.125.6 & 1.109.7. So clearly the notion of Saṃsāra is nothing alien to the early Vedic Brahmanical tradition and it is not borrowed from Śramaṇic tradition.

It is interesting to note that the meditative doctrine which seems to be an early form of Kuṇḍalinī from Cāndogya  Upaniṣad 8.6 also involves attaining immortality by raising the power located within the heart to top of the head. This is spoken in context of attaining the Sun (and Prajāpati represented by the Sun).

It is to be noted that there also existed different doctrines which is different from passing through the Sun , these are Devayāna and Pitr̥yāna which is stated in earliest Upaniṣad like Cāndogya Upaniṣad 5.10.  In this doctrine, the world of Gods and world of ancestors are separate. The ultimate aim of this doctrine as in Devayāna is attain union with Brahman, while Pitr̥yāna leads to rebirth in physical realm after passing through various worlds. In Devayāna, union with Brahman is attained through different way from passing through the Sun and it doesn't view the Sun as the final goal like the mainstream Vedic view..

While the heaven is viewed as the ideal divine realm, the Vedic people feared the darkness which is associated with evil. Thus Ṛg Veda  2.40.2, 4.13.3 etc speaks of getting rid of darkness. Darkness is also explicitly associated with Rākṣasa-s or demonic beings in Taittirīya Saṁhita 1.3.9.2. So the darkness could have represented hellish element. Thus, Vedic authors also prayed to the divinities for protection from darkness as in Ṛg Veda  2.27.14. Finally, Taittirīya Saṁhita 5.1.8.5 speaks of overcoming the evil darkness and attaining the light of the Sun and the heaven.

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa  11.6.1.1-13 and Jaiminīya Brāhmaṇa  1.42-44 narrates a story about how Varuṇa sent sage Bhrigu to otherworldly realms in some  which he saw torture and violence, these may represent hellish realms. One of the earliest mention of Naraka or hell is from Atharva Veda 12.4.36 where hell is placed in opposite to Yama's realm, i.e Svarga or heaven.

Diversity of Vedic culture

The Vedic culture was quite diverse in beliefs and practices. Many of them are often inconsistent with each other. For example one the Candogya Upaniṣad 3.19.1 states that in the beginning the universe was Asat (non-existentce) and Sat (existence) was a secondary phenomenon.At the same time, Candogya Upaniṣad 6.2.2 tells us that only Sat was there in the beginning. To cite another example from Vedic text named Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, in verse 7.4.1.15 it informs us that Prajāpati , Vedic creator deity, is identical with Puruṣa or the whole universe personified. But again in Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 12.3.4.1 both Puruṣa and Prajāpati as spoken as different entities.

The inconsistency is also evident in the rituals and rites of Vedic society. To cite one example, the Vedic people practiced both cremation of the dead as in ṚgVeda 10.16 and burial of the dead as in Ṛg Veda 10.18. Ṛg Veda 10.15.14 also speaks of both cremated and uncremated dead.

So why these inconsistencies? In my opinion, the Vedic culture does not have a single founder and Vedic scriptures were not authored by a single group of authors with a codified system. It was authored by authors who had diverse beliefs and practices. Thus, these inconsistencies arose. The Vedic texts are open for interpretations and there were many Vedic branches or Shakhas specialized in a single Vedic text or Samhita. Each branches further has its own additional texts like Brāhmaṇa-s , Āraṇyaka-s , Upaniṣad-s, sūtra-s etc associated with the main Vedic text. Obviously these additional texts were diverse as well, and contained different interpretations of Vedic beliefs and practices. This diversity is the reason why the Vedic culture later evolved into various new sects which forms the current culture which we call as Hindu or Bhāratīya culture.

To sum up, it would be good to assume that Vedic culture was quite diverse in practices and beliefs, just like modern Hindu or Bhāratīya culture and the inconsistencies are not big issues in this case.

The greatness of Sanskrit language

The Sanskrit language or Sans‌kr̥taṁ dates back to the bronze age and it is the sacred language of Āstika  traditions. Vaidika or Vedic Sanskrit which was the language of Vedic texts later evolved into Laukika or classical Sanskrit. The Prākṛta or Prakrit languages were also related to Sanskrit and they were a later development.

During the early period, Sanskrit was mostly utilized  in  northern regions of India or Bhāratavarṣa and later it was utilized all over India and even beyond India as the Indian culture spread into wider regions. At its height, Sanskrit was utilized in a large area covering from Afghanistan to Indonesia. Through Buddhism, Sanskritic elements also reached many other regions such as Central Asia and East Asia.
Sanskrit or Sanskritic origin is also the single factor which unites and links all the diverse Indian religious and cultural traditions.

The corpus of  ancient Sanskrit literature  is huge and the ancient texts like four Veda Samhita-s, Āraṇyaka-s, Brāhmaṇa-s, Upaniṣad-s, Kalpa sūtra-s , Dharma śāstra-s and Smr̥ti-s , epics Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata, Purāṇa-s and Upapurāṇa-s , Tāntric-Āgamic texts, Brahma sūtra, Mimamsa sūtra, Nyāya sūtra, Vaiśēṣika sūtra and numerous other works like Nāṭya-śāstra, Yoga sūtra, Kāma sūtra, Caraka Samhita, Suśruta Samhita etc would probably make the Sanskrit literature the largest ancient literature on the planet.

 It must also be noted that today we only posses Vedic texts from the surviving Śākha-s or branches of Vedic schools. Once, there existed more Vedic Śākha-s and the texts associated with the Śākha-s which are extinct today. So we can never underestimate the size of ancient Sanskrit corpus. The knowledge of Sanskrit would help one in reading all the surviving ancient texts, though it will take a lifetime to read all of them thoroughly.

Kṣatriya dominance in Buddhism and Jainism

The concept of Cakravartin, the wheel turning universal monarch, is found in both Āstika sects (the religious sects which accepts the supreme authority of the Veda-s) and also in  the Nāstika sects (the religious sects which rejects the Veda-s) like Buddhism and Jainism.
According to the early Buddhist texts of the Pali cannon, a man with all  32 noble marks of a great man called the Maha-puruṣa lakṣaṇa is destined either to become an  ideal Cakravartin or an enlightened ascetic Buddha. This is recorded in a Buddhist text named Lakkhaṇa sutta. As the Cakravartin, he will have Brāhmaṇa-s as his followers, while as ascetic Buddha, he will have monks as his followers. In another Buddhist text named Mahā-sudassana sutta, the concept of Cakravartin is explained in detail. It is worth noting that only a properly anointed and powerful king from the Kṣatriya or the ruling and warrior class can become a Cakravartin. In this sutta, a divine wheel will appear in front of a properly anointed Kṣatriya and it will then go rolling to many other kingdoms in all directions. Wherever the wheel goes, the king follows it and by reaching the other kingdoms, the king will be welcomed as the supreme sovereign of those kingdoms. This is very similar to the Vedic ritual named Ashvamedha, where a horse is let out to wander in neighboring kingdoms and if it was attacked, the king would have battle with that neighboring kingdom and try to conquer it.

In a Buddhist text named Mahā-parinibbāṇa sutta, it is recorded that the Buddha advised his disciples to treat his body like that of a Kṣatriya Cakravartin after he has passed away. When the Buddha passed away, the funeral relics which contained ashes of the Buddha was distributed to various Kṣatriya clans of northern India. These Kṣatriya clans claimed right to own the relics of the Buddha by stating that the Buddha was a Kṣatriya and they were also Kṣatriya-s.

It is obviously clear that the Kṣatriya-s have an important role to play in the Buddhist tradition. The Buddha even claimed that in whatever way one compares, the Kṣatriya-s are superior to Brāhmaṇa or the priestly class in  a Buddhist text named  Ambattha sutta.

In Jainism too, the Kṣatriya-s have a valuable role. All of the Jain Tīrthaṅkara-s or enlightened ones (Jain version of Buddha-s) took birth only into the Kṣatriya families. It is stated in a Jain text named Kalpasūtra that the last Jain Tīrthaṅkara Mahavira was first born into the womb of a Brāhmaṇa woman.  But then, the Gods transplanted the embryo from the Brāhmaṇa woman and placed it inside the womb of a Kṣatriya woman by stating that the  Tīrthaṅkara-s should only take birth into superior families like that of Kṣatriya-s and not to the Brāhmaṇa families. The text places the Brāhmaṇa-s with the people of lower ranks. The same text also mentions about Cakravartin concept. Like the Buddhist version, the Jain version also equates the ideal Chakravatin monarch with the enlightened ascetic Tīrthaṅkara . However, the Jain version does not emphasize on the noble marks of a great man like the Buddhist version. Instead, the Jain version states that the mother of Cakravartin or Tīrthaṅkara would see fourteen auspicious dreams before becoming pregnant with  a Cakravartin or Tīrthaṅkara in her womb.

So there existed the doctrine of  two paths in Buddhism and Jainism. It is important to note that in both Buddhist and Jain traditions, it is stated that the noble marks and dreams were read by learned Vedic Brāhmaṇa-s.

So in a nutshell, the Nāstika sects like Buddhism and Jainism should be viewed as  Kṣatriya revisions questioning the Brāhmaṇa authority of its times.  The Kṣatriya-s obviously patronized the Vedic Brāhmaṇa-s and were the guardians of Vedic culture. For this reason both Buddhism and Jainism  did not move far away from the core Vedic culture. But they did reject the authority of Veda-s and Vedic rituals.

Vedic culture and the Buddha

Prince Siddhārta Gautama was born into the Shākya tribe of Vedic Kṣatriya-s who ruled a kingdom with the same name which was situated in the Himalayan foothills. As a Shākyan  prince, Siddhārta grew with with all the royal luxuries and without knowing sorrow and suffering. At a later stage of his life, he renounced all his royal luxuries to become an ascetic. He then attained enlightenment through meditation and from there onwards he was known as the 'Buddha' which literally means the 'awakened one' and as 'Tathāgata'  which translates as 'thus gone one' or 'thus come one'. As the Buddha, Siddhārta gained many disciples and admirers through his wise teachings.

Some people claim that the Buddha completely rejected the Vedic culture in which he was brought up. They further state that his teachings were against the Vedic culture and concepts.
 But in reality, he did not completely reject his Vedic culture and heritage. Many of his teachings included elements which are found in the Vedic texts. The concepts like Dharma, Karma, Mōkṣa or Nirvāṇa , reincarnation etc which were included in the teachings of the Buddha are found in the Vedic texts. Although these concepts were still developing in the early Vedic era, they further evolved and and became widespread by the time of later Vedic period. Many of the later Vedic texts like the early Upaniṣad-s  certainly predate the time of the Buddha. One of the early Buddhist text named Tēvijja sutta which belongs to the Pali cannon, the earliest available Buddhist corpus, talks about Vedic Brāhmaṇa-s who were well versed in Upaniṣad-s  like Cāndogya, Taittirīya etc.

In addition to these Vedic concepts, the Buddha often compared the Nirvāṇa (supreme goal or liberation in Buddhism) with the Vedic concept of attaining oneness with the Brahman or the supreme absolute according to the Vedic texts as it is evident from the early Buddhist texts of Pali cannon. For example, I cite a Buddhist text named Kandaraka sutta , where the phrase 'become Brahman' or 'Brahmabhūta' occurs. This phrase occurs in other texts as well. It must be noted that there exists various groups of demigods named Brahma-s inhabiting various heavenly realms in Buddhist mythology. Some argue that the Brahma mentioned in the cited phrase refers to the demigod Brahma-s instead of the Vedic absolute Brahman. I think this is not correct, since in another Buddhist text named Paṭhamarāga sutta of Itivuttaka, the Buddha himself is said to have become Brahman. This could only refer to the absolute Brahman since in various texts like Brahma-nimantanika sutta , the demigod Brahmas are said to be inferior beings compared to the Buddha and they even praised the Buddha. So the Brahman of Brahmabhūta refers to the absolute because the Buddha obviously would have not become a demigod Brahma who is inferior to him. It is also interesting to note that the term Brahman is synonymous with the term Dharma , the teachings or virtuous path of the Buddha which reflects the Buddha himself, as explained in Vakkali sutta . For example in
Aggañña sutta , the Buddha states that to become Dharma is to become Brahman. Also in Maha-sīhanāda sutta , the Buddha equates the Dharmacakra , the wheel of Dharma  with Brahmacakra, the wheel of Brahman. Dharmacakra is the most important symbol of the Buddha's teachings. Further in Janussoni Brāhmaṇa sutta , the Buddha states that the Āryā-aṣṭāṅgamārga or  the noble eight-fold path which leads to Nirvāṇa is synonymous with Dharmayāna , the vehicle or path of Dharma which is same as Brahmayāna, the vehicle or path of Brahman. So in some instances, Brahman obviously refers to the Vedic absolute which is synonymous with Dharma . Interestingly, the term Brahmabhūta also occurs in Bhagavad Gīta 18.54 which clearly refers to the union with absolute Brahman.

Some may argue that the Buddha taught doctrine of Anātman which refers to selflessness and rejection of Ātman through Śūnyata , the void or emptiness. According to the Vedic doctrine, there is Ātman or self and it is identical to the absolute Brahman. So the argument is that this Śūnyatā-Aātman doctrine of the Buddha contradicts with the Vedic doctrine of Ātman -Brahman. However, the phrase from Kandaraka sutta which is cited above has mention of Ātman or self becoming Brahman, which is similar to the Vedic doctrine of Ātman equal to Brahman. So in my opinion, Śūnyata-Anātman would only refer to the removal of self like 'I' or 'Me' and establishing the oneness with the 'real' Ātman which is identical to the absolute Brahman. This is supported by advise of the Buddha to his disciples from Maha-parinibbāna sutta to take refuge unto their selves and on Dharma which is in turn identical to Brahman as explained above. So according to the Buddha, there was definitely a concept of 'real' self or Ātman which is nothing else than the absolute Brahman, while Śūnyata -Anātman refers to rejection or emptiness of an external or separate  Ātman which is different from the absolute Brahman . Also, even according to the Vedic texts, there is no  separate  or  external self once it attains oneness with Brahman . So it is not right to claim that the Buddha rejected the Vedic concept of Ātman -Brahman completely. However, Buddha did reject the concept of 'Saguṇa' Brahman or the manifested form of absolute Brahman and had ideas similar to 'Nirguṇa' or unmanifested absolute Brahman. It is also  true that the Buddha denied the authority of the Vedas and Vedic rituals. But in Sundarika sutta , the Buddha interpreted Vedic rituals as symbolic and internal. This  metaphorical description of Vedic ritulas are in fact already found in the Vedic texts like Cāndogya Upaniṣad 5.4 onwards.

So from all these evidences we can conclude that the Buddha did not reject the core tenets of Vedic texts. But he did reform certain Vedic cultural traits such as Vedic rituals, supreme authority of the Vedas etc. So it is not correct to state that  the Buddha's teachings were completely against Vedic culture as claimed by some people. Although gradually, new sects and divisions came up within Buddhism,with new concepts and elements which  were distinct from Vedic culture. But they still adhered to the core tenets of early teachings of Buddha as found in the Pali cannon, which are strictly related to the Vedic elements.

Agni, the light of Vedic civilization

Agni, the God of fire is perhaps the most important Vedic divinity. Without use of fire, none of the important Vedic rituals are possible. In Ṛg Veda Agni does not only represent fire, but also light. Agni kills the darkness with his light in Ṛg Veda  5.14.4. Agni is also identified as the Sun shining in the sky in Ṛg Veda 10.88.11.

Agni is also closely associated with Tapas or ‘heat’ referring to extensive ascetic practices. Indeed, in creation hymn of Ṛg Veda 10.129.3, it is stated that the whole universe was produced from the Tapas.
Agni is the blazing energy which fills the universe. Indeed, he is called Vaiśvānara for the same reason. Vaiśvānara is in turn identified with Puruṣa or the whole universe personified as a cosmic man from Ṛg Veda 10.90 in Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 10.6.1.11.

Puruṣa is also called on as Viśvakarman or as Prajāpati or the creator. In Vedic rituals, the fire altar which is built up represents the body of Prajāpati. By building up the fire altar and performance of Vedic rituals, the restoration of fragmented Prajāpati takes place as stated in Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 6.1.2.21, Pañcavimśa Brāhmaṇa 21.4.2, Taittirīya Brāhmaṇa 3.9.81 etc. This could be ritualistically viewed as reunifying the core essence of the whole universe, since Prajāpati represents whole universe or manifested Brahman in Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa 7.3.1.42.

Ṛg Veda 2.1.3-7 and  5.3.1-3 identifies various deities as forms of Agni and it is stated that all the deities are centered in Agni. All the deities are also unified with association of Agni in Ṛg Veda 6.9.5. Agni was a unifying factor among the Vedic deities, also acted as ‘connector’ between Vedic deities and men in ritual, since it is Agni who carried the oblations to the deities.

Agni is also called as Jātavedas, or knower of births. Since the Vedic sacrificial fire is maintained generation after generation, Agni indeed knows all the births happening within a Vedic family.
Another epithet of Agni is Apām Napāt, or the Child of waters. Apām Napāt is mentioned as creator deity in Ṛg Veda  2.35.8, Apām Napāt also finds place in Iranian Avesta Yašt 19.52 as the creator deity, apart from the supreme God Ahura Mazdā, possibly hinting at predominance of Apām Napāt during earlier Indo-Iranian period.

This concept of Apām Napāt has parallel in the concept of Hiraṇyagarbha which arose in later parts of the Ṛg Veda . Hiraṇyagarbha is the golden cosmic womb from which Prajāpati or the creator representing the whole universe took birth. Hiraṇyagarbha floated on cosmic waters representing non-existence before it gave birth to the existence represented by Prajāpati from Ṛg Veda  10.121.

Hiraṇyagarbha is in fact a prototype of Agni. Like Hiraṇyagarbha Agni is also called as a garbha or womb in Ṛg Veda 1.70.2, also in Atharva Veda 5.25.7 where Agni is the womb of everything.  Also like Hiraṇyagarbha, Apām Napāt is described golden in color at Ṛg Veda  2.35.10. In Ṛg Veda 10.121.7 there is also special mention made of Agni in association with garbha which floated on the primeval waters. Also as noted before, Prajāpati who was born from Hiraṇyagarbha is also closely linked with Agni ritualistically.

The Vedic association of Agni with waters also later transformed into the legend of Skanda or Karttikeya. As the popular legend narrated in the Purāṇa-s  goes, it was Agni who dropped Śiva’s seed in the waters which later transformed into Skanda. In another version of Skanda’s birth found in Vana Parva of Mahabharata, Skanda is son of Agni himself.

So to conclude the matter presented here, Agni is by far the most important Vedic divinity who had various epithets and functions, going back to the Indo-Iranian and perhaps Indo-European period. Agni was a unifying factor among all the Vedic deities. The legends associated with Agni kept transforming in Vedic and post-Vedic era, giving rise to new concepts like Hiraṇyagarbha, Prajāpati and birth legend of Skanda.