Hindu god of fire, second only to Indra in Vedic mythology.
He is the fire of the sun, of lightning, and of the hearth of worship, and is the divine personification of the fire of sacrifice. He is thus the messenger between human and divine orders. Agni is described as ruddy-hued and with two faces, one beneficent and one malignant. In the Rig Veda he is sometimes identified with Rudra, the forerunner of Shiva .