Why Agni is called 'twice born' in Rigveda?

Question

Agni is called twice born in RigVeda

abhi dvi janma tri rochanani vishva rajansi shushuchano asthat |
hota yajistho apam sadhaste".(RV.1.149.4) -

Griffith translates as -'He, doubly born, hath spread in his effulgence through the three luminous realms, through all the regions,Best sacrificing Priest where waters gather.

However, in Hinduism Brahmins and Kshatriyas are called 'twice born. My question is why Agni is called twice born in RigVeda at the first place. Secondly, is there any co-relation between the two different designation of 'twice born'?

Answer 1

I disagree with SwiftPuskar's translation because it is just an speculation from later text. Rigveda has story of birth of Agni

Why Agni has two births is explained in mandala IV under Vala myth. First Agni was born with all the worlds as its womb and at birth he was faceless and endless but retracting. Angira rishi installs the new born Agni as sacrificial fire. Then Angira rishi splits open the cave and frees the cows which Vala had stolen ensuing removal of the darkness as cows represent dawn. Then Angira installs the Agni as a Hotar priest which is here both sacrificer and receiver of oblation hence his second birth

IV. 1

11 He was born first in the dwelling places, at the base of this great realm, as his womb, footless, headless, concealing his two ends, continually retracting (his limbs [=flames]), in the nest of the bull.

IV.3

11. By truth they threw open the rock, having split it. The Aṅgirases roared along with the cows. For blessing the men besieged the dawn; the sun became visible when the fire was born.

IV 1

19 I would call here blazing Agni as Hotar, the best sacrificer who carries all burdens. He drilled, seemingly, the gleaming udder of the cows, which was purified like the stalk of the plant poured in circles [=soma].

Answer 2

Agni is twice born in RigVeda

1. • the second birth is the ritual fire and household fire ("sva adhvaro raja visham athiti" RV.2.2(8) - king of the ritual pole and guest of the village). This is the Agni produced by human effort as explained by @Swift Pushkar above.

Rishi Angira was first to worship Agni as deva - "

tvam Agne prathamo Angira Rishih devo devanam bhavah shivam

sakha*"RV.1.31(1) -you Agni became the god of Angira Rishi for the first time,(then) became the blissful friend of all gods.

Gods not only worshiped Agni but also excelled in its use as war technology while anti-god people still considered it as an illusion -

"Ime naro Vritra hatyeshu shura adevi bhir santu maya*"RV.7.1(10)

• for these people (Agni) is a great warrior after killing of Vritra, for anti-god people it is a Maya.

  2. The first birth of Agni is natural one. RigVeda is unequivocal in stating that Agni is present here since the origin of the world and he knows the birth of human and gods -

"aa devyani vrata chikitwana manushsya jansya janm*"RV.1.70(1)

• come (Agni) to the realm of gods having knowledge of the birth of humans.

On the question how Agni came into being at the first time, RigVeda provides varied answers. One can trace the birth of Agni from water,air,outer space(vyom) up to 'not born' (aja) at all. But Vishwamitra Gathin holds a most scientific cognition in describing the birth of Agni from Sun -

"yat Asurasya jattarat ajayat*" RV.3.29(14)

• here (Agni) is born out of the abdomen of Asura. Asura could mean Sun in RigVda I have explained elsewhere. Indeed, our ancestors were great 'watchers'.

Thus, Agni is twice born in the sense the first is the natural birth and the second is the birth from human effort. Similar idea was applied to human society in Hinduism through " the sanskara of yajyopavit "-after which a child is exposed to wider social world and sent to Gurukula.

Answer 3

Let's see why Agni is called Twice Born in Rig-Veda sukta 1.149.4

अभि द्विजन्मा त्री रोचनानि विश्वा रजांसि शुशुचनो अस्थात | 
होता यजिष्ठो अपां सधस्थे || 1.149.4b ||

abhi dvijanmā trī rocanāni viśva rajāṃsi śuśucano asthāt | 

4 He, doubly born, hath spread in his effulgence through the three luminous realms, through all the regions.

Explanation-As we know Agni is created by rubbing/churning two wooden sticks together. As the two wooden sticks i.e. Arani are used , Agni is here called as born from two things. Dwijanma (द्विजन्मा)

The meaning of the word DwiJanma here (द्विजन्मा) is born from two objects. The word Dwija is not used but Dwijanma and both are separate words with separate meanings.

This is clear from another translation of Rig-Veda 1.149.4 Hindi

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