Book excerpt: This is a volume in the series, The Secret History of the Vedas. This series is an original, idiosyncratic look at the Rg Veda and Vedas as a whole. The purpose of this series, The Secret History of the Vedas, is to unravel and discover the true meaning of the Vedic deities and to reveal the hidden meaning of the Vedas. There are three great themes in the Vedic dharma --- Existence, Bliss, and Consciousness. This volume is an examination of Consciousness, as concentrated in the fire of the Vedic force of Agni, the third prong in the Vedic Dharma. This is a comprehensive, in-depth, examination of the premier Vedic deity, Agni, and his many forms. Agni is Fire. Agni has many fires. That Fire is examined thoroughly and exhaustively, referencing citations from the Vedas, Brahmanas, and Upanishads. They all describe the Fires of Agni in all its many forms. This book explains it all and shows just how comprehensive is the reach of this Vedic force and concerns the “aspects” of Agni, those specific fires which define and provide the inner essence of this mighty Vedic force. The “manifestations” of Agni is how he makes his presence in this material world. This book is a complete description of both, the inner essence of Agni and how he appears in our world.