Bhrigu

Maharishi Bhrigu (Sanskrit: Bhṛgu) was one of the seven great sages, the Saptarshis, one of the many Prajapatis (the facilitators of Creation) created by Brahma.[1] The first compiler of predictive astrology, and also the author of Bhrigu Samhita, the astrological (Jyotish) classic, Bhrigu is considered a Manasa Putra ("mind-born-son") of Brahma. The adjectival form of the name, Bhargava, is used to refer to the descendants and the school of Bhrigu. According to Manusmriti, Bhrigu was a compatriot of and lived during the time of Manu, the Hindu progenitor of humanity.[2] Bhrigu had his Ashram (Hermitage) on the Vadhusar River, a tributary of the Drishadwati River near Dhosi Hill in the Vedic state of Brahmavarta,[3] presently on the border of Haryana and Rajasthan in India.[4] Along with Manu, Bhrigu had made important contributions to Manusmriti, which was constituted out of a sermon to a congregation of saints in the state of Brahmavarta, after the great floods in this area,[5] nearly 10,000 years ago.[6] As per Skanda Purana, Bhrigu migrated to Bhrigukutch, modern Bharuch on the banks of the Narmada river in Gujarat, leaving his son Chyavana at Dhosi Hill.

Bhrigu
A painting depicting Bhrigu
Affiliation	Saptarishi
Abode	Amravati
Personal information
Parents	Brahma (father)
Spouse	Khyati, Kavyamata and Puloma
Children	With Khyati: Dhata, Vidhata, Bhargavi (Lakshmi), With Kavyamata : Shukracharya With Puloma : Chyavana

He was married to Khyati, one of the nine daughters of sage Kardama. She is more popularly known as the Daughter of Prajapati Daksha. She was the mother of Devi Lakshmi. [7] They also had two sons named Dhata and Vidhata. He had one more son with Kavyamata (Usana), who is better known than Bhrigu himself – Shukra, learned sage and guru of the asuras. The sage Chyavana is also said to be his son with Puloma, as is the folk hero Mrikanda.[8] [Maha:1.5] One of his descendants was sage Jamadagni, who in turn was the father of sage Parashurama, considered an avatar of Vishnu.[9][10][11]

Legends

Bhrigu finds mention in Shiva Purana and Vayu Purana, where he is shown present during the great yajna of Daksha Prajapati (his father-in-law).[12] He supports the continuation of the Daksha yajna even after being warned that without an offering for Shiva, it was asking for a catastrophe for everyone present there. In Tattiriya Upanishad, he had conversation with his father Varuni on Brahman.

In the Bhagavad Gītā, Krishna says that among sages, Bhrigu is representative of the opulence of God.[13]

Patience test of Trimurti

Many great sages gathered at the bank of the river Sarasvati to participate in Maha Yagya. All the great saints and sages could not decide that out of the Trinity Lord Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva who is pre-eminent and to whom should they offer Pradhanta (Master) of that Yagya. With the consent of all the great saints presents there, it was decided that Bhrigu will test and decide who was pre-eminent.[14]

Upon being entrusted with the task Maharishi Bhrigu decided to test each of the Trimurti. Being ignored and attacked by Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva, he visited Lord Vishnu. He first visited Brahma, who there was reciting Vedas and spending time with Saraswati that he ignored arrival of Bhrigu. Bhrigu got angry and started to insult his father. Brahma also got angry and in fear, Bhrigu left for Kailash. Lord Shiva meanwhile was also talking with Parvati. Shiva was infuriated, but was calmed by Parvati. The sage ran to Vaikuntha.[14]

Now it was the last chance that the only remaining deva was Vishnu and to make things even worse Vishnu also didn't see because he was resting on Sheshanaga. Bhrigu could not resist that when Vishnu was asleep, Bhrigu kicked him in the chest to wake him up, as Bhrigu was enraged by the fact that Vishnu always keep on resting on Shesha. Vishnu smilingly welcomed Bhrigu and starting massaging his feet asking him if he had hurt his feet in kicking his chest. In the process Vishnu destroyed the third eye of Bhrigu that he had on his feet, which symbolized his ignorance and ego and as soon as it was destroyed he realised his egotistical outbursts with extreme pain. He begged for forgiveness and Vishnu forgave him. He then declares Vishnu the greatest among Trimurti.[14]

Tirupati story

A similar story is found in the story of Tirupati. But this time Bhrigu curses Brahma to be hardly worshiped, Shiva to be worshipped as lingam and an angered Lakshmi cursing the Brahmans to achieve wealth only by hard work.

Bhrigu and Places associated with him

Bhrigu's Ashram 'Deepotsaka' was located at the base of Dhosi Hill in present-day village Dhosi on the border of Narnaul district in Haryana and Jhunjunu district of Rajasthan, from where he migrated to Bharuch.[15] His son Chyavana, known for Chyavanprash also had his Ashram at Dhosi Hill. Bhrigu is also worshipped at Bharuch, Swamimalai, Tirumala, Ballia, Nanguneri, Thiruneermalai, Mannargudi. An Ashram for Bhrigu is in Maruderi, Kanchipuram district in Tamil Nadu. Khedbrahma in Gujarat is associated with Brahma and Bhrigu's legend of testing Trinity. Lastly, Bhrigu migrated to Bhuinj Satara, Maharashtra where he took Samadhi. His ashram and his daughter's Laxmi's temple also situated there. His sons chyavan's ashram and samadhi are also situated on chyavaneshwar hill near Bhuinj.

Upanishads

In Taittriya Upanishad first six anuvakas of Bhrigu Valli are called Bhargavi Varuni Vidya, which means "the knowledge Bhrigu got from (his father) Varuni". It is in these anuvakas that sage Varuni advises Bhrigu with one of the oft-cited definition of Brahman, as "that from which beings originate, through which they live, and in which they re-enter after death, explore that because that is Brahman".[16] This thematic, all encompassing, eternal nature of reality and existence develops as the basis for Bhrigu's emphasis on introspection and inwardization, to help peel off the outer husks of knowledge, in order to reach and realize the innermost kernel of spiritual Self-knowledge.[16]

Bhrigu Samhita

Bhrigu decided to write his famous books of astrology, the Bhrigu Samhita. Maharishi Bhrigu collected birth charts, wrote full-life predictions and compiled them together as Bhrigu Samhita. Bhrigu Samhita is believed to be one of the first book of its kind in the field of astrology.[17][18][19][20][21]

References

1. Narada said.. The Mahabharata translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli (1883 -1896), Book 2: Sabha Parva: Lokapala Sabhakhayana Parva, section:XI. p. 25 And Daksha, Prachetas, Pulaha, Marichi, the master Kasyapa, Bhrigu, Atri, and Vasistha and Gautama, and also Angiras, and Pulastya, Kraut, Prahlada, and Kardama, these Prajapatis, and Angirasa of the Atharvan Veda, the Valikhilyas, the Marichipas; Intelligence, Space, Knowledge, Air, Heat, Water, Earth, Sound, Touch, Form, Taste, Scent; Nature, and the Modes (of Nature), and the elemental and prime causes of the world – all stay in that mansion beside the Lord Brahma. And Agastya of great energy, and Markandeya, of great ascetic power, and Jamadagni and Bharadwaja, and Samvarta, and Chyavana, and exalted Durvasa, and the virtuous Rishyasringa, the illustrious 'Sanatkumara' of great ascetic merit and the preceptor in all matters affecting Yoga..."
2. Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 78.
3. Mahabharta, Van Parv, page 1308, Geeta Press, Gorakhpur
4. Sudhir Bhargava, "Location of Brahmavarta and Drishadwati river is important to find earliest alignment of Saraswati river" Seminar, Saraswati river-a perspective, Nov. 20–22, 2009, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, organised by: Saraswati Nadi Shodh Sansthan, Haryana, Seminar Report: pages 114–117
5. A.V. Sankran, Saraswati – the ancient river lost in the desert, Current Science, 1997, Vol. 72, pages 160–61
6. David Frawley, quoting Grahm Hancock in "Underworld" : Flooded kingdoms of the Ice Age, A Vedic and Indian Perspective.
7. "Bhrigu". Glorious Hinduism. 2 July 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
8. The Vishnu Purana a System of Hindu Mythology and Tradition Translated from the Original Sanskrit, and Illustrated by Notes Derived Chiefly from Other Puranas by the Late H.H. Wilson: 1. Trubner. 1864. pp. 152–.
9. Subodh Kapoor (2004). A Dictionary of Hinduism: Including Its Mythology, Religion, History, Literature, and Pantheon. Cosmo Publications. pp. 185–. ISBN 978-81-7755-874-6.
10. George Mason Williams (2003). Handbook of Hindu Mythology. ABC-CLIO. pp. 160–161. ISBN 978-1-57607-106-9.
11. Yves Bonnefoy; Wendy Doniger (1993). Asian Mythologies. University of Chicago Press. pp. 82–83. ISBN 978-0-226-06456-7.
12. Vishnu Purana SACRIFICE OF DAKSHA (From the Vayu Purana.) The Vishnu Purana, translated by Horace Hayman Wilson, 1840. 67:6.
13. Bhagavad Gītā – Chapter 10 Verse 25
14. Satish 2014.
15. Padampuran
16. Paul Deussen, Sixty Upanishads of the Veda, Volume 1, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-8120814684, pages 241-246
17. Koʻmarhanʻ, Mranʻ mā Nuiṅʻ ṅaṃ Samuiṅʻʺ (2005). Myanmar Historical Commission conference proceedings. Myanmar Historical Commission, Golden Jubilee Publication Committee. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
18. Experts, Disha (1 May 2017). The History Compendium for IAS Prelims General Studies CSAT Paper 1, UPSC & State PSC (Second ed.). Disha Publication. ISBN 978-9386323446.
19. Rao, T.M. (2008). Bhrigu Samhita. Pustak Mahal. ISBN 978-8122310214. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
20. Eyzdagird, Erhiem (16 March 2018). Bhrigu Samhita: el Primer Libro de Astrología Védica: Traducción Al Español de Manuscritos de Hojas Del período Védico. Independently Published. ISBN 978-1980573210. Retrieved 12 August 2018.
21. Lane, David (18 March 2011). The World's Oldest Astrological Book: The Bhrigu Samhita of Ancient India. MSAC Philosophy Group.

Sources

• Satish, V. (10 October 2014). Tales of Gods in Hindu Mythology. ISBN 9781482827996.