Aurva (or Aurava) is a fierce sage descending in order from Vishnu, Brahma, Bhrigu, Chyavana, Apnuvana. He was born during a bloody feud between the Kshatriyas and the descendants of Bhrigu. He was also the grandson of Vatsa, after whom the Srivatsa gotra is named. His son was Ṛchika (Ruchika), and Ṛchika's son was Jamadagni.[1][2]
Aurva | |
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Affiliation | Rishi, Bhargava |
Personal information | |
Children | Ruchika(son), Kandali (daughter - wife of Durvasa)[3] |
There is an interesting episode regarding the birth and naming of Aurava. According to the Mahabharata, there was a king named Kritavirya who was very liberal to his priests, who belonged to the race of Bhrigu. As such, they became very rich due to his generosity. After the death of the king, his descendants fell into poverty. They begged for help from the Bhrigus, who at that time were very rich; but the Bhrigus refused to help the kings, saying that wealth which is once given to a Brahmin cannot be taken back. To protect their wealth they buried their gold in a secret place. Coming to know about this the Kshatriya kings invaded the ashrams of the Bhrigus and killed all the Bhrigus, not sparing even children that were growing in the wombs of their mothers. Although the Bhrigus were also descended from a warrior class, they could not stop the kings from slaughtering them. One woman concealed her just-born son in her thighs to protect the baby from being slaughtered. The Kshatriyas who came to know about this rushed towards the lady to kill the baby. The baby fell down from her thighs with such a radiance that all the persecutors were blinded instantly. Since the child was produced from the uru (thigh) of a woman he was called Aurava/Aurva.[1]
When he grew up he intended of destroying the whole universe for taking revenge for the slaughter of his family. So he did austere penances. Seeing that the world was about to come to an end the Pitrs came down to him. They prayed to him to change his mind. They said that it was their own decision of dying at the hands of the Kshatriyas, for they were bored of long lives. But they could not resort to suicide for through suicide they would reach hell and not heaven, hence they hid all their wealth underground to enrage the warriors. And when murdered they attained heaven. Hearing this Aurva took the decision of not destroying the universe. As suggested he threw his mental fire into the ocean which consumed water in the form of a horse's mouth named Vadavamukha.[4]
References
- ^ a b Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Puranas. Vol. 1. Sarup & Sons. 2001. p. 129. ISBN 9788176252263. Retrieved 2020-01-15.
- ^ Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam (ed.). India Through the Ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 73.
- ^ Brahmavaivarta Purana Sri-Krishna Janma Khanda (Fourth Canto) Chapter 24.Verse 10 English translation by Shantilal Nagar Parimal Publications Link: https://archive.org/details/brahma-vaivarta-purana-all-four-kandas-english-translation
- ^ PC Roy's Mahabharata Adi Parva Page: 413-414
Further reading
- DONIGER, WENDY, and ANNA LISE SEASTRAND. “Horses in the Ocean in the Sanskrit Puranas: 400 to 1400 CE”. In: Winged Stallions and Wicked Mares: Horses in Indian Myth and History. University of Virginia Press, 2021. pp. 60–74. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1h1vc06.11.
- O’Flaherty, Wendy Doniger. “The Submarine Mare in the Mythology of Śiva”. In: Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, no. 1 (1971): 9–27. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25203231.
- Patton, Kimberley C. “‘O Ocean, I Ask You to Be Merciful’: The Hindu Submarine Mare-Fire.” In: The Sea Can Wash Away All Evils: Modern Marine Pollution and the Ancient Cathartic Ocean. Columbia University Press, 2007. pp. 97–113. http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7312/patt13806.10.