Saptarishi BHRIGU

Maharishi Bhrigu was one of the seven great sages, one of the Saptarshis in ancient India, one of many Prajapatis (the facilitators of Creation) created by Brahma (The God of Creation) [1], the first compiler of predictive astrology, and also the author of Bhrigu Samhita, the astrological (Jyotish) classic written during the Vedic period, Treta yuga

Maharishi Bhrigu (Sanskrit: भृगु ) was one of the seven great sages, the Saptarshis सप्तऋषि , one of the many Prajapatis (the facilitators of Creation) created by Brahma. The first compiler of predictive astrology, and also the author of Bhrigu Samhita, the astrological (Jyotish) classic.

भ्रां भक्तैक रक्षी च भृगु: पाताभ्रभ्रंशनः ।

मुनीनामुत्तमाचार्य: श्रीभृगुः शरणं मम ।।

Bhraam Bhaktaik Rakshee Cha Bhriguhu Patabhrabhranshanah !Muneenaamuttamaachaaryah Shree Bhriguhu Sharanam Mama !!

Maharshi Bhrigu is one of the brightest and most illumined among the ten great sons of the Brahma – the God of creation. He is a famous Vedic Seer and many vedic hymns are attributed to him. He has played a vital role in the compilation of “Atharva Veda”. Since the very beginning, he has been engaged in the welfare of humanity through his famous book “Bhrigu Samhita”.

My note- So in Brighu’s period also compilation was there

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. Bhrigu had his Ashram (Hermitage) on the Vadhusar River, a tributary of the Drishadwati River near Dhosi Hill in the Vedic state of Brahmavarta, presently on the border of Haryana and Rajasthan. 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, nearly 10,000 years ago. 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.

He was married to Khyati, one of the nine daughters of sage Kardama. Shrukracharya, Chyavana, Dhata and Vidhata are his famous sons and Sree – Lakshmi, his daughter. Maharshi Markandeya, Maharshi Aurva, Maharshi Jamdagni and Bhagwan Parshurama – have brought laurels to his clan and were great Rishis in their own right. Bhagwan Dattatreya is said to be his Master. One of his descendants was sage Jamadagni, who in turn was the father of sage Parashurama, considered an avatar of Vishnu.

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).

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.

भृ॑गु॒र्वै वा॑रु॒णिः । वरु॑णं॒ पित॑र॒मुप॑ससार ।

अधी॑हि भगवो॒ ब्रह्मेति॑ । तस्मा॑ ए॒तत्प्रो॑वाच ।

अन्नं॑ प्रा॒णं चक्षुः॒ श्रोत्रं॒ मनो॒ वाच॒मिति॑ ।

तꣳहो॑वाच । यतो॒ वा इ॒मानि॒ भूता॑नि॒ जाय॑न्ते ।

येन॒ जाता॑नि॒ जीव॑न्ति ।

यत्प्रय॑न्त्य॒भिसंवि॑शन्ति । तद्विजि॑ज्ञासस्व । तद्ब्रह्मेति॑ ।

स तपो॑ऽतप्यत । स तप॑स्त॒प्त्वा ॥ १

Bhrigu, the son of Varuna, went near his father and said, "Godman, teach me Brahman." To him, he said this, "Food, breath, eye, ear, mind, speech." He said (further), "That from which these beings are born, that by which, when born, these beings live, that into which they enter upon departing, That you should know, That is Brahman.

In the Bhagavad Gītā, Krishna says that among sages, Bhrigu is representative of the opulence (ostentatiously rich and superior in quality). of God (Chapter- X/25) and the same thought has found has its echo in the Eleventh Canto of the Bhagawatam.

महर्षीणां भृगुरहं गिरामस्म्येकमक्षरम् |

यज्ञानां जपयज्ञोऽस्मि स्थावराणां हिमालय: || 25||

maharṣhīṇāṁ bhṛigur ahaṁ girām asmyekam akṣharam

yajñānāṁ japa-yajño ’smi sthāvarāṇāṁ himālayaḥ

I am Bhrigu amongst the great seers and the transcendental Om amongst sounds. Amongst chants know me to be the repetition of the Holy Name; amongst immovable things I am the Himalayas.

Patience test of Trimurti (Tenth Canto of the Bhagawatam)

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(प्रधानता) (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.

Upon being entrusted with the task, Maharishi Bhrigu decided to test each of the Trimurtis. Being ignored and attacked by Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva, he visited Lord Vishnu. Vishnu was asleep and 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 who realised his egotistical outbursts with extreme pain. He begged for forgiveness and Vishnu forgave him. He then declares Vishnu the greatest among Trimurti. But Lakshmi was angry with Bhrigu and cursed the Brahmans that they would 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.

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.

My note- Naguneri is near Valliyur in between Nagerkovil and Tirunelveli

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.

In Taittriya Upanishad (तैत्तिरीय उपनिषद्)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". 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.

Bhrigu Samhita (भृगु संहिता)

After the incident of testing of the trinity, 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.

My note- So astrology was there from the period of sage Brighu.

Every year 10th May is celebrated as BHRIGU JAyanti महर्षि भृगु जयंती.

There is train maned after BHRIGU Train No 22427/28 Bhrigu SF Express(Northern Railway) weekly train runs between ANAND VIHAR(NEW DELHI) and BALLIA (UP).

The train is named after Bhrigu. At BALLIA Thousands of Rishies are said to have performed puja here.

Bhrigu Mandir is a temple in Ballia (142 kms fromVARANASI)

There is a Maharishi Bhrigu Foundation established at Haridwar(Uttarakhand).

Chakshusa Manvantara..

According to the Matsya Purana, sage Manu was the first man (and the first human) created by God. In the above Purana it was mentioned that Lord Brahma created, using his divine powers, the Goddess Shatrupa (as Saraswati was first called) and out of the union of Brahma and Shatrupa was born Manu.

14 Manvantaras together form a day of Brahma.

The 14 Manvantaras are Svayambhuva, Svarocisa, Uttama, Tamasa, Raivata, Caksusu, Vaivasvata, Savarni, Daksha-Savarni, Bramha-Savarni, Dharma-Savarni, Rudra-Savarni, Ruchi-Savarni and Bhouma-Savarni.

1 Manus of the current kalpa

1...1 First Manvantara – the interval of Swayambhu Manu

1.2 Second Manvantara – the interval of Swarochisha Manu

1.3 Third Manvantara – the interval of Uttama Manu

1.4 Fourth Manvantara – the interval of Tapasa/Tamasa Manu

1.5 Fifth Manvantara – the interval of Raivata Manu

1.6 Sixth Manvantara – the interval of Chakshusha Manu

1.7 The current, Seventh Manvantara – the interval of Vaivasvata Manu

1.8 Eighth Manvantara – Surya Savarni Manu

1.9 Ninth – Daksa Savarni Manu

1.10 Tenth – Brahma Savarni Manu

1.11 Eleventh – Dharma Savarni Manu

1.12 Twelfth – Rudra Savarni Manu

1.13 Thirteenth – Raucya or Deva Savarni Manu

1.14 Fourteenth – Indra Savarni Manu

According to the Vedic texts, current age of Brahma is 50 Brahma years and 1 brahma day (we are in the 1st day of 2nd half of brahma)and we are in the seventh "manvantara", in the 28th turnover of its 71 yuga cycles. In this cycle, we are in the start Kali Yuga.Chakshusha Manvantara is the sixth Manvantara. This Manvantar derived its name from Chakshush Manu.

Sixth Manvantara – the interval of Chakshusha Manu

SUDYUMNAN SEES RUDRA AND PARVATI

Saptarshis list: Sumedhas, Virajas, Havishmat, Uttama, Madhu, Abhináman, and Sahishnnu. In Chakshusha-manvantara, Lord Vishnu's avatar was called Ajita.

Ajita came as Chakshsusa Manu, the son of the demigod Chakshu. He had many sons, headed by Puru, Purusa and Sudyumna. During the reign of Chakshusa Manu, the King of heaven was known as Mantradruma. Among the demigods were the Apyas, and among the great sages were Havisman and Viraka.

The current, Seventh Manvantara – the interval of Vaivasvata Manu

Saptarshis list: Kashyapa, Atri, Vashista, Angira, Gautama, Agastya, Bharadvaja. During Vaivasvata-manvantara, Lord Vishnu's avatar is called Matsya.The seventh Manu, who is the son of Vivasvan, is known as Sraddhadeva(or satyavrata ) or Vaivasvat(son of Vivasvan). He has ten sons, named Ikshvaku, Nabhaga, Dhrsta, Saryati, Narisyanta, Dista (Nabhanedista), Tarusa (Karusha), Prsadhra and Vasuman (Pramshu). In this manvantara, or reign of Manu, among the demigods are the Adityas, Vasus, Rudras, Visvedevas, Maruts, Asvini-kumaras and Rbhus. The king of heaven, Indra, is known as Purandara, and the seven sages are known as Kashyapa, Atri, Vashista, Angira, Gautama, Agastya and Bharadwaja.

--