Maharishi Bhrigu was one of the seven great sages, the Saptarshis, one of the many Prajapatis created by Brahma. The first compiler of predictive astrology, and also the author of Bhrigu Samhita, the astrological classic, Bhrigu is considered a Manasa Putra 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 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 in India. 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. They had two sonsnamed Dhata and Vidhata. He had one more son with Kavyamata, 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 heroMrikanda. One of his descendants was sage Jamadagni, who in turn was the father of sage Parashurama, considered an avatar of Vishnu.
Legends
Bhrigu finds mention in Shiva Purana and Vayu Purana, where he is shown present during the great yajna of DakshaPrajapati. 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.
Many great sages gathered at the bank of the riverSarasvati to participate in Maha Yagya. All the great saints and sages could not decide that out of the TrinityLord Vishnu, Brahma, and Shiva who is pre-eminent and to whom should they offer Pradhanta 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 Trimurti. 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 enrage 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. 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 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''
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.
