Bhrigu
| Bhrigu | |
|---|---|
A painting depicting Bhṛgu | |
| Affiliation | Saptarishi |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents |
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| Spouse | Kavyamata, Puloma, Khyati, Divyadevi, and Paulami |
| Children | |
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| Hindu philosophy |
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Bhrigu (Sanskrit: Bhṛgu) is a rishi in Hinduism. He is one of the seven great sages, the Saptarshi, and one of the many Prajapatis (facilitators of creation) created by Brahma. He was the first compiler of predictive astrology and also the author of Bhrigu Samhita, an astrological (jyotisha) classic. Bhrigu is considered a mānasaputra ('mind-born son') of Brahma. The adjectival form of the name, Bhārgava, is used to refer to the descendants and the school of Bhrigu. According to the Manusmṛti, Bhrigu was a compatriot and companion of Manu, the protoplast (first human). Along with Manu, Bhrigu made important contributions to the Manusmṛti, which was constituted out of a sermon to a congregation of saints in the state of Brahmavarta, after the great floods in this area. As per the Skanda Purana, Bhrigu migrated to Bhrigukaccha, modern Bharuch, on the banks of the Narmada in Gujarat, leaving his son Chyavana at Dhosi Hill.
According to the Bhagavata Purana, he was married to Khyati, one of the nine daughters of Kardama. She was the mother of Lakshmi as Bhargavi. They also had two sons named Dhata and Vidhata. He had one more son with Kavyamata, who is better known than Bhrigu himself: Shukra, guru of the asuras. The sage Chyavana is also said to be his son with Puloma, as is the folk hero Mrikanda. [Maha:1.5] One of his descendants was sage Jamadagni, who in turn was the father of sage Parashurama, considered an avatar of Vishnu.