Bhrigus
Encyclopedia
Maharishi Bhrigu was one of the seven great sages, the Saptarshi
s, in ancient India, one of the many Prajapatis (the facilitators of Creation) created by Brahma
(The God of Creation), the first compiler of predictive astrology, and also the author of Bhrigu Samhita
, the astrological
(Jyotish) classic written during the Vedic period
, Treta yuga
.
Bhrigu is a ManasaPutra (wish-born-son) of Lord Brahma
, who simply wished him into existence, to assist in the process of creation, for this reason he is also considered one of the Prajapatis.
He is married to Khyati, the daughter of Daksha
. He has two sons by her, named Dhata and Vidhata. His daughter Sri
or Shri, married Lord Vishnu
(Narayana). Thus in some traditions, Laxmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu is said to be his daughter.
He has one more son, 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. [Maha:1.5]
, where he is shown present during the great Yagna of Daksha
Prajapati (his father-in-law).
In the Bhagavad Gītā
, Lord Krishna
refers to Sage Bhrigu, by stating "among the Rishis, I am Bhrigu".
Maharishi Bhrigu, is known to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu the mention of which has been evident in many of his writings.
is attributed to his authorship. This treatise is said to contain over 5 million horoscopes, in which he wrote down the fate of every being in the universe. According to popular tradition, only about a hundredth of these horoscopes have survived to this age. The Bhrigu Samhita is an astrological (jyotish) classic attributed to Maharishi Bhrigu during the Vedic period, although the available evidence suggests that it was compiled over a period of time by the various sishyas (students in the lineage) of Maharishi Bhrigu.
Maharishi Bhrigu was the first compiler of predictive astrology, Jyotisha
. He compiled about 500,000 horoscopes and recorded the life details and events of various persons. This formed a database for further research and study. This study culminated in the birth of the science (shastra) of determining the quality of time (Hora) and is the Brihat Parasara Hora Shastra. These Horoscopes were based upon the planetary positions of the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Rahu (North Node of the Moon) and Ketu (South Node of the Moon). After that, Maharishi Bhrigu gave his predictions on different types of horoscopes compiled by him with the help of Lord Ganesha in a brief and concise manner. The total permutations/ possible horoscope charts that can be drawn with this is about 45 million. Though it is said that these horoscope have been recorded for all mankind who were, have and will be born till eternity.
During foreign invasions of India by Muslim warriors from the north west in the 12th and 13th centuries, the Brahmin community became dispersed all over India. The invaders captured these prime assets of the Brahmins. Some parts of the 'Bhrigu Samhita' were taken away by them. The most unfortunate and destructive event was the destruction of the Nalanda
university library where several thousands of the horoscopes compiled by Maharashi Bhrigu had been stored. Only a small percentage of the original horoscopes of Bhrigu Samhita remained with the Brahmin community which are now scattered throughout various parts of India.
to participate in Maha yagya organized at that time. Maharishi Bhrigu was also present there. All the great saints and sages could not decide that out of the Trinity Lord Vishnu, Brahma and Shiv who is pre-eminent and to whom should they offer Pradhanta (Master) of that yagya. With the consent of all the great saints present there, it was decided that Maharishi Bhrigu will test and decide who was pre-eminent.
Upon being entrusted with the task Maharishi Bhrigu decided to test Lord Brahma first. He went on to see Lord Brahma in Brahmalok. On reaching Brahmalok Maharishi displayed utter disrespect to Lord Brahma on purpose. Lord Brahma got angry and wanted to punish Maharishi but Maha Saraswati, wife of Lord Brahma saved Maharishi from his anger. Angry with disrespect, Maharishi Bhrigu cursed Lord Brahma that no one will worship Brahma in Kaliyug. To this day, there are very few temples devoted to Lord Brahma (the notable exception being the Brahma Temple at Pushkar).
Maharishi Bhrigu then decided to visit Lord Shiva at Kailash
Parvat. On reaching Kailash Parvat, Nandi stopped him from going inside because at that time, Shiva and Parvati were sporting fun.
Then in order to test Lord Vishnu, Maharishi reached Vaikunth Dham. He entered the Dham without Lord Vishnu's permission and saw that the Lord was resting at that time. Maharishi asked him to wake up, but Lord was in deep sleep. On seeing no reaction from Lord, Maharishi hit Lord Vishnu on his chest (that strike by Maharishi Bhrigu left a foot print on Lord's chest and that foot print is known as "Shri Vatsa").
Lord Vishnu got up after the strike and realized what has happened. On realizing that Maharishi had hit him with his foot, Lord asked him, “Maharishi, are you hurt in your foot? My chest is strong but your foot is not so strong". Seeing the decorum of Lord Vishnu, Bhrigu was pleased and declared him superior amongst the Tridev.
According to Hindu mythology, goddess of prosperity and wife of Lord Vishnu, Maha Laxmi also witnessed the whole incident, as she was also present in the Dham at that time. She could not tolerate disrespect displayed by Maharishi Bhrigu towards Lord Vishnu and cursed him that henceforth she would never visit Brahmins and they will all live in absence of wealth.
On hearing this curse from Maha Laxmi, Maharishi told her, his very purpose of visiting the Vaikunth Dham and his mission. On hearing this, Maha Laxmi told Maharishi, that her curse will definitely haunt Brahmins but whenever any Brahmin will worship Lord Vishnu, he will be liberated from her curse.
It is after this incident that Maharishi Bhrigu decided to write famous book of astrology , the Bhrigu Samhita
, with the blessings of Lord Ganesha and Maha Saraswati, to help Brahmins earn their living. He eventually wrote this 'Grantha'(book) to the benefit of all mankind for thier 'kalyan'(well bieng) which would lead mankind to 'Moksha'(Complete Salvation). Maharishi Bhrigu collected numbers of birth charts, wrote their predictions for full life and compiled them together to be known as Bhrigusamhita today. Parts of the Bhrigu Samhita are said to be destroyed over the ages but a few parts of the book are still available in Hoshiarpur city in Punjab.
Bhrigusamhita is believed to be the first book of its kind in the field of astrology.
Saptarshi
The Saptarishi are the seven rishis who are extolled at many places in the Vedas and Hindu literature. The Vedic Samhitas never actually enumerate these rishis by name, though later Vedic texts such as the Brahmanas and Upanisads do so. They are regarded in the Vedas as the patriarchs of the...
s, in ancient India, one of the many Prajapatis (the facilitators of Creation) created by Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
(The God of Creation), the first compiler of predictive astrology, and also the author of Bhrigu Samhita
Bhrigu Samhita
The Bhrigu Saṃhitā is an astrological classic attributed to Maharishi Bhrigu during the Vedic period, Treta yuga. It is said that it was compiled by the Sage out of compassion for humanity so that humanity could cope with the pressures of its existence and move towards a more spiritual nature...
, the astrological
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
(Jyotish) classic written during the Vedic period
Vedic period
The Vedic period was a period in history during which the Vedas, the oldest scriptures of Hinduism, were composed. The time span of the period is uncertain. Philological and linguistic evidence indicates that the Rigveda, the oldest of the Vedas, was composed roughly between 1700–1100 BCE, also...
, Treta yuga
Treta Yuga
Treta Yuga is the second out of four yugas, or ages of mankind, in the religion of Hinduism, and follows the Satya Yuga of perfect morality and precedes the Dvapara Yuga. The most famous events in this yuga were Lord Vishnu's fifth, sixth and seventh incarnations as Vamana, Parashurama and...
.
Bhrigu is a ManasaPutra (wish-born-son) of Lord Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
, who simply wished him into existence, to assist in the process of creation, for this reason he is also considered one of the Prajapatis.
He is married to Khyati, the daughter of Daksha
Daksha
In Hinduism, Daksha, "the skilled one", is an ancient creator god, one of the Prajapatis, the Rishis and the Adityas. Daksha is said to be the son of Aditi and Brahma...
. He has two sons by her, named Dhata and Vidhata. His daughter Sri
Sri
Sri , also transliterated as Shri or Shree or shre is a word of Sanskrit origin, used in the Indian subcontinent as polite form of address equivalent to the English "Mr." in written and spoken language, or as a title of veneration for deities .-Etymology:Sri has the root meaning of radiance, or...
or Shri, married Lord Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
(Narayana). Thus in some traditions, Laxmi, the consort of Lord Vishnu is said to be his daughter.
He has one more son, who is better known than Bhrigu himself - Shukra
Shukra
Shukra , the Sanskrit for "clear, pure" or "brightness, clearness", is the name of the son of Bhrigu, and preceptor of the Daityas, and the guru of the Asuras, identified with the planet Venus, one of the Navagrahas...
, learned sage and guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
of the asuras. The sage Chyavana
Chyavana
Chyavana was a maharshi in Hindu mythology. He was son of sage Bhrigu and known for his rejuvenation after penances for several years. According to the Mahabharata, he was powerful enough to oppose the Vajra of Indra and was responsible for the Ashvins getting their share of the sacrificial...
is also said to be his son. [Maha:1.5]
In scriptures
Sage Bhrigu finds mention in the Vayu PuranaVayu Purana
The Vayu Purana is a Shaiva Purana, a Hindu religious text, dedicated to the god Vayu , containing about 24,000 shlokas.-Date:Banabhatta refers to this work in his Kadambari and Harshacharita...
, where he is shown present during the great Yagna of Daksha
Daksha
In Hinduism, Daksha, "the skilled one", is an ancient creator god, one of the Prajapatis, the Rishis and the Adityas. Daksha is said to be the son of Aditi and Brahma...
Prajapati (his father-in-law).
In the Bhagavad Gītā
Bhagavad Gita
The ' , also more simply known as Gita, is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the ancient Sanskrit epic, the Mahabharata, but is frequently treated as a freestanding text, and in particular, as an Upanishad in its own right, one of the several books that constitute general Vedic tradition...
, Lord Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
refers to Sage Bhrigu, by stating "among the Rishis, I am Bhrigu".
Maharishi Bhrigu, is known to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu the mention of which has been evident in many of his writings.
Bhrigu Samhita
Maharishi Bhrigu is credited as the father of Hindu astrology and the first astrological treatise Bhrigu SamhitaBhrigu Samhita
The Bhrigu Saṃhitā is an astrological classic attributed to Maharishi Bhrigu during the Vedic period, Treta yuga. It is said that it was compiled by the Sage out of compassion for humanity so that humanity could cope with the pressures of its existence and move towards a more spiritual nature...
is attributed to his authorship. This treatise is said to contain over 5 million horoscopes, in which he wrote down the fate of every being in the universe. According to popular tradition, only about a hundredth of these horoscopes have survived to this age. The Bhrigu Samhita is an astrological (jyotish) classic attributed to Maharishi Bhrigu during the Vedic period, although the available evidence suggests that it was compiled over a period of time by the various sishyas (students in the lineage) of Maharishi Bhrigu.
Maharishi Bhrigu was the first compiler of predictive astrology, Jyotisha
Jyotisha
Hindu astrology , also Jyotish or Jyotisha, from Sanskrit , from "light, heavenly body") is the ancient Indian system of astronomy and astrology...
. He compiled about 500,000 horoscopes and recorded the life details and events of various persons. This formed a database for further research and study. This study culminated in the birth of the science (shastra) of determining the quality of time (Hora) and is the Brihat Parasara Hora Shastra. These Horoscopes were based upon the planetary positions of the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Rahu (North Node of the Moon) and Ketu (South Node of the Moon). After that, Maharishi Bhrigu gave his predictions on different types of horoscopes compiled by him with the help of Lord Ganesha in a brief and concise manner. The total permutations/ possible horoscope charts that can be drawn with this is about 45 million. Though it is said that these horoscope have been recorded for all mankind who were, have and will be born till eternity.
During foreign invasions of India by Muslim warriors from the north west in the 12th and 13th centuries, the Brahmin community became dispersed all over India. The invaders captured these prime assets of the Brahmins. Some parts of the 'Bhrigu Samhita' were taken away by them. The most unfortunate and destructive event was the destruction of the Nalanda
Nalanda
Nālandā is the name of an ancient center of higher learning in Bihar, India.The site of Nalanda is located in the Indian state of Bihar, about 55 miles south east of Patna, and was a Buddhist center of learning from the fifth or sixth century CE to 1197 CE. It has been called "one of the...
university library where several thousands of the horoscopes compiled by Maharashi Bhrigu had been stored. Only a small percentage of the original horoscopes of Bhrigu Samhita remained with the Brahmin community which are now scattered throughout various parts of India.
Testing the divine Trinity
Many great sages gathered at the bank of river SaraswatiSaraswati
In Hinduism Saraswati , is the goddess of knowledge, music, arts, science and technology. She is the consort of Brahma, also revered as His Shakti....
to participate in Maha yagya organized at that time. Maharishi Bhrigu was also present there. All the great saints and sages could not decide that out of the Trinity Lord Vishnu, Brahma and Shiv who is pre-eminent and to whom should they offer Pradhanta (Master) of that yagya. With the consent of all the great saints present there, it was decided that Maharishi Bhrigu will test and decide who was pre-eminent.
Upon being entrusted with the task Maharishi Bhrigu decided to test Lord Brahma first. He went on to see Lord Brahma in Brahmalok. On reaching Brahmalok Maharishi displayed utter disrespect to Lord Brahma on purpose. Lord Brahma got angry and wanted to punish Maharishi but Maha Saraswati, wife of Lord Brahma saved Maharishi from his anger. Angry with disrespect, Maharishi Bhrigu cursed Lord Brahma that no one will worship Brahma in Kaliyug. To this day, there are very few temples devoted to Lord Brahma (the notable exception being the Brahma Temple at Pushkar).
Maharishi Bhrigu then decided to visit Lord Shiva at Kailash
Mount Kailash
Mount Kailash is a peak in the Gangdisê Mountains, which are part of the Himalayas in Tibet...
Parvat. On reaching Kailash Parvat, Nandi stopped him from going inside because at that time, Shiva and Parvati were sporting fun.
Then in order to test Lord Vishnu, Maharishi reached Vaikunth Dham. He entered the Dham without Lord Vishnu's permission and saw that the Lord was resting at that time. Maharishi asked him to wake up, but Lord was in deep sleep. On seeing no reaction from Lord, Maharishi hit Lord Vishnu on his chest (that strike by Maharishi Bhrigu left a foot print on Lord's chest and that foot print is known as "Shri Vatsa").
Lord Vishnu got up after the strike and realized what has happened. On realizing that Maharishi had hit him with his foot, Lord asked him, “Maharishi, are you hurt in your foot? My chest is strong but your foot is not so strong". Seeing the decorum of Lord Vishnu, Bhrigu was pleased and declared him superior amongst the Tridev.
According to Hindu mythology, goddess of prosperity and wife of Lord Vishnu, Maha Laxmi also witnessed the whole incident, as she was also present in the Dham at that time. She could not tolerate disrespect displayed by Maharishi Bhrigu towards Lord Vishnu and cursed him that henceforth she would never visit Brahmins and they will all live in absence of wealth.
On hearing this curse from Maha Laxmi, Maharishi told her, his very purpose of visiting the Vaikunth Dham and his mission. On hearing this, Maha Laxmi told Maharishi, that her curse will definitely haunt Brahmins but whenever any Brahmin will worship Lord Vishnu, he will be liberated from her curse.
It is after this incident that Maharishi Bhrigu decided to write famous book of astrology , the Bhrigu Samhita
Bhrigu Samhita
The Bhrigu Saṃhitā is an astrological classic attributed to Maharishi Bhrigu during the Vedic period, Treta yuga. It is said that it was compiled by the Sage out of compassion for humanity so that humanity could cope with the pressures of its existence and move towards a more spiritual nature...
, with the blessings of Lord Ganesha and Maha Saraswati, to help Brahmins earn their living. He eventually wrote this 'Grantha'(book) to the benefit of all mankind for thier 'kalyan'(well bieng) which would lead mankind to 'Moksha'(Complete Salvation). Maharishi Bhrigu collected numbers of birth charts, wrote their predictions for full life and compiled them together to be known as Bhrigusamhita today. Parts of the Bhrigu Samhita are said to be destroyed over the ages but a few parts of the book are still available in Hoshiarpur city in Punjab.
Bhrigusamhita is believed to be the first book of its kind in the field of astrology.
See also
- Bhrigurashram
- Bhrigu Maharshi temple
- Bhrigu SamhitaBhrigu SamhitaThe Bhrigu Saṃhitā is an astrological classic attributed to Maharishi Bhrigu during the Vedic period, Treta yuga. It is said that it was compiled by the Sage out of compassion for humanity so that humanity could cope with the pressures of its existence and move towards a more spiritual nature...