And that best of Brahmana Rishis, in
consequence of his having been born after tearing open his mother's thigh,
came to be known throughout the three worlds by the name of Aurva (thigh-
born). And those princes regaining their eye-sight went away. But the Muni
Aurva of the Bhrigu race resolved upon overcoming the whole world. And the
high-souled Rishi set his heart, O child, upon the destruction of every
creature in the world. And that scion of the Bhrigu race, for paying
homage (as he regarded) unto his slaughtered ancestors, devoted himself to
the austerest of penances with the object of destroying the whole world.
And desirous of gratifying his ancestors, the Rishi afflicted by his
severe asceticism the three worlds with the celestials, the Asuras and
human beings. The Pitris, then, learning what the child of their race was
about, all came from their own region unto the Rishi and addressing him
said:
'Aurva, O son, fierce thou hast been in thy asceticism. Thy power hath
been witnessed by us. Be propitious unto the three worlds. O, control thy
wrath. O child, it was not from incapacity that the Bhrigus of souls under
complete control were, all of them, indifferent to their own destruction
at the hands of the murderous Kshatriyas. O child, when we grew weary of
the long periods of life alloted to us, it was then that we desired our
own destruction through the instrumentality of the Kshatriyas. The wealth
that the Bhrigus had placed in their house underground had been placed
only with the object of enraging the Kshatriyas and picking a quarrel with
them.
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