King Kritavirya was a very kind and generous man, particularly towards the priests to whom he donated alms freely. The priests, known as Bhrigus, received so much from him that they became very rich, while the king, found to his dismay, that his treasury was nearly depleted of all its wealth!
One day he died, leaving his kingdom to his sons and grandsons, who, decided to divide the wealth among themselves. They went to treasury and to their shock, found that there was hardly anything left in it. They decided to turn to the Bhrigus for help but the priests turned them away, saying, ?We have used up all that your father had given us; we now have nothing left to give.?
One of the sons of Kritavirya asked, ?How can that be? Where has all the fortune gone that our father gave you? We have come to seek your help, because our father kept on gifting alms without realising that the treasury had got emptied.?
One of the Bhrigu priests replied, ?How are we responsible for the actions of your father? Your father should have known better before gifting away everything.?
The king'ssons and grandsons looked at each other helplessly, till one of them remarked softly, ?We have to teach these ungrateful priests a lesson. After all, we belong to the warrior Kshatriya class! How can we allow them to take us for a ride like this??
Thus the king'ssons and grandsons took up their arms and started attacking and slaying the Bhrigus one by one, till not a single priest was left. They did not even spare the women and children. Satisfied at having achieved what they wanted, they returned home, looking calm and happy. One day a spy came and reported to them, ?Do not rejoice so soon. One of the Bhrigus is still left alive. He lives in his mother'sthigh.?
On hearing this, the Kshatriya sons and grandsons rushed to the said Bhrigu'shouse to kill the mother but stopped when their eyes got dazzled with a bright beam of light emitting from the woman'sthigh. They noticed a child emerged from the mother'sthigh and escaped as fast as he had appeared.
The young Aurva, as he came to be called since he was born from his mother'sthigh (uru), escaped into the forest where he lived, surviving on fruits and nuts. As he grew older, he decided to punish the king'ssons and grandsons. He went into penance and prayed till he would become all powerful by being blessed by all the gods.
Meanwhile, Aurva had a dream wherein his forefather asked him not to do anything in a fit of anger and waste his energy. They advised him, ?Use your energy in some constructive activity. It is so easy to destroy something, but so difficult to build. Why don'tyou go and help the needy as that would be a constructive deed.?
Aurva woke up and resolved that instead of giving vent to his anger, he would release his anger through his thigh. He threw into the sea the fire of rage burning inside him and this fire acquired the form of a sea-horse called Hayasiras. So ferocious and hot with rage was the horse that it cried out, ?Let me burn down this world to release the fire burning inside me,? and he emitted flames of rage that soon burned many parts of he world. Seeing the destruction around, Brahma appeared before Hayasiras and promised him a home where he could live happily ? Brahma gave him the mouth of the ocean to reside in.
Do you know something children? It was after this that submarine fires came to be called Aurva.
