Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.1947

c8.1947

(1) Family enmity. The Hehaya dynasty was the most powerful kingly race then. Paraśurāma was a descendant of Bhṛgu, a brahmin sage. That is why he gets the name Bhārgava also. The Bhārgavas were for generations the family preceptors of the Hehaya kings. Taking advantage of their supreme position in the royal palace the Bhārgavas accumulated great wealth at the cost of the royal riches. Gradually the Bhārgavas rose in prosperity in inverse proportion to the decline of the Hehaya wealth. It was at the time of Ṛcīka, grandfather of Parasurāma that they touched the rock-bottom of their wealth and they found funds lacking even for the day to day administration of the state. In despair they went and requested the Ṛcīkas to lend them some money. But they hid their money and refused to give them anything. The Kṣatriya kings got angry and killed the brahmins. What stock was left of them went to the base of the Himālayas. The wife of Ṛcīka who was pregnant then kept the child in her womb for twelve years afraid to bring forth the child. After that the child came out breaking open the thigh (ūru) and so the child was called Aurva. Even at the time of his birth Aurva shone like a brilliant torch and not only that; the child cried aloud "Oh, wicked Kṣatriyas, I will kill every one of you. I heard from my mother's womb the din of the swords you raised to kill my ancestors. I will never wait for another moment to wreak vengeance on you."