Aurva is a sage, belonging to the order of Bhṛgu(Bhrigu). In Rāmāyaṇa (Ramayana), Mahābhārata (Mahabharata)and Purāṇa(s) (Purana),there are many legends related to the birth and life of Aurva. However, the earliest mention of sage Aurva can be found in Ṛgveda (Rigveda) and the ancient Brāhmaṇa (Brahmana) texts. In a sūkta of the eighth cycle of Ṛgveda, while uttering hymns to the god of fire, the name of Aurva has been mentioned amongst sages belonging to the order of Bhṛgu. In Aitareya Brāhmaṇa (Aitareya Brahmana), an order of sages called ‘Aitaśa’ is mentioned and they are called sinners. The same thing is mentioned in Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇa. It is to be noted that Aitareya Brāhmaṇa has mentioned these ‘Aitaśa’ sages as belonging to the order of Aurva. But in Kauṣītaki Brāhmaṇa (Kausaki Brahmana), they are directly called Bhārgava(Bhargava) – that is, belonging to Bhṛgu. Thus it can be assumed that Aurva and his descendants are basically a branch of Bhṛguvaṃśa (Bhriguvamsa).

From Taittirīya Saṃhitā (Taittariya Samhita) it is known that once sage Aurva was blessed with a child, by the grace of Sage Atri. In this regard, the descendants of Aurva are closely connected with the lineage or order of Atri. In Pañcaviṃśa Brāhmaṇa (Panchavimsa Brahmana), in a sentence two sages named Aurva have been mentioned. From this, we may assume that at the time of the Brāhmaṇa-texts, Aurva and his desendants and disciples were quite famous.

From the Vedic texts to the Purāṇa(s), everywhere Aurva is mentioned as belonging to the order of Bhṛgu, but in epics, there are much difference regarding his origin, or his parentage. Sometimes these differences create much confusion.
In Anuśāsanaparva (Anusasanaparva) of Mahābhārata (Mahabharata) it is said that Aurva was the fourth among the seven sons of Bhṛgu. Again, in a verse of Ādiparva it is said that Aurva was the son born of the womb of Āruṣī (Arushi), and sired by sage Cyavana, belonging to the order of Bhṛgu. In Ādiparva (Adiparva) of Mahābhārata , the name of Jamadagni is mentioned as one of the ten sons of Aurva. But elsewhere in Mahābhārata and most of the Purāṇa(s) it is said that Jamadagni was the son of Ṛcika of Bhṛguvaṃśa and Satyavatī.

In Purāṇa, especially in Vāyupurāṇa and Brahmāṇḍpurāṇa and Matsyapurāṇa, there is a possible solution to the confusion that arises about the genealogical line of Bhṛgu. According to Matsyapurāṇa, Bhṛgu had two sons — Cyavana and Āpnuvān. In Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa, we have the reading Āpravān in stead of Āpnuvān. According to Vāyupurāṇa and Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa, Cyavana is the son of Bhṛgu, and Āpnuvān and Dadhīci are the two sons of Cyavana. Aurva was born of the womb of Ruci, and sired by Āpnuvān. Ṛcīka is the son of Aurva, and Jamadagni is the son of Ṛcīka.. Aurva was so famous as a sage, that some narrator-priest of Purāṇa had attributed upon him the status of being the son of Bhṛgu and Cyavana. Again, the confusion which arises from the statement given in Mahābhārata, by calling Jamadagni the son of Aurva, is also to be resolved from the lineage given in Purāṇa. Aurva is the father of Ṛcīka, and grandfather of Jamadagni. In that case, it is not unnatural that the fatherhood of Jamadagni is attributed to his grandfather. In Purāṇa(s), the name of Aurva is mentioned as a mantradraṣṭā sage of Veda.

The legend of sage Aurva’s birth is equally interesting. In ancient times, the sage of Bhṛgu’s order acted as the family priests of the Haihaya kings. The Haihaya king Kṛtavīrya, during his reign, performed many yajña(s), and gave them a lot of gifts as dakṣinā. After the death of Kṛtavīrya, the Haihaya kings suffered from a financial crisis. They knew that their priests, belonging to the order of Bhṛgu, were very rich. So they went to them and asked for money. But the sages were not willing to hand their wealth over to the Haihaya kṣatriyas. Some of them kept their wealth hidden under the earth, others distributed it among other Brāhmaṇas, in fear of an attack from the kṣatriyas. Finally the Haihaya(s) digged the earth and found the wealth. Then, being greedy for more wealth, they started attacking and killing the Brāhmaṇa(s) belonging to the order of Bhṛgu. They did not spare their wives and children, even the babies inside the womb  In fear, Aurva’s mother kept her foetus hidden in her uru (thigh), and ran away from the hermitage. When the Haihaya(s) came to kill his mother, too, Aurva came out of the uru of the mother. At the time of birth, he was so full of energy, that his brilliance blinded the Haihaya(s). They asked for mercy from the sage-mother, and begged for their eyesight. The kind hearted sage-lady asked them to seek mercy from her newborn child.  The newborn sage-child  gave them their eyesight back, but he could not forgive the torture they inflicted upon the sages. As he was born out of the mother’s uru, he came to be known as Aurva.

In order to avenge the torture inflicted upon his forefathers, he sad for a hard tapasyā; making all the three worlds heated with his ascetic power. Seeing this, his deceased forefathers came to him, and asked him to calm down. They also told him that after living for many years they themselves wanted to leave the mortal body, and they wished to meet death at the hand of the Haihaya kṣatriya(s), because suicide was considered as a sin. Knowing this, Aurva was surprised, and controlled his temper to some degree. But he said, “I have started tapasyā with a vow to destroy the Haihaya kṣatriya(s). Suggest something so that my vow may not go futile. Then the forefathers asked him to throw into water the fire of wrath born inside him. Water is the source of life for all creatures. If that fire is thrown into water, his vow will be fulfilled in a way. Then Aurva threw his fiery wrath into the ocean. This fire, known as Aurva, resides under the ocean as a mare or Vaḍavā (Vadava), and drinks water.

In Mahābhārata, this legend of sage Aurva and the agni called ‘Aurva’ owes its origin to the manta of Ṛgveda. In a sūkta of Ṛgveda, at the time of the chanting of hymns by the sages belonging to Bhṛguvaṃśa, sage Aurva and the agni named ‘Aurva’ have been identified with each other —
aurvabhṛguvachucimapnavānavadā huve.
agniṃ samudravāsasaṃ.

In the legend described in Mahābhārata, it is said that sage Aurva finally controlled his anger. But elsewhere in Mahābhārata, it is also mentioned that sage Aurva took up weapons to fight against the kṣatriya(s). In Anuśāsanaparva, in the context of saying that the brahminical power was greater than that of kṣatriya(s), comes the issue of Aurva’s battle against the kṣatriya(s). He alone destroyed the Haihaya(s) belonging to the lineage Tālajangha.

In Purāṇa(s), the legend of sage Aurva can be found in a more detailed way. Vāhu, father of king Sagara of Ikṣvāku dynasty was a tyrannical king, indifferent to his royal duties, and obsessed with pleasures.Taking the advantage of his lack of control the Haihaya-Tālajangha and some other kṣatriya communities together attacked the Ikṣvāku kingdom. The defeated king Vāhu, accompanied by his two wives, went away to forest. While living in forest, Vāhu passed away. Yādavī, wife of Vāhu, wanted to die at the pyre of her husband. But sage Aurva lived in the forest, he dissuaded the queen, saying, “The son growing in your womb will be the future king of the Ikṣvāku dynasty. He will be the ruler of all the world. To keep him alive, you should think of your life as well.” So the queen changed her mind and took shelter in tha hermitage of Aurva. Sagara was born at the hermitage of Aurva. The sage himself completed his birth-rituals. Aurva himself trained Sagara in the Vedas and in the art of weaponry. After the completion of his education, Aurva asked Sagara to declare war against the Haihaya Tālajangha. As per Aurva’s advice, Sagara went to rescue his forefathers’ kingdom. The Haihaya. Tālajangha, Śaka, Yavana — one by one came under his power. Now it is to be noted that Aurva’s enmity with the Tālajangha-Haihaya(s) dated back long. And he had a big influence behind their defeat by the hand of Sagara. So it is clear that he temporarily held on his temper, whether due to his forefathers’ advice, or any other reason, his zeal for revenge was never completely worn out.

Later, it is mentioned in Purāṇa(s) that Asamañja (Asamanja) and the other sixty thousand sons of king Sagara were born by the boon granted by sage Aurva.

Aurva was also present as a priest at the Aśvamedha yajña (Aswamedha yajna) of king Sagara.

When Parīkṣit (Parikshit), grandson of the Pāṇḍava(s) (Pandavas), vowed to end his life in Prāyopaveśana (Prayopavesana), Aurva came to visit him along with other sages.

In Purāṇa, sage Aurva is referred to as one of the seven sages.