Aurva Rishi is known as Aurva Bhrigu in the Rig Veda. There
is confusion among scholars as the Aurva and Bhrigu are two different Rishis or
one Rishi. Sayana, the famous commentator of Vedas, consider Aurva Bhrigu as
one name.
Aurva, meaning “descendant of Uru or Urva”, seems to be a
patronymic name of Bhrigu himself.
Aitareya Brahmana (VI. 33) also indicates that it is a
single name. Pancavimsa Brahmana (21.10.6) refers to two Aurvas (two sons of Uru Sayana
Bhrugu was the son of Varuna. However among the list of rishis belonging to Jamadagnya Vatsa family, Aurva is mentioned as the fourth one preceded by Bhargava, Cyavana, and Apnavana. From this list of pravara rishis, it is clear that Aurava was the name of a rishi belong to the Bhrigu family.
As per Taittiriya Samhita, Aurava Rishi had no sons and he
prayed to Sage Atri with a desire to have a son. Atri granted him an offspring.
In Aitareya Brahmana (VI.33), the descendants of Aitasa are called the worst of the Auravas, while in the parallel version of the Kausitaki Brahmana (XXX.5) they are called the worst of Bhrigus.
As a matter of fact, the Auravas must have been a branch of the larger family of the Bhrigus. It may safely be conjectured that Aurva must be a proper name of a rishi of the Bhrigu family.
There is also another belief that Aurva was the nickname of
Rchika, son of Apnavana and Ruchi. This is as per Puranic tradition. He was to be killed by Mahismat, the king of the Haihayas, who was afraid that for insulting Apnavana, the son would take revenge on him. King Mahismat went to the hermitage of the seer with the intention of killing the new born child. When Ruchi saw the king in murderous mood, she hid the child between her thighs ad saved it. Since Rchika was saved, he got the nickname Aurva, born of thighs. That Aurva was another name for Rchika is also supported by the list of the pravara rishis of the Jamadagnya Vatsas which places Aurva after Apnavana.
Nothing much is known about the mantras that the sage had
written.
Most studies concentrate on finding his ancestry.