Āpava(Apava)  was a sage. For ten thousand years, he remained steadfast in his tapasyā (tapasya; a practice of ascetic penance) inside water. Kārtavīryārjuna (Kartaviryarjuna) destroyed his abode of penance. As a result, he got cursed.

Once Āditya (Aditya) came to Kārtavīrya (Kartavirya) and asked him to make him satisfied. Kārtavīrya sought to treat him with good food. Āditya demanded to have all static elements of the world as his food. Kārtavīrya admitted the limitation of his power. Āditya then gave him a miraculous arrow with endless power. With that arrow, Kārtavīrya burned all sthāvara (sthavara; static or immovable) objects, including villages, cities, hermitage, and sacred groves. Maharṣi(Maharshi; great sage) Āpava was practicing his penance under water. When he came out of water, after the fulfilment of his vrata, he found that his abode had also dried up by Kartavīrya’s arrow. In rage, he cursed him.