ऋषिṛṣi

ऋषि (ṛṣi) is a Sanskrit word meaning a sacred poet, inspired sage, or singer of sacred hymns, an inspired seer of Vedic hymns, the names of the Rishis of the subsequent Manvantaras, pracetas or Daksha, Bhrigu, and Narada, the seven senses or the seven vital airs of the body, a saint, sanctified sage, or ascetic. Its 32 recorded definitions are grouped into 9 contexts, among them Inspired Poet, Singer, or Seer of Vedas, Classifications, Orders, and Enumerations of Rishis, General Concept, Lore, and Tradition of Rishis.

Roots: दृश् (dṛś), ऋष् (ṛṣ), 2. ऋष् (2. ṛṣ)
Definitions: 32

View Declension Tables , 72 forms

Meanings by context

Inspired Poet, Singer, or Seer of Vedas

9 definitions

A sacred poet, inspired sage, or singer of sacred hymns.

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

an inspired seer of Vedic hymns

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

a hymn or mantra composed by a Rishi

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

1. A poet, bard, or author of sacred hymns. 2. A sage, saint, or wise and pious person of antiquity, especially an anchorite.

— Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. An inspired poet or sage. 2. An anchorite. 3. A ray of light.

— Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. An author of sacred hymns. 2. An ancient saint. 3. A pious person or anchorite.

— Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary

A holy singer, poet, saint, sage, or hermit.

— Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. An inspired poet, singer of sacred songs, or ancient sage who saw the Vedas. 2. The seven stars of the Great Bear. 3. A person renowned for piety and wisdom.

— Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary

1. An inspired poet, singer of sacred hymns, or sage. 2. A saint or sanctified sage in general, an ascetic, or an anchorite. 3. A ray of light. 4. An imaginary circle. 5. The fish Cyprinus Rshi.

ऋषि (ṛṣi) [Printed book page 0181-c]
ऋषि (ṛṣi) ṛṣi, is, m. (said to be either fr. rt.

dṛś, ‘to see,’ or fr. 1. ṛṣ; perhaps related to arc

or ṛc, ‘to praise’), a singer of sacred hymns, an in-

spired poet or sage, any person who alone or with

others invokes the deities in rhythmical speech or

song, especially in song of a sacred character (e. g. the

ancient hymn-singers Kutsa, Atri, Rebha, Agastya,

Kuśika, Vasiṣṭha, Vy-aśva, who were regarded by

later generations as patriarchal sages or saints, occupy-

ing the same position in Indian history as the heroes

and patriarchs of other countries. They Ṛṣis con-

stitute a peculiar class of beings in the early mythical

system, as distinct from gods, men, Asuras, &c.

they are the authors or rather seers of the Vedic

hymns, i. e. according to orthodox Hindū ideas they

are the inspired personages to whom these hymns

were revealed, and such an expression as ‘the Ṛṣi

says’ is equivalent to ‘so it stands in the sacred texts.’

Seven Ṛṣi, sapta ṛṣayaḥ or saptaṛṣayaḥ or

saptarṣayaḥ, are often mentioned in the Brāhmaṇas

and later works as typical representatives of the charac-

ter and spirit of the pre-historic or mythical period; in

the Śatapatha-Brāhmaṇa their names are given as

follows, Gotama, Bharadvāja, Viśvā-mitra, Jamadagni,

Vasiṣṭha, Kaśyapa, and Atri; in the Mahā-bhārata

thus, Marīci, Atri, Aṅgiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulastya,

Vasiṣṭha; in Manu they are called Prajāpatis or

patriarchs, and are reckoned as ten, three other names

being added, viz. Pracetas or Dakṣa, Bhṛgu, and Nā-

rada, these ten being created by Manu Svāyambhuva
Page0182-a+ 79

for the production of all other beings including gods

and men. The seven Ṛṣis form in astronomy the

constellation of ‘the Great Bear.’ Metaphorically,

the seven Ṛṣis may stand for the seven senses or

the seven vital airs of the body); in later times a

saint or sanctified sage in general, an ascetic, an an-

chorite, (sometimes three orders of these Ṛṣis are enu-

merated, viz. Devarṣis, Brahmarṣis, and Rājarṣis;

sometimes seven, four others being added, viz. Ma-

harṣis, Paramarṣis, Śrutarṣis, and Kāṇḍarṣis); a

ray of light; an imaginary circle; the fish Cyprinus

Ṛṣi; [cf. Hib. arsan, ‘a sage, a man old in

wisdom;’ arrach, ‘old, ancient, aged.’] —Ṛṣi-

kulyā, f. ‘the river of the Ṛṣis,’ a sacred river, as

the Sarasvatī or Gaṅgā; a river in general; N. of the

wife of Bhūman and mother of Udgītha. —Ṛṣi-

kṛt, t, t, t, Ved. rendering a poet inspired, inspiring;

(Sāy.) making one's appearance, appearing. —Ṛṣi-

gaṇa, as, m. a company or number of sages, the

host of patriarchal sages. —Ṛṣi-giri, is, m., N. of

a mountain in Magadha. —Ṛṣi-gupta, as, m., N.

of a Buddha. —Ṛṣi-codana, as, ā, am, Ved. in-

spiring the singer. —Ṛṣi-cchandas, as, n. the

metre of a Ṛṣi. —Ṛṣi-jāṅgala, as, m. or ṛṣi-

jāṅgalikī, f. the plant Convolvulus Argenteus.

—Ṛṣi-tarpaṇa, am, n. libation offered to the

Ṛṣis. —Ṛṣi-tva, am, n. the order or state of a

Ṛṣi. —Ṛṣi-deva, as, m., N. of a Buddha. —Ṛṣi-

dviṣ, ṭ, ṭ, ṭ, Ved. hating an inspired poet. —Ṛṣi-

pañcamī, f., N. of a festival on the fifth day in the

second half of the month Bhādra. —Ṛṣi-patana,

N. of a country near Vārāṇasī. —Ṛṣi-putra, as,

m., N. of an author. —Ṛṣi-praśiṣṭa, as, ā, am,

Ved. instructed by the Ṛṣi. —Ṛṣi-proktā, f. the

plant Glycine Debilis. —Ṛṣi-bandhu, us, us, u,

Ved. related to a Ṛṣi, connected with a Ṛṣi.

—Ṛṣi-brāhmaṇa, am, n. title of a work. —Ṛṣi-

manas, ās, ās, as, Ved. having the mind of a sacred

poet, inspired. —Ṛṣi-mukha, am, n. the beginning

of a Maṇḍala composed by a Ṛṣi. —Ṛṣi-yajña,

as, m. sacrifice offered to a Ṛṣi, consisting of a

prayer uttered in a low voice. —Ṛṣi-loka, as, m.

the world of the Ṛṣis. —Ṛṣi-vat, ind., Ved. like

a Ṛṣi. —Ṛṣi-vadana, N. of a country; see ṛṣi-

patana. —Ṛṣi-vaha, as, ā, am, bearing or con-

veying a Ṛṣi. —Ṛṣi-ṣah, ṣāṭ, ṭ, ṭ, Ved. intoxi-

cating and inspiring the singer, as the Soma. —Ṛṣi-

ṣeṇa, as, m., N. of a man. —Ṛṣi-ṣṭuta, as, ā,

am, praised by the sacred poets. —Ṛṣi-sattama,

as, m. best or most excellent of the sages. —Ṛṣi-

stoma, as, m. praise of the Ṛṣis. —Ṛṣi-svara,

as, ā, am, Ved. praised by a Ṛṣi. —Ṛṣī-tata,

as, ā, am, celebrated by the sacred singers. —Ṛṣī-

van, ā, ā, a, Ved. equal to the Ṛṣis; (Sāy.) accom-

panied by Ṛṣis. [ID=12677]

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872)

Classifications, Orders, and Enumerations of Rishis

6 definitions

seven Rishis, typical representatives of the pre-historic or mythical period

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

Gotama, Bharadvaja, Vishvamitra, Jamadagni, Vasishtha, Kashyapa, and Atri

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

names of the Rishis of the first Manvantara, also called Prajapatis or patriarchs

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

the names of the Rishis of the subsequent Manvantaras

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

Pracetas or Daksha, Bhrigu, and Narada

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

the seventh of the eight degrees of Brahmans

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

General Concept, Lore, and Tradition of Rishis

6 definitions

A patriarchal sage or saint, occupying a position similar to heroes and patriarchs of other countries, forming a distinct class of beings in the early mythical system separate from gods, men, and Asuras.

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

1. A saint or sanctified sage. 2. A Veda. 3. A ray of light. Feminine: the wife of a sage.

— Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary

1. A rishi or sanctified sage. 2. A Veda. 3. A ray of light. 4. The wife of a rishi.

— Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary

A seer, sage, or composer of Vedic mantras.

— The Purana Index

Divine ascetics

— The Purana Index

A seer and composer of hymns to the gods.

ऋषि (ṛṣi) [Printed book page 1-115]
Ṛṣi, ‘seer,’ is primarily a composer of hymns to the gods.

In the Rigveda¹ reference is often made to previous singers

and to contemporary poets. Old poems were inherited and

refurbished by members of the composer's family,² but the

great aim of the singers was to produce new and approved

hymns.³ It is not till the time of the Brāhmaṇas that the
Page1-116+ 62

composition of hymns appears to have fallen into disuse,⁴

though poetry was still produced, for example, in the form of

Gāthās, which the priests were required to compose them-

selves⁵ and sing to the accompaniment of the lute at the

sacrifice. The Ṛṣi was the most exalted of Brāhmaṇas,⁶ and

his skill, which is often compared with that of a carpenter,⁷

was regarded as heaven-sent.⁸ The Purohita, whether as Hotṛ

or as Brahman (see Ṛtvij), was a singer.⁹ No doubt the Ṛṣis

were normally¹⁰ attached to the houses of the great, the petty

kings of Vedic times, or the nobles of the royal household.

Nor need it be doubted that occasionally¹¹ the princes them-

selves essayed poetry: a Rājanyarṣi, the prototype of the later

Rājarṣi or ‘royal seer,’ who appears in the Pañcaviṃśa

Brāhmaṇa,¹² though he must be mythical as Oldenberg¹³

points out, indicates that kings cultivated poetry¹⁴ just as later

they engaged in philosophic disputations.¹⁵ Normally, how-

ever, the poetical function is Brahminical, Viśāmitra and others

not being kings, but merely Brāhmaṇas, in the Rigveda.

In the later literature the Ṛṣis are the poets of the hymns

preserved in the Saṃhitās. a Ṛṣi being regularly¹⁶ cited when

a Vedic Saṃhitā is quoted. Moreover, the Ṛṣis become the

representatives of a sacred past, and are regarded as holy sages,
Page1-117+ 56

whose deeds are narrated as if they were the deeds of gods or

Asuras.¹⁷ They are typified by a particular group of seven,¹⁸

mentioned four times in the Rigveda,¹⁹ several times in the

later Saṃhitās,²⁰ and enumerated in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka

Upaniṣad²¹ as Gotama, Bharadvāja, Viśvāmitra, Jamadagni,

Vasiṣṭha, Kaśyapa, and Atri. In the Rigveda itself Kutsa,²²

Atri,²³ Rebha,²⁴ Agastya,²⁵ the Kuśikas,²⁶ Vasiṣṭha,²⁷ Vyaśva,²⁸

and others appear as Ṛṣis; and the Atharvaveda²⁹ contains a

long list, including Aṅgiras, Agastī, Jamadagni, Atri, Kaśyapa,

Vasiṣṭha, Bharadvāja, Gaviṣṭhira, Viśvāmitra, Kutsa, Kakṣīvant,

Kaṇva, Medhātithi, Triśoka, Uśanā Kāvya, Gotama, and

Mudgala.

Competition among the bards appears to have been known.

This is one of the sides of the riddle poetry (Brahmodya) that

forms a distinctive feature³⁰ of the Vedic ritual of the Aśva-

medha, or horse sacrifice. In the Upaniṣad period such

competitions were quite frequent. The most famous was that

of Yājñavalkya, which was held at the court of Janaka of

Videha, as detailed in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad,³¹ and

which was a source of annoyance to Ajātaśatru of Kāśī.³²

According to an analogous practice, a Brāhmaṇa, like Uddālaka

Aruṇi, would go about disputing with all he came across, and

compete with them for a prize of money.³³
[Footnote: 1) i. 1, 2; 45, 3; viii. 43, 13, etc.]

[Footnote: 2) i. 89, 3; 96, 2; iii. 39, 2; viii. 6.

11. 43; 76, 6, etc.]

[Footnote: 3) i. 109, 2; ii. 18, 3; iii. 62, 7;

vi. 50, 6; vii. 14, 4; 93, 1; viii. 23,

14, etc.]

[Footnote: 4) Geldner, Vedische Studien, 2, 151.]

[Footnote: 5) Satapatha Brāhmaṇa, xiii. 4, 2, 8;

3, 5.]

[Footnote: 6) Rv. ix. 96, 6, etc. Cf. Satapatha

Brāhmaṇa, xii. 4, 4, 6, where pre-

eminence is assigned to a Brāhmaṇa

descended from a Ṛṣi.]

[Footnote: 7) Rv. i. 130, 6; v. 2, 11; 29, 15; 73,

10; x. 39, 14. So a poet is a Kāru-

(if from kṛ, ‘make,’ but usually derived

from kṛ, ‘commemorate’), and makes

(kṛ, Rv. ii. 39. 8; viii. 62, 4) as well as

creates (jan, Rv. vii. 15, 4; viii. 88, 4)

hymns.]

[Footnote: 8) Rv. i. 37, 4; vii. 36. 1. 9; viii. 32,

27; 57. 6, etc.]

[Footnote: 9) Rv. i. 151, 7; Geldner, op. cit., 2,

153; Oldenberg, Religion des Veda, 380.]

[Footnote: 10) Geldner, op. cit., 2, 154, cites the

Dānastutis as characteristic of princes

in the tradition of the Bṛhaddevatā,

etc.]

[Footnote: 11) Ibid., 154.]

[Footnote: 12) xii. 12, 6, etc.]

[Footnote: 13) Zeitschrift dev Deutschen Morgen-

ländischen Gesellschaft, 45, 235. n. 3.]

[Footnote: 14) Later on it was deemed quite

normal and natural. See the story of

Rathavīti Dārbhya, or Dālbhya, him-

self a royal seer, and Taranta and

Purumīḷha, seers and also kings, in

Bṛhaddevata, v. 50 et seq.]

[Footnote: 15) Cf. Garbe, Philosophy of Ancient

India, 73 et seq.; Deussen, Philosophy of

the Upaniṣads, 16 et seq.; Keith, Aitareya

Āraṇyaka, 50.]

[Footnote: 16) Aitareya Brāhmaṇa, ii. 25; viii. 26;

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, i. 7, 4, 4; ii. 2,

3, 6; 5, 1, 4; vi, 1, 1, 1, etc.; Nirukta,

vii. 3, etc.]

[Footnote: 17) Aitareya Brāhmaṇa, i. 17; ii. 19;

Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, i. 6, 2, 7, etc.]

[Footnote: 18) Cf. Indische Studien, 8, 167.]

[Footnote: 19) iv. 42, 8; x. 109, 4; 130, 7; Mac-

donell, Vedic Mythology, p. 144.]

[Footnote: 20) Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā, xiv. 24; Av

xi. 1, 1. 24; xii. 1, 39, etc.]

[Footnote: 21) ii. 2, 6.]

[Footnote: 22) i. 106, 6.]

[Footnote: 23) i. 117, 3.]

[Footnote: 24) i. 117, 4.]

[Footnote: 25) i. 179, 6.]

[Footnote: 26) iii. 53. 10.]

[Footnote: 27) vii. 33. 13.]

[Footnote: 28) viii. 23, 16.]

[Footnote: 29) iv. 29. Cf. xviii. 3, 15. 16.]

[Footnote: 30) Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, 345,

346; Bloomfield, Journal of the American

Oriental Society, 15, 172; Religion des

Veda, 216 et seq.]

[Footnote: 31) iii. 1, 1 et seq.]

[Footnote: 32) Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, ii. 1, 1

et seq.; Kauṣītaki Upaniṣad, iv. 1 et seq.]

[Footnote: 33) Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, xi. 4, 1,

1 et seq.; Gopatha Brāhmaṇa, i. 3.

8 et seq.; Geldner, Vedische Studien, 2,

185, 344.

Cf. Zimmer, Altindisches Leben, 340-

347; Muir, Sanskrit Texts, 3, 120 et

seq.]
[ID=435]

— The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects

Other Specific, Symbolic, or Figurative Meanings

5 definitions

the seven senses or the seven vital airs of the body

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

a symbolical expression for the number seven

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

the moon

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

an imaginary circle

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

the fish Cyprinus Rishi

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

Sage, Saint, or Holy Person

2 definitions

a saint, sanctified sage, or ascetic

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

1. A sage. 2. A Veda.

— Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary

A Ray of Light

1 definition

a ray of light

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

Etymology and Linguistic Analysis

1 definition

A sage or seer.

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

The Great Bear Constellation (Saptarshi Mandala)

1 definition

the seven Rishis forming the constellation of the Great Bear

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

The Veda

1 definition

the Veda

— Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)

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Definitions on this page come from 12 works: Benfey Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Cappeller Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Lanman's Sanskrit Reader Vocabulary, Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1872), Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899), Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary, The Purana Index, The Vedic Index of Names and Subjects, Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon.