ṛ́ṣi m. (√ 2. ṛṣ Comm. on [Uṇ. iv, 119]; ṛṣati jñānena saṃsāra-pāram, [T.]; perhaps fr. an obsolete √ ṛṣ for √ dṛś, ‘to see ?’, cf. ṛṣi-kṛt), a singer of sacred hymns, an inspired poet or sage, any person who alone or with others invokes the deities in rhythmical speech or song of a sacred character (e.g. the ancient hymn-singers Kutsa, Atri, Rebha, Agastya, Kuśika, Vasiṣṭha, Vy-aśva), [RV.]; [AV.]; [VS.] &c.
the Ṛṣis were regarded by later generations as patriarchal sages or saints, occupying the same position in India history as the heroes and patriarchs of other countries, and constitute a peculiar class of beings in the early mythical system, as distinct from gods, men, Asuras, &c., [AV. x, 10, 26]; [ŚBr.]; [AitBr.]; [KātyŚr.]; [Mn.] &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 text’
seven Ṛṣis, sapta ṛṣayaḥ, or saptaṛṣayaḥ or saptarṣayaḥ, are often mentioned in the Brāhmaṇas and later works as typical representatives of the character and spirit of the pre-historic or mythical period
in [ŚBr. xiv, 5, 2, 6] their names are given as follows, Gotama, Bharadvāja, Viśvā-mitra, Jamadagni, Vasiṣṭha, Kaśyapa, and Atri
in [MBh. xii], Marīci, Atri, Aṅgiras, Pulaha, Kratu, Pulastya, Vasiṣṭha are given as the names of the Ṛṣis of the first Manvantara, and they are also called Prajāpatis or patriarchs
the names of the Ṛṣis of the subsequent Manv-antaras are enumerated in [Hariv. 417 ff.]
afterwards three other names are added, viz. Pracetas or Dakṣa, Bhṛgu, and Nārada, these ten being created by Manu Svāyambhuva for the production of all other beings including gods and men, [ĀśvŚr.]; [MBh.]; [VP.] &c.
in astron. the seven Ṛṣis form the constellation of ‘the Great Bear’, [RV. x, 82, 2]; [AV. vi, 40, 1]; [ŚBr.]; [ĀśvGṛ.]; [MBh.] &c.
(metaphorically the seven Ṛṣis may stand for the seven senses or the seven vital airs of the body, [VS. xxxiv]; [ŚBr. xiv]; [KātyŚr.])
a saint or sanctified sage in general, an ascetic, anchorite (this is a later sense; sometimes three orders of these are enumerated, viz. Devarṣis, Brahmarṣis, and Rājarṣis; sometimes seven, four others being added, viz. Maharṣis, Paramarṣis, Śrutarṣis, and Kāṇḍarṣis), [Mn. iv, 94][xi, 236]; [Śak.]; [Ragh.] &c.
the seventh of the eight degrees of Brāhmans, [Hcat.]
a hymn or Mantra composed by a Ṛṣi
the Veda Comm. on [MBh.] & [Pat.]
a symbolical expression for the number seven
the moon
an imaginary circle
a ray of light, [L.]
the fish Cyprinus Rishi, [L.];
[cf. Hib. arsan, ‘a sage, a man old in wisdom’; arrach, ‘old, ancient, aged’.]