m. (2. ṛṣ-commentator or commentary on ; ṛṣati jñānena saṃsāra-pāram-;perhaps fr. an obsoleteṛṣ-fordṛś-,"toSee ? "seeṛṣi-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 (exempli gratia, 'for example' the ancient hymn-singers kutsa-, atri-, rebha-, agastya-, kuśika-, vasiṣṭha-, vy-aśva-) etc.
m. the ṛṣi-s 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, asura-s, etc. etc.
m. they are the authors or rather seers of the Vedic hymns id est according to orthodox Hindu 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"
m. seven ṛṣi-s, sapta ṛṣayaḥ-, or saptaṛṣayaḥ- or saptarṣayaḥ-, are often mentioned in the brāhmaṇa-s and later works as typical representatives of the character and spirit of the pre-historic or mythical period
m. 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 etc.
m. a saint or sanctified sage in general, an ascetic, anchorite (this is a later sense;sometimes three orders of these are enumerated, viz. devarṣi-s, brahmarṣi-s, and rājarṣi-s;sometimes seven, four others being added, viz. maharṣi-s, paramarṣi-s, śrutarṣi-s, and kāṇḍarṣi-s)
f. "the river of the ṛṣi-s", a sacred river, Name ofsarasvatī- (also denoting"the river of ṛṣi-s id est sacred hymns ", sarasvatī- being the goddess of speech)
n. "funeral oblation for the ṛṣi-s"(consisting of a mere handful of water), a figurative expression for insignificant acts which are preceded by great preparations,
ऋषिः [cf. Uṇ.4.119] 1 An inspired poet or sage, a singer of sacred hymns, (e. g कुत्स, वसिष्ठ, अत्रि, अगस्त्य &c.). (These Ṛiṣis form a class of beings distinct from gods, men, Asuras &c. (Av.1.1.26). They are the authors or seers of the Vedic hymns; ऋषयो मन्त्रद्रष्टारो वसिष्ठादयः; or, according to Yāska, यस्य वाक्यं स ऋषिः, i. e. they are the persons to whom the Vedic hymns were revealed. In every Sūkta the ऋषि is mentioned along with the देवता, छन्दस् and विनियोग. The later works mention seven Ṛiṣis or saptarṣis whose names, according to Śat. Br., are गौतम, भरद्वाज, विश्वामित्र, जमदग्नि, वसिष्ठ, कश्यप and अत्रि; according to Mahābhārata, मरीचि, अत्रि, अङ्गिरस्, पुलह, क्रतु, पुलस्त्य and वसिष्ठ; Manu calls these sages Prajāpatis or progenitors of mankind, and gives ten names, three more being added to the latter list, i. e. दक्ष or प्रचेतस्, भृगु and नारद. In astronomy the seven Ṛiṣis form the constellation of "the Great Bear"); यत्रा सप्त ऋषीन् पर एकमाहुः Rv.1.82.2. -2 A sanctified sage, saint, an ascetic, anchorite; (there are usually three classes of these saints; देवर्षि, ब्रह्मर्षि and राजर्षि; sometimes four more are added; महर्षि, परमर्षि, श्रुतर्षि and काण्डर्षि. -3 A ray of light. -4 An imaginary circle. -5 A hymn (मन्त्र) composed by a Ṛiṣi; एतद्वो$स्तु तपोयुक्तं ददामीत्यृषि- चोदितम् Mb.12.11.18; -6 The Veda; P.III.2.186. -7 A symbolical expression for number seven. -8 Life; Bhāg.1.87.5. -9 The moon. -Comp. -ऋणम् A debt due to Ṛiṣis. -कुल्या 1 a sacred river. -2 N. of महानदी, N. of सरस्वती; अथ तस्योशतीं देवीमृषिकुल्यां सरस्वतीम् Bhāg. 3.16.13. -कृत् a. making one's appearance; Rv.1.31. 16. -गिरिः N. of a mountain in Magadha. -चान्द्रायणम् N. of a particular observance. -च्छन्दस् n. the metre of a Ṛiṣi, -जाङ्गलः, -जाङ्गलिका the plant ऋक्षगन्धा, (Mar. म्हैसवेल). -तर्पणम् libation offered to the Ṛiṣis. -धान्यम् The grain Coix barbata (Mar. वरी). -पञ्चमी N. of a festival or ceremony on the fifth day in the first half of Bhādrapada (observed by women). -पुत्रकः Southern wood, Artemisia abrotanum (Mar. दवणा). -प्रोक्ता the plant माषपर्णी (Mar. रानउडीद). -बन्धु a. connected or related to the Ṛiṣi; Rv.8.1.6. -मनस् a. inspired; far-seeing, enlightened; Rv.9.96.18. -मुखम् the beginning of a Maṇḍala composed by a Ṛiṣi. -यज्ञः a sacrifice offered to a Ṛiṣi (consisting of a prayer in low voice). Ms.4.21. -लोकः the world of the Ṛiṣis. -श्राद्धम् Funeral oblations for the Ṛiṣis. a figurative expression for insignificant acts which are preceded by great preparation. -श्रेष्ठः (ष्ठम्) The pod of Helicteres isora : also the shrub of tree (Mar. मुरुड- शेंग). -स्तोमः 1 praise of the Ṛiṣis. -2 a particular sacrifice completed in one day.
अपमृषित a. 1 Unintelligible, obscure as a वाक्य or speech. -2 Unbearable, borne or liked (असोढ, अतितिक्षित); विहितं मयाद्य सदसीदमपमृषितमच्युतार्चनम् । यस्य &c. Śi.15.46. (For the formation of the word see Malli.)
कृषिः f. [कृष्-इक्; cf. P.III.3.18 Vārt.8] 1 Ploughing. -2 Agriculture, husbandry; चीयते बालिशस्यापि सत्क्षेत्रपतिता कृषिः Mu.1.3; कृषिः क्लिष्टा$वृष्ट्या Pt.1.11; Ms.1.9,3.64,1.79; Bg.18.44. -3 The harvest (कृषिफल); Y.1.276. -4 The earth; Mb.5. -Comp. -कर्मन् n. agriculture. -जीविन् a. living by husbandry. -द्विष्टः a kind of sparrow. -पराशरः, -संग्रहः N. of a treatise on agriculture (see Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute Vol.XXXVI Nos. 1-2.) -फलम् agricultural produce or profit; Me.16. -सेवा agriculture, husbandry.
m. bard or author of sacred hymns, poet, priestly singer; saint or sage of the olden time; a special class of revered beings, whose number is often limited to seven; C. person renowned for wisdom and piety, esp. an anchorite: pl. the seven stars of the great Bear; -kumâra, m. anchorite boy; -tva, n. state of a Rishi; -putra, m. son of a Rishi; -yagña, m. sacrifice to the Rishis=Vedic study; -vat, ad. like a Rishi.
‘Seer,’ is primarily a composer of hymns to the gods. In the Rigveda reference is often made to previous singers and to contemporary poets. Old poems were inherited and refurbished by members of the composer’s family, but the great aim of the singers was to produce new and approved hymns. It is not till the time of the Brāhmanas that the composition of hymns appears to have fallen into disuse, though poetry was still produced, for example, in the form of Gāthās, which the priests were required to compose them¬selves and sing to the accompaniment of the lute at the sacrifice. The Rsi was the most exalted of Brāhmanas, and his skill, which is often compared with that of a carpenter, was regarded as heaven-sent. The Purohita, whether as Hotr or as Brahman (see Rtvij), was a singer. No doubt the Rsis were normally 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 occasionally the princes them¬selves essayed poetry: a Rājanyarsi, the prototype of the later Rājarsi or * royal seer,’ who appears in the Pañcavimśa Brāhmana, though he must be mythical as Oldenberg points out, indicates that kings cultivated poetry just as later they engaged in philosophic disputations. Normally, how¬ever, the poetical function is Brahminical, Viśāmitra and others not being kings, but merely Brāhmanas, in the Rigveda. In the later literature the Rsis are the poets of the hymns preserved in the Samhitās, a Rsi being regularly16 cited when a Vedic Samhitā is quoted. Moreover, the Rsis become the representatives of a sacred past, and are regarded as holy sages, whose deeds are narrated as if they were the deeds of gods or Asuras. They are typified by a particular group of seven, mentioned four times in the Rigveda, several times in the later Samhitās, and enumerated in the Brhadāranyaka Upanisad as Gotama, Bharadvāja, Viśvāmitra, Jamadagni, Vasistha, Kaśyapa, and Atri. In the Rigveda itself Kutsa, Atri, Rebha, Agastya, the Kuśikas, Vasistha, Vyaśva, and others appear as Rsis; and the Atharvaveda contains a long list, including Añgiras, Agasti, Jamadagni, Atri, Kaśyapa, Vasistha, Bharadvāja, Gavisthira, Viśvāmitra, Kutsa, Kaksīvant, Kanva, 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 feature of the Vedic ritual of the Aśva¬medha, or horse sacrifice. In the Upanisad 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 Brhadāranyaka Upanisad, and which was a source of annoyance to Ajātaśatru of Kāśī. According to an analogous practice, a Brāhmana, like Uddālaka Aruni, would go about disputing with all he came across, and compete with them for a prize of money.
The term ‘ Seven Rsis ’ denotes the ‘Great Bear ’ (see Rksa) in one passage of the Rigveda, and occasionally later. This is probably a secondary use, instead of the seven Rksas, brought about by the frequent mention of the seven Rsis.
‘ploughing.’ The cultivation of the soil was no doubt known to the Indians before they separated from the Iranians, as is indicated by the identity of the expressions yavam krs and sasya in the Rigveda with yao karesh and hahya in the Avesta, referring to the ploughing in of the seed and to the grain which resulted. But it is not without significance that the expressions for ploughing occur mainly in the first and tenth books of the Rigveda, and only rarely in the so-called ‘ family ’ books (ii.-vii.). In the Atharvaveda Prthī Vainya is credited with the origination of ploughing, and even in the Rigveda the Aśvins are spoken of as concerned with the sowing of grain by means of the plough. In the later Samhitās and the Brāhmanas ploughing is repeatedly referred to. Even in the Rigveda there is clear proof of the importance attached to agriculture. In the Pañcavimśa Brāhmana the Vrātyas, Hindus without the pale of Brahminism, are de¬scribed as not cultivating the soil.The plough land was called Urvarā or Ksetra; manure (Sakan, Karīsa) was used, and irrigation was practised (Khani- tra). The plough (Lāñgala, Sira) was drawn by oxen, teams of six, eight, or even twelve being employed. The operations of agriculture are neatly summed up in the śatapatha Brāhmana as ‘ ploughing, sowing, reaping, and threshing ’ (
noun (masculine) a hymn or Mantra composed by a ṣi (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
a ray of light (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
a saint or sanctified sage in general (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
a singer of sacred hymns (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
a symbolical expression for the number seven (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
an ascetic (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
an imaginary circle (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
an inspired poet or sage (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
anchorite (this is a later sense) (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
any person who alone or with others invokes the deities in rhythmical speech or song of a sacred character (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
the fish Cyprinus Rishi (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
the moon (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
the seventh of the eight degrees of Brāhmans (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
the Veda (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
noun (masculine) a Ṛṣi of lower degree (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
name of a people (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
name of the king of the Ṛṣikas (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
noun (feminine) a sacred river (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
name of a river (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
name of a wife of Bhūman (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
name of Sarasvatī (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
noun (feminine) agriculture (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
cultivation of the soil (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
cultivation of the soil personified (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
earth (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
harvest (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
ploughing (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
noun (masculine feminine) joy (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
satisfaction (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
splendour (Monier-Williams, Sir M. (1988))
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