InIndian religions, arishi (Sanskrit:ऋषिIAST:ṛṣi) is an accomplished and enlightened person. They find mention in variousVedic texts. Rishis are believed to have composed hymns of theVedas. The Post-Vedic tradition ofHinduism regards the rishis as "greatyogis" or "sages" who after intense meditation (tapas) realized the supreme truth and eternal knowledge, which they composed into hymns.[1] The term appears inPali literature as Ishi; inBuddhism they can be eitherBuddhas,Paccekabuddhas,Arahats or amonk of high rank.
According to Indian tradition, the word may be derived from two different meanings of the root 'rsh' (ṛṣ). Sanskrit grammarians[2] derive this word from the second meaning: "to go, to move".[3] V. S. Apte[4] gives this particular meaning and derivation, andMonier-Williams[5] also gives the same, with some qualification.
Another form of this root means "to flow, to move near by flowing". (All the meanings and derivations cited above are based uponSanskrit English Dictionary of Monier-Williams).[5] Monier-Williams also quotes Tārānātha who compiled the great (Sanskrit-to-Sanskrit) dictionary named "ṛṣati jñānena saṃsāra-pāram" (i.e., "one who reaches beyond this mundane world by means of spiritual knowledge").
Before Monier-Williams' work was published,Yāska suggested it came from "drish" and quotes Aupamanyava to support his opinion.
However, the root has a closeAvestan cognateərəšiš[6] "anecstatic" (see alsoYurodivy,Vates). Yet the Indo-European dictionary ofJulius Pokorny connects the word to a PIE root*h3er-s meaning "rise, protrude", in the sense of "excellent" and thus cognate withṚta andright andAsha. In Sanskrit, forms of the rootrish becomearsh- in many words, (e.g.,arsh)
Modern etymological explanations such as byManfred Mayrhofer in hisEtymological Dictionary[7] leave the case open, and do not prefer a connection toṛṣ "pour, flow" (PIE*h1ers), rather one with Germanrasen "to be ecstatic, be in a different state of mind" (and perhaps Lithuanianaršus).
In theVedas, the word denotes an inspired poet of Vedic hymns.[1] In particular, Ṛṣi refers to the authors of the hymns of theRigveda. Some of the earliest lists ofRishi are found in Jaiminiya Brahmana verse 2.218 andBrihadaranyaka Upanishad verse 2.2.4.[8]
Post-Vedic tradition regards the Rishis as "sages" orsaints, constituting a peculiar class of divine human beings in the early mythical system, as distinct fromAsuras,Devas and mortal men.Swami Vivekananda described "Rishi"s asMantra-drashtas or "the seers of thought". He told— "The truth came to the Rishis of India — the Mantra-drashtâs, the seers of thought — and will come to all Rishis in the future, not to talkers, not to book-swallowers, not to scholars, not to philologists, but to seers of thought."[9]
TheRig Veda mentions female rishikas such as Romasha,Lopamudra,Apala,Kadru, Visvavara,Ghosha, Juhu, Vagambhrini, Paulomi,Yami,Indrani,Savitri andDevayani.[10] TheSama Veda adds Nodha, Akrishtabhasha, Sikatanivavari and Gaupayana.
InMahabharata 12, on the other hand, there is the post-Vedic list ofMarīci,Atri,Angiras,Pulaha,Kratu,Pulastya andVashista. The Mahābhārata list explicitly refers to the saptarshis of the firstmanvantara[5] and not to those of the present manvantara. Each manvantara had a unique set of saptarshi. In Harivamsha 417ff, the names of the Rishis of each manvantara are enumerated.
In addition to the Saptarṣi, there are other classifications of sages. In descending order of precedence, they areBrahmarshi,Maharshi,Rajarshi. Devarṣi, Paramrṣi, Shrutarṣi and Kāndarṣi are added in Manusmriti iv-94 and xi-236 and in two dramas of Kālidasa.
The Chaturvarga-Chintāmani of Hemādri puts 'riṣi' at the seventh place in the eightfold division of Brāhmanas.Amarakosha[11] (the famous Sanskrit synonym lexicon compiled by Amarasimha) mentions seven types ofriṣis : Shrutarshi, Kāndarshi, Paramarshi, Maharshi, Rājarshi, Brahmarshi and Devarshi. Amarakosha strictly distinguishes Rishi from other types of sages, such as sanyāsi,bhikṣu, parivrājaka, tapasvi, muni, brahmachāri, yati, etc.
The term Rishi found mentions throughout theBuddhist texts. InPali, they are known as "Isi"s. A Rishi can also be called a Buddha, Paccekabuddha, Arhat or monk of high rank. InBuddhist Pali literature,Buddha is called many times as "Mahesi"(Pali; Sanskrit: Maharṣi; meaning the greatest sage).[12] The Isigili Sutta inPali Canon, mentions the name of Five hundred Rishis (Paccekabuddhas). The Buddhist text,Mahamayuri Tantra, written during 1–3rd centuries CE, mentions Rishis throughoutJambudvipa (modern dayIndia,Pakistan,Afghanistan,Bangladesh,Nepal) and invokes them for the protection of theBuddhadharma.[13]
ManyJatakas also mentions various Rishis. The Naḷinikā Jātaka (Jā 526) introduces apast life of the Buddha, a Rishi(Isi), living alone in the Himālayas. His son, who was also a Rishi, was namedIsisiṅga (Pali; Sanskrit:Ṛṣyaśṛṅga). The Agastya Jataka (Sanskrit; Pali: Akitta Jataka) story, mentionsBodhisattva, named Agastya(Sanskrit; Pali: Akkhata) as Rishi.
Most medieval eraHindu temples of Java,Indonesia show RishiAgastya statues or reliefs, usually guarding the southern side ofShaivite temples.[8] Some examples includeCandi Sambisari and the Prambanan temple nearYogyakarta.[14]
Ruesi (Sanskrit:ṛṣi,Khmer:តាឥសី,Thai:ฤๅษี,Lao:ລືສີ) is ahermitsage, the equivalent of Rishi inIndia. InMyanmar, there are some known as ရေသ့Rase.[citation needed] Rishi Akkhata(Pali; Sanskrit: Agastya), known as Phra Reusi Akkhot inThailand, is an important Ruesi inSoutheast Asia, as in theBuddhist Jataka scriptures, this Ruesi is mentioned as thebodhisatta and practiced his ascetism inSri Lanka andSoutheast Asia.[8] Veneration of Ruesis is a notable practice inSoutheast Asian Buddhism. The name "Rishi" (pronounced "ruesi") is also the basis of one of the letters of theThai alphabet,so reu-si (Thai:ษ ฤๅษี).
Rishi is also amale given name, and less commonly a Brahmin last name.
InCarnatic music, "Rishi" is the seventhchakra (group) ofMelakartaragas. The names ofchakras are based on the numbers associated with each name. In this case, there areseven rishis and hence the 7thchakra is "Rishi".[15][16]
The descendant families of these Rishis, refer to their ancestral lineage through their family "gotra". This is a common practice among the Brahmin sects of the current Hindu society.
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