Saptarshi
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The Saptarshi (सप्तर्षि saptarṣi a Sanskrit dvigu meaning "seven sages") are the seven rishis who are extolled at many places in the Vedas and other Hindu literature. The Vedas never actually enumerate these rishis by name, though later texts do so. They are regarded in the Vedas as the patriarchs of the Vedic religion. The Big Dipper is also named as Saptarshi.
Some of these rishis were recognized as the mind born sons of Brahma, considered to be the representation of the Supreme Being as Creator in Vedic religion (later re-coined as Hindu religion). The other considered representations are Mahesh or Shiva as the Destroyer and Vishnu as the Preserver. Since these seven rishis were also among the primary eight rishis, who were considered as the reference mark in the process of classification of Brahmins, it seems that the concept of divine birth of these rishis was, therefore, mythicized.
Many of the rishis listed below are the patrons or ancestors of the Gotras.
[edit] Names of the Saptarshis (complete)
There are many contradictory lists of the names of the Saptarshis. These usually include Atri, Kashyapa and Vasishta, but the other four are varying. One such list is used in the Sandya Vandanam: Atri, Brighu, Kutsya, Vasishtha, Gautam, Kashyapa and Angirasa. Other lists include Vishwamitra and Jamadagni.
In Hindu astronomy the seven stars of the Saptarshi Mandal or Big Dipper or Ursa Major are named as
| Indian Name |
Bayer Desig |
Western Name |
|---|---|---|
| Kratu | α UMa | Dubhe |
| Pulaha | β UMa | Merak |
| Pulastya | γ UMa | Phecda |
| Atri | δ UMa | Megrez |
| Angira | ε UMa | Alioth |
| Vasishtha | ζ UMa | Mizar |
| Marichi | η UMa | Alkaid |
Vasishtha is accompanied by his wife the faint companion star Arundhati (Alcor/80 Ursa Majoris).
[edit] Saptarshis given in major Hindu texts
1. The Satapata Brahmana and Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (2.2.4) acknowledge the names of seven rishis (or Saptarshis) as:
2. Krishna Yajurveda in the Sandhya-Vandana Mantras has it as:
3. Mahabharata gives the Seven Rishis’ names:
etc.
4. V. S. Apte’s Sanskrit-English dictionary says:
