''Rishi'' () is a term for an accomplished and enlightened person. They find mentions in various
Vedic texts. Rishis are believed to have composed hymns of the
Vedas
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute th ...
. The Post-Vedic tradition of
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
regards the rishis as "great
yogis" or "sages" who after intense meditation (
tapas) realized the supreme truth and eternal knowledge, which they composed into hymns.
[Hartmut Scharfe (2002), Handbook of Oriental Studies, BRILL Academic, , pp. 13–15.] The term appears in
Pali
Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Theravāda'' Buddh ...
literature as Ishi and in
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
, they can be either
Buddhas
In Buddhism, Buddha (; Pali, Sanskrit: 𑀩𑀼𑀤𑁆𑀥, बुद्ध), "awakened one", is a title for those who are awake, and have attained nirvana and Buddhahood through their own efforts and insight, without a teacher to point out ...
,
Paccekabuddhas,
Arahats or a
monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedic ...
of high rank.
Etymology
According to Indian tradition, the word may be derived from two different meanings of the root 'rsh' (). Sanskrit grammarians derive this word from the second meaning: "to go, to move". V. S. Apte gives this particular meaning and derivation, and
Monier-Williams 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 upon ''Sanskrit English Dictionary'' of Monier-Williams).
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
Yāska was an ancient Indian grammarian and linguist st. 7th–5th century BCE(disputed)">disputed.html" ;"title="st. 7th–5th century BCE(disputed">st. 7th–5th century BCE(disputed) Preceding Pāṇini __suggested_it_came_from_"drish"_and_quotes_Aupamanyava_to_support_his_opinion._
However,_the_root_has_a_close_Avestan">st._7th–4th_century_BCE(Controve_...
__suggested_it_came_from_"drish"_and_quotes_Aupamanyava_to_support_his_opinion._
However,_the_root_has_a_close_Avestan_cognate_''ərəšiš''_"an_Religious_ecstasy.html" ;"title="Avestan.html" ;"title="st. 7th–4th century BCE(Controve ...