ऋषि

Hindi

Etymology

Borrowed from Sanskrit ऋषि (ṛ́ṣi), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *r̥šíš.

Pronunciation

• (Delhi) IPA^(key): /ɾɪ.ʂiː/, [ɾɪ.ʃiː]

Noun

ऋषि • (ŕṣi) m (Urdu spelling رشی)

1. a rishi, sage

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Sanskrit

Alternative scripts

Alternative scripts

• ঋষি (Assamese script)
• ᬋᬱᬶ (Balinese script)
• ঋষি (Bengali script)
• 𑰆𑰬𑰰 (Bhaiksuki script)
• 𑀋𑀱𑀺 (Brahmi script)
• ၒၑိ (Burmese script)
• ઋષિ (Gujarati script)
• ਰਸ਼ਿ (Gurmukhi script)
• 𑌋𑌷𑌿 (Grantha script)
• ꦉꦰꦶ (Javanese script)
• 𑂩𑂱𑂭𑂱 (Kaithi script)
• ಋಷಿ (Kannada script)
• ឫឞិ (Khmer script)
• ຣິຩິ (Lao script)
• ഋഷി (Malayalam script)
• ᡵᡳᢢᡳ (Manchu script)
• 𑘆𑘬𑘱 (Modi script)
• ᠷᠢᢔᠢ (Mongolian script)
• 𑦦𑧌𑧒 (Nandinagari script)
• 𑐆𑐲𑐶 (Newa script)
• ଋଷି (Odia script)
• ꢈꢰꢶ (Saurashtra script)
• 𑆉𑆰𑆴 (Sharada script)
• 𑖆𑖬𑖰 (Siddham script)
• ඍෂි (Sinhalese script)
• 𑩐𑩙𑪀𑩑 (Soyombo script)
• 𑚮 (Takri script)
• ரிஷி (Tamil script)
• ఋషి (Telugu script)
• ฤษิ (Thai script)
• རྀ་ཥི (Tibetan script)
• 𑒇𑒭𑒱 (Tirhuta script)
• 𑨫𑨉𑨯𑨁 (Zanabazar Square script)

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-Aryan *ŕ̥ṣiṣ, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *r̥šíš. Cognate with Avestan 𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬱𐬌𐬱 (ər^əšiš, “seer”). Probably related to अर्षति (árṣati, “to flow, pour”).

Pronunciation

• (Vedic) IPA^(key): /ŕ̩.ʂi/
• (Classical Sanskrit) IPA^(key): /ˈr̩.ʂi/

Noun

ऋषि • (ṛ́ṣi) stem, m

1. A rishi: 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
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 1.31.1:

     त्वमग्ने प्रथमो अङ्गिरा ऋषिर्देवो देवानामभवः शिवः सखा ।

     tvamagne prathamo aṅgirā ṛṣirdevo devānāmabhavaḥ śivaḥ sakhā.

     Thou, Agni, wast the earliest Aṅgiras, a Seer; thou wast, a God thyself, the Gods’ auspicious Friend.

2. (post-Vedic) Rishi: as patriarchal sages or saints that occupy 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 etc.
3. (astronomy) The seven rishis form the constellation Ursa Major
   • c. 1700 BCE – 1200 BCE, Ṛgveda 10.82.2:

     विश्वकर्मा विमना आद्विहाया धाता विधाता परमोत संदृक् ।
     तेषामिष्टानि समिषा मदन्ति यत्रा सप्तऋषीन्पर एकमाहुः ॥

     viśvakarmā vimanā ādvihāyā dhātā vidhātā paramota saṃdṛk.
     teṣāmiṣṭāni samiṣā madanti yatrā saptaṛṣīnpara ekamāhuḥ.

     Mighty in mind and power is Visvakarman, Maker, Disposer, and most lofty Presence.
     Their offerings joy in rich juice where they value One, only One, beyond the Seven Ṛṣis.

4. A saint or sanctified sage in general, an ascetic, anchorite
5. The seventh of the eight degrees of Brahmins
6. A hymn or mantra composed by a rishi
7. A veda
8. A symbolical expression for the number seven

Declension

Masculine i-stem declension of ऋषि (ṛ́ṣi)
	Singular	Dual	Plural
Nominative	ऋषिः ṛ́ṣiḥ	ऋषी ṛ́ṣī	ऋषयः ṛ́ṣayaḥ
Vocative	ऋषे ṛ́ṣe	ऋषी ṛ́ṣī	ऋषयः ṛ́ṣayaḥ
Accusative	ऋषिम् ṛ́ṣim	ऋषी ṛ́ṣī	ऋषीन् ṛ́ṣīn
Instrumental	ऋषिणा / ऋष्या¹ ṛ́ṣiṇā / ṛ́ṣyā¹	ऋषिभ्याम् ṛ́ṣibhyām	ऋषिभिः ṛ́ṣibhiḥ
Dative	ऋषये ṛ́ṣaye	ऋषिभ्याम् ṛ́ṣibhyām	ऋषिभ्यः ṛ́ṣibhyaḥ
Ablative	ऋषेः / ऋष्यः¹ ṛ́ṣeḥ / ṛ́ṣyaḥ¹	ऋषिभ्याम् ṛ́ṣibhyām	ऋषिभ्यः ṛ́ṣibhyaḥ
Genitive	ऋषेः / ऋष्यः¹ ṛ́ṣeḥ / ṛ́ṣyaḥ¹	ऋष्योः ṛ́ṣyoḥ	ऋषीणाम् ṛ́ṣīṇām
Locative	ऋषौ / ऋषा¹ ṛ́ṣau / ṛ́ṣā¹	ऋष्योः ṛ́ṣyoḥ	ऋषिषु ṛ́ṣiṣu
Notes	¹Vedic

Descendants

• → Bengali: ঋষি (riśi)
• → Burmese: ရသေ့ (ra.se.)
• → English: rishi
• → Hindi: ऋषि (ŕṣi)
• → Japanese: リシ (rishi)
• → Kannada: ಋಷಿ (ṛṣi)
• → Lao: ລືສີ (lư̄ sī)
• → Marathi: ऋषि (ŕṣi)
• → Nepali: ऋषि (r̥ṣi)
• Pali: isi
  • → Burmese: ဣသိ (i.si.)
  • → Mon: ဣသိ
  • → Khmer: ឥសី (ʼisəy)
  • → Sinhalese: ඉසි (isi)
  • → Thai: อิสิ (isi)
• → Punjabi: ਰਿਸ਼ੀ (riśī)
• Romani: raśaj, rashaj (Anglicized); rašaj (Pan-Vlax)
  • Angloromani: rashai
  • Traveller Norwegian: rasjo
• → Tamil: ரிஷி (riṣi)
• → Telugu: ఋషి (r̥ṣi)
• → Thai: ฤๅษี (rʉʉ-sǐi), ฤษี (rʉ́-sǐi); ฤๅษรี — obsolete; ฤาษี (rʉʉ-sǐi) — misspelled