Sapta Rishis — सप्त ऋषयः
The seven great sages of Sanatana Dharma
The seven rishis who composed the bulk of the Rigveda and from whom every brahmana traces gotra descent. By tradition they sit forever in the northern sky as Ursa Major — the Saptarshi-mandala — circling the pole star Dhruva. Each gives a mandala to the Veda, a gotra to the lineage, a teaching to dharma, and a star to the night.
The seven stars in the sky
In Hindu astronomy each of the seven stars of Ursa Major bears the name of one of the rishis. The faint companion star Alcor, sitting beside Mizar in the handle of the constellation, is Arundhati — the wife of Vasishtha — visible only to keen sight, and traditionally sighted by the bride and groom on every Hindu wedding night as a vow of fidelity.
#1 Atri
अत्रिMegrez (delta Ursae Majoris)
Father of Dattatreya + rishi of Rigveda Mandala 5
Gotra: Atreya
#2 Bharadvaja
भरद्वाजMizar (zeta Ursae Majoris)
Father of Drona + rishi of Rigveda Mandala 6 + founder of Ayurveda + dhanurveda
Gotra: Bharadvaja
#3 Gautama
गौतमPhecda (gamma Ursae Majoris)
Husband of Ahalya + rishi of the Godavari (Gautami) descent + author of the oldest dharmasutra
Gotra: Gautama
#4 Jamadagni
जमदग्निAlkaid (eta Ursae Majoris)
Father of Parashurama (6th avatara) + uncompromising tapasvi of the Bhargava lineage
Gotra: Jamadagnya / Bhargava
#5 Kashyapa
कश्यपDubhe (alpha Ursae Majoris)
Universal progenitor of gods, asuras, nagas, birds, and beasts + father of Vamana avatara
Gotra: Kashyapa
#6 Vasishtha
वसिष्ठMizar + Alcor (zeta + 80 Ursae Majoris)
Kula-guru of the Suryavamsha + rishi of Rigveda Mandala 7 + author of the Yoga-Vasishtha + husband of Arundhati
Gotra: Vasishtha
#7 Vishvamitra
विश्वामित्रMerak (beta Ursae Majoris)
Seer of the Gayatri Mantra + king who became brahmarshi + rishi of Rigveda Mandala 3
Gotra: Kaushika / Vishvamitra
Related study
- • Rigveda — composed across 10 mandalas, 4 by the sapta rishis
- • Principal Upanishads — many transmitted by rishi-paramparas descended from these seven
- • 16 Samskaras — the gotra ascription used at every rite traces back to one of these rishis
- • Dashavatar — Parashurama (son of Jamadagni) and Vamana (born to Kashyapa) are direct avataras of these lineages