Some Most Famous Rishis (And Personalities) Of Ancient India
The term "rshi" (also spelled as "rishi" in English) originally denoted singers of Vedic hymns. However, according to post-Vedic traditions, the rishi is also a "sage" to whom the Gods revealed the Vedas (Knowledge).
Aandaal
Aandaal is a 10th century saint (Tamil). She belongs to the Vaishnava tradition and is credited as the author of a number of admirable Tamil works.
Angiras
A Vedic sage who wrote most of the Atharva Veda.
Atri
A legendary scholar and a son of Brahma. He is among the seven (great) sages - Sapta Rishis.
Bharadwaja
Also known as Bharadwaj Gotra, a descendant of rishi Angiras, was one of the greatest Hindu sages. Rama along with Sita and Lakshmana (in the epic Ramayana) met many rishis and sages including Bharadwaja.
Bhrigu
One of the seven sages, or Saptarishis, who lived in ancient India. Bhrigu was one of the Prajapatis (and Maanasa Putra - a brain child) that Brahma created as facilitators of creation.
Chiranjivi
Immortals in Hinduism. Their list may differ, but you will always find the following deities/personalities among them: Markandeya, Parashara, Vyasa, Hanuman, Mahabali.
Charaka
Sometimes spelled as Caraka, was born about the year 300 BC and he made some most important contributions to the ancient Ayurvedic medical science.
Jaimini
An ancient rishi, a great philosopher of the Mimansa school, and a disciple of Veda Vyasa (the son of wandering rishi Parashara).
Kashyap
An ancient rishi, the Saptarishi. He was the father of the Devas, Asuras, and all humankind.
Kraustuki
A Markandeya's disciple.
Kripa
Sometimes also referred to as Kripacharya, was an important character in the Mahabharata; he is one of the Chiranjivi (the "immortals").
Marichi
The son of Brahma and also one of the Saptarishis.
Markandeya
Markandeya was an ancient rishi and the author of Markandeya Purana. Some scholars say he was equally important as Vyasa.
Narada
A divine sage (son of Brahma) in the Vaishnava tradition. He plays a chief role in a number of Puranic texts.
Panini
An ancient Indian grammarian of Sanskrit.
Paráshara
The Rigvedic rishi and the author of many ancient Indian texts. He was the grandson of Vasishtha and the author of some verses of the Rigveda.
Prahlada
A character in many Puranic texts; he is famed for being uniquely devoted to Lord Vishnu. He is a mahajana - that is, a "great devotee" (in the Vaishnava traditions).
Pulatsya
One of the ten Prajapatis - sons of Brahma, and one of the Saptarishis. He was the spiritual vibration through the power of which some texts of the Puranas were written.
Sapta rishis
Two Sanskrit words meaning "Seven Sages".
Sushruta
An ancient Indian surgeon and the author of the book Sushruta Samhita, in which he describes over 300 surgical procedures and 120 surgical instruments. He also classified human surgery into several categories.
Thiruvalluvar
A celebrated Tamil poet who wrote the Thirukkural, a work on ethics in Tamil literature.
Valmiki
The famous poet and the author of the epic Ramayana.
Vasistha
One of the Saptarishis. He was the Maanasa-putra ("a brain child") of Brahma. He possessed the divine cow known as Kamadhenu and the Kamadhenu's child Nandini. Vasistha (also spelled as Vashishtha) is the author of some parts of the Rigveda.
Vasudeva
The father of Krishna
Vyasa
Vyasa is the most important rishi (sage) in the Hindu pantheon of religions. He is also sometimes called Veda Vyasa, for he is the one who compiled the Vedas. He is the author of the Hindu epic Mahabharata and the important character in many Puranas.
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I published some books of poetry and I live in Europe, Slovakia; I write and sell computer articles.