This post is in response to comments and queries from Kaveriyamma. Those related to the Rishis of the Rig Veda, their linage, the female Rishis and the oral tradition.

RISHI

A Rishi in Rig Veda is an author of a Rik, a mantra.  It is not a product of his reasoning or intellect; but , of an intuitive perception. He envisioned the entities beyond the range of human senses; conceived the self evident knowledge (svatah pramana) ; and , realized the Truth by direct intuition. Vamadeva , a Rishi in one of his hymns (RV 4.3.16) describes himself as the illumined one , expressing the Truth reveled to him (ninya vachasmi).

The term Rishi is defined as “rishati jnānena samsāra-pāram” – meaning one who goes beyond the mundane world by means of knowledge. Further, some scholars think the root ‘drish‘ (sight) might have given rise to root ‘rish‘ meaning ‘to see’ .

Rishi is therefore a wise seer, a drastara, one who visualizes a mantra – ṛsīnām mantra dṛṣṭayo bhavanti – 7,3 . He is also the one who hears. The seers were the “hearers of the Truth” (kavayaha sathya srutah) . Sri Aurobindo described Shruthi as “divine recordings of cosmic sounds of truth” heard by the Rishis. The Vedas are thus Shruthis , revealed scriptures. That is the reason , the Vedas are Apaurusheya , not authored by any agency.

Amarakosha, the Sanskrit lexicon, gives the synonym for the term Rishi as :  ṛṣayaḥ satyavacasaḥ (2.6.900), the one who speaks truth. A Rishi in the Rig Veda is a sage who realized the truth. However all sages are not Rishis; just as not all Rishis are Kavis.

(For more on Kavis, please see Kavi, Rishi and the Poet ).

Yasca_charya makes a significant  classification even among the Rishis. He draws a clear distinction between a Sakshath_krutha_Rishi , the seer who has the direct intuitional perception; and , the Srutha_rishi , the one heard it from the seers and remembered what he heard

–  sākṣāt.kṛta.dharmāṇa.ṛṣayo.babhūvuḥ – 1,20

The Srutha_rishi is like the mirror or the moon that basks in the glory of the sun . The moon and the mirror both take in the glory of the sun and put forth the shine to the world in their own way. Similarly, the Srutha_rishi obtained the knowledge by listening to the Sakshath_ Krutha_ Rishi, and more importantly by remembering what he heard. The bifurcation of the Vedas/Upanishads on one hand (as Shruthi, as heard) ; and the Vedangas, Shastras, Puranas, Ithihasa etc. on the other (as smriti, as remembered) , stems from the above concept.  Smriti, in general, is secondary in authority to Shruti .

Rig Veda mentions about four hundred Rishis; and, about thirty of them were women. Before going into their names and other details, let us, briefly, talk about the mantras.

*

In another manner, the Rishis were classified into three divisions.(1) Satarcinah – the Rishis of the first mandala, where  each of whom, seems to have contributed a hundred or more Riks; (2) Madhyamah – the Rishis in  Mandalas two to seven; and.(3) Ksudrasuktah and Mahasuktah – the other Rishis of shorter and longer hymn.

In the Rig Veda, two to seven mandalas are homogeneous in character as they present a collection of hymns belonging to a particular family. These mandalas are , therefore, known as Kulamandalas

MANTRA

Poetry raised to its sublime heights is mantra to which a Rishi gives utterance. The Rishi visualizes a magnificent idea, through intuitive perception, crystallizes it and gives it an expression. . One cannot be a sublime poet unless one is a Rishi (naan rishir kuruthe kavyam).  Badarayana Sutra (244:36) says Rishi not only lives the mantra but also is the essence of it.

A mantra is usually prefaced by a segment made of three components, mentioning the Rishi who visualized the mantra, the Deva or the Devatha who inspired the mantra or to whom the mantra is addressed; and the metrical form of the mantra. Every time, one meditates on the deity uttering its mantra with devotion; one recalls its Rishi with reverence and gratitude.

For instance, the most celebrated Gayatri   mantra which appears in Rig Veda at RV_3,062.10a is prefaced by a short description, Vishvamitra risihi; Savitha devatha; Gayatri chandaha, which says that the mantra was revealed to Rishi Vishwamitra; the illuminating spirit behind the mantra was Savitha Devatha from whom everything comes into being ; and it was conveyed to the Rishi in Gayatri chhandas (a metrical form having three lines of 8 syllables each, a total of 24 syllables). Before one meditates on goddess Gayatri uttering her mantra, one submits salutations to its Rishi, Vishwamitra.

Yaska_charya also mentions that mantras have three layers of meaning (traye artha)

– yadi mantra artha  pratyayāya anarthakam bhavati- 1,15 . 

The essential power of the mantras are to transport us to the world of ideas beyond the ordinary and to experience the vision that the Rishi had.

VEDAS

It is said; Kṛṣṇa – dvaipāyana or Vedavyāsa divided the extant material  of the Vedas  into four groups; and taught them to his four chief disciples : Paila; Vaiśampāyana; Jaimini and , Sumantu . The disciples of each of these further rearranged their portions of the Vedic text.And, such modified forms came to be known as Shakhas or branches.

As regards Rig Veda , it is said to have had 21 such Shakhas. Out of these only five Shakhas have survived : Śākala; Bāskala; Āśvalāyana; Sāñhhāycma; and,  Māridukeyct.

BOOKS of Rig Veda

The Rig Veda Samhita is a collection of 1,028 Suktas (hymns); divided into ten Mandalas (books).  These 1,028 Suktas include eleven Valakhilya Suktas. The number of mantras in a Suktas varies from just one (1-99) to 58 (IX-97). The total number of mantras is 10,462. Thus , the average number of mantras per hymn is ten. These hymns are as envisioned by various seers

There are , in fact, two methods of classifying the Rigveda Samhita. The one is the Mandala system ; and the other is the Astaka method .

In the former,  the entire Rig Veda text is divided into Ten Books (Mandalas). This classification is based upon  its authors (Rishis) and also on its subject.  But, the size of each Mandala  is not the same; because, the number of  Suktas and the number of  Mantras  in each Mandala varies. Yet;  the Mandala – Sukta method is more popular.

Mandala Method

Maṇdalas	Anuvākas	Suktas	Mantras
1	24	191	2006
2	4	43	429
3	5	62	617
4	5	58	589
5	6	87	727
6	6	75	765
7	6	104	841
8	10	103	1716
9	7	114	1108
10	12	191	1754
Total	85	1028	10,552

The other method is that of the Ashtaka – where the entire text of the Rigveda is divided into eight segments- Ashtaka ; and , each Ashtaka is made up of eight sections (Adhyaya). And, each Adhyaya has almost the equal number of Vargas (sub-sections); each having almost the equal number of Mantras.  The Ashtaka classification is intended, mainly, for the use of the student .  Its designed to help the learner to memorize the text, by apportioning more or less equal number of mantras under  each section .

In either of the schemes , the total number of Mantras is the same, viz., 10, 552.

Aṣtaka Method

Astakas	Adhyāyas	Vargas	Mantras
1	8	265	1370
2	8	221	1147
3	8	225	1209
4	8	250	1289
5	8	238	1263
6	8	331	1730
7	8	248	1263
8	8	246	1281
Total	64	2024	10,552

( Source : http://www.hindupedia.com/en/%E1%B9%9Agveda#Organization_of_.E1.B9.9Agveda_Samhit.C4.81)

***

As mentioned earlier, The Mandalas are of uneven size. These mantras are authored by about 400 Rishis of whom about 30 are women. Each Rishi is identified by two names – his/her personal name and the name of his/her father or teacher or lineage. For instance, the first Sukta of Rig Veda was revealed to Madhuchhanda Vishwamitra meaning that he was the son or the disciple of Vishwamitra; the Gayatri mantra was revealed to Vishwamitra Gathin meaning Vishwamitra was the son of Gatha. It also indicates whether the Rishi was a man or a woman; for instance, Ghosha Kakshivali (RV 10.39-40) was the wife of kakshivan another Rishi.

A   Rishi could be a man or a woman, could be a celibate or a householder or unmarried.

As mentioned, each hymn of the Rig Veda is attributed to a Rishi.

Of the ten Mandalas (Books) six Mandalas, numbering from 2 to 7 are homogeneous in character and are considered the oldest parts of the Rig Veda. Each of these six books was composed by a Rishi and by members of his family / disciples and of his Gotra. These Mandalas (2-7) are therefore often called Family Books.

On the other hand, the books 1, 8 and 10 were not each composed by a distinct family of Rishis but by different individual Rishis. The Books #1 and 8 are almost Family Books as a majority of their hymns are composed by the family of Kanvas and many hymns are found in both the Books.  

The Book # 9 is different from the rest; all the hymns therein are addressed to Soma (while not a single hymn is addressed to Soma in the Family Books) and by groups of Rishis.

The tenth Book is a collection of various earlier and later hymns.Book # 10 appears to be of a later origin and of a supplementary character.

The Books # 1 and 10 are the latest and the longest Books together accounting for about 40 percent of the bulk of the Rig Veda.

The following chart indicates the number of Suktas , Mantras, in each Mandala,  ascribed to a Rishi or his family  or his disciples

( http://www.voiceofdharma.com/books/rig/ch2.htm )

http://vedicheritage.gov.in/samhitas/rigveda/

***

RISHI-linage

There are certain texts called Anukramani (also called Anukramanika) which serve as Index to the Rig Veda and provide basic information about each hymn of the Rig Veda. The most well-known of the Aukramani is Katyayana’s sarvanukramani and is dated around the second century. The entries in the texts mention about each hymn specifying, the name of the Rishi who   authored the hymn; the Devatha who inspired or to whom the hymn is addressed; and the Chandas or the metre of the hymn. They are extremely useful in historical analysis of the Rig Veda.For more on Anukramanis, please see

http://www.bharatvani.org/books/rig/ch1.htm .

For more on the Rishis, their  Gotra lineage , please check the pdf  document

The following table indicates the number of hymns in the rig Veda, attributed to some main families.

Family	No. of   Hymns
Angirasa	3,619
Kanva	1,315
Vasistha	1,267
VIshwamitra	0,983
Atri	0,885
Brighu	0,473
Kashyapa	0,415
Grtsamanda	0,401
Agasthya	0,316
Bharata	0,170

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigveda )

As regards female Rishis (Rishikas), about 30 of them are named in the Rig Veda. To name some of them: : Ghosha Kakshivati , Dakshina Prajapathya ,Vishvavara Atreyi,  Godha, Apala Atreyi, Yami Vivasvathi, Lopamudra, Romasha Svanya, Aditi Dakshayeni, Ratri Bharadwaja , Vasukra Pathni , Surya Savitri, Indrani, Sarma Devasuni ,   Urvashi, Shashwati Angirasi, Sri Laksha and others .

Lopamudra , a great Rishika in her own right , was the wife of Rishi Agasthya and Ghosha Kakashivati was the wife of another Rishi kakashivan . Daughters of the Rishis Bharadwaja , Angirasa and Atri were also Rishikas.Vishvavara, Romasha and Vach Ambrini stood out as other Rishikas of merit.

Please check this link for more on Rishikas 

Please click here for “The Female Rishis and Philosophers in the Veda“

ORAL TRADITIONS

Tradition accepts that Rishi Veda_Vyasa categorized and compiled four Vedas by splitting the primordial single Veda and rendered the Vedas more amenable to study and to memorize. The task of preserving and perpetuating each  branch of the Veda, in its entirety and purity , was assigned to a specified Shakha (meaning branch).The followers of each Shakha ,  identified as Shakins  of that particular Vedic school, were responsible for preserving their assigned part of the Veda. Followers of each Shakha would learn and preserve one the four Veda Samhitas along with their associated Brahmana, Aranyaka, Upanishads and the Sutras such as Grhyasutra and Shrautasutra. Only a small number of these Shakhas have survived; the prominent among them are Sakala and Baskala. For more on Shakas, please see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakha

It is astounding that large bodies of Vedic texts have been preserved in oral traditions for over thousands of years, safeguarding their purity and entirety. How our ancients could successfully achieve such an unbelievable task, is truly remarkable.

In order to achieve this difficult task, an elaborate and a meticulous systems of recitations were devised. These systems of discipline with their  checks and balances , ensured the correctness of a text including the correct sequence of its words; purity of the language; exact pronunciation of the words; precise stress on syllables ; measured pause between syllables; appropriate tone, accent, modulation  and pitch of recitation; proper breath control etc. Shiksha one of the six Vedangas (limbs of Veda) that dealt with phonetics and phonology of Sanskrit, laid down rules for correct pronunciation of Vedic hymns and mantras.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiksha

Along with this, several patterns of Vedic chants were devised to ensure complete and perfect memorization of the text and its pronunciation including the Vedic pitch accent. These patterns called Pathaas ensured correct recital of the Veda mantra by weaving the mantras into various patterns and complex combinations of patterns. There are eleven acknowledged patterns or Patahaas Viz. Samhitha or vakhyaa, padaa, krama, jataa, maala, Sikhaa, rekhaa, dhvajaa, dandaa, rathaa and Ghana.

( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samhitapatha )

The salient features of a few main Paathas are as under:

Vakhya Pathaa or Samhitaa Pathaa: To recite the mantras in a straight sentence.

Pada Paathaa: to recite the mantras, word by word, instead of joining the words; to acquaint the student with the words in the text.

Krama Paathaa: the first word of the mantra is added to the second, the second to the third, the third to the fourth and so on, until the whole sentence of the mantras is completed. The order of words will be 1-2; 2-3; 3-4; 4-5 and so on. This helps to fix the words in their proper position and sequence. It also helps the students to understand changes occurring in swara in such a combination. The person who is well versed in reciting the Krama Paathaa is known as “Krama Vit.”.

Jata Paathaa: the first two words are recited together and then the words are recited in a reverse order and then again in the original order. Jata Paathaa is a play by twisting the Krama Paatha:   Krama + Inverse of Krama + Krama = jataa. The order will be 1-2-2-1-1-2, 2-3-3-2-2-3, 3-4-4-3-3-4, 4-5-5-4-4-5 and so on

Ghana Paathaa: This is one of the most popular form of recitations and requires years of learning and practice. A scholar proficient in recitation in this format is honored as Ghana_ paathi. In Ghana Paathaa the combination will be: 1-2-2-1-1-2-3-3-2-1-1-2-3  2-3-3-2-2-3-4-4-3-2-2-3-4, 3-4-4-3-3-4-5-5-4-3-3-4-5 and so on till last pada ends in that sentence. This is a complex combination of Jata Paatha and Pada Paatha in the following order:   jataa + 3rd Padaa + Inverse of 3 Padaas + 3 Padaas in Straightway = Ghana Paathaa.

The Samhita Paathaa and Pada Paathaa are called Prakrithi (or natural) Paathaas, as the words of the mantras occur in normal sequence. The rest are called Vikrithi (or artificial and not natural) Paathaas. Recently mathematical series have been devised to work out the Krama, Jata and Ghana Paatha patterns. For more on this and for greater details on Paathas please visit

http://pvkalathur.blogspot.com/2007/08/v-e-d-s.html

By applying these stringent methods  of learning and complicated patterns of recital, each generation committed to memory long passages of its assigned texts through incessant practice spread over a number of  years, retained the form and content of the texts in their pristine condition and transmitted, orally, to the next generation. This was how the Vedic texts were retained in oral form, uncorrupted, over the centuries.

[ please view this video where Vidwan Shri Suresh  explains and demonstrates  the various Paatha recitations. with particular illustration of the Gayatri Mantra]