[cf. Uṇ. 4. 119] 1 An inspired poet or sage, a singer of sacred hymns, (e. g. kutsa, vasiṣṭha, atri, agastya &c.). (These Ṛṣis form a class of beings distinct from gods, men, Asuras &c. They are the authors or seers of the Vedic hymns; ṛṣayo maṃtradraṣṭāro vasi- ṣṭhādayaḥ; or, according to Yāska, yasya vākyaṃ sa ṛṣiḥ, i. e. they are the per- sons to whom the Vedic hymns were revealed. In every Sūkta the ṛṣi is...