Why Saptaṛṣis were called Ṛkṣāḥ in former times?
Big Dipper/Bear is the Indian constellation name
Ursa Major
(also known as the Great Bear) is a constellation in the northern sky, whose associated mythology likely dates back into prehistory. Its Latin name means “greater (or larger) she-bear,” referring to and contrasting it with nearby Ursa Minor, the lesser bear. In antiquity, it was one of the original 48 constellations listed by Ptolemy in the 2nd century AD. (source-Wikipedia).
We all go to terrace and watch the sky. We also try to connect various stars and make different shapes in leisure, don’t we. Well, this was my favorite pastime during my childhood days when we didn’t have multiple channels on TV and used to wait for serial Humlog or Buniyad. We also used terrace to sleep overnight during summers. Those times we invested in making different shapes in the sky and would identify that certain stars are visible during certain period of time. Now imagine, why shouldn’t this be the favorite pastime of our ancestors who had only one screen, i.e., Sky. This also helped them in timekeeping and recognising the pattern in sync with seasons.
How many of us see the sky today? Ever seen or noticed a group of stars making a prominent question-mark in the sky? If yes, then that’s called the Big Dipper/Big Bear/Ursa major in the sky. In India this group of stars is called Saptaṛṣis. Many Indic texts mention about Saptaṛṣis.
Saptaṛṣis were called Ṛkṣaḥ?
Do any Indic text contain a memory that Saptaṛṣis were called Ṛkṣaḥ? Do we have a clue that Big Dipper/Bear is the Indian constellation name?
It apparently is present. We may just have underestimated our presence in western world.
In Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa’s anuvāka ii. 1, 2, 4, Seven Ṛṣis, the group of stars in the Great bear/big dipper constellation are mentioned. Ṛkṣa, ‘bear,’ is found only once in the Ṛgveda- v. 56, 3.
मी॒ळ्हुष्म॑तीव पृथि॒वी परा॑हता॒ मद॑न्त्येत्य॒स्मदा । ऋक्षो॒ न वो॑ मरुत॒: शिमी॑वाँ॒ अमो॑ दु॒ध्रो गौरि॑व भीम॒युः ॥ mīḻhuṣmatīva pṛthivī parāhatā madanty ety asmad ā | ṛkṣo na vo marutaḥ śimīvām̐ amo dudhro gaur iva bhīmayuḥ ||
Śatapatha remember that the Seven Ṛṣis were formely called Ṛkṣāḥ; “saptaṛṣīn u ha sma vai pura rkṣā ity ācakṣate”. This name saptaṛṣīn, as rkṣā for the Big Dipper/ or all the stars, is found just once before Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa, in one of the Ṛgvedic mantra viz. 1.24.10. In one of the Ṛgvedic mantra 10.82.2 we find saptaṛṣīn distinctly with one of the astral meanings .
अ॒मी य ऋक्षा॒ निहि॑तास उ॒च्चा नक्तं॒ ददृ॑श्रे॒ कुह॑ चि॒द्दिवे॑युः । अद॑ब्धानि॒ वरु॑णस्य व्र॒तानि॑ वि॒चाक॑शच्च॒न्द्रमा॒ नक्त॑मेति ॥ amī ya ṛkṣā nihitāsa uccā naktaṁ dadṛśre kuha cid diveyuḥ | adabdhāni varuṇasya vratāni vicākaśac candramā naktam eti ॥1.24.10
वि॒श्वक॑र्मा॒ विम॑ना॒ आद्विहा॑या धा॒ता वि॑धा॒ता प॑र॒मोत सं॒दृक् । तेषा॑मि॒ष्टानि॒ समि॒षा म॑दन्ति॒ यत्रा॑ सप्तऋ॒षीन्प॒र एक॑मा॒हुः ॥ऋग्० १०।८२।२।
rkṣa is definitely nocturnal stars in Ṛgveda but how to connect that these succumbed to group of stars which also appeared like a bear to Indian sages. Definitely sages were connecting the stars and naming them likewise. One such example is of Shishumāra. Shishumāra is a porpoise- Gangetic Dolphin and the shape is given to one of the northern constellations. Similarly, Saptaṛṣīn which was known as rkṣa would have got these shape of ravenous beast in the sky.
Indeed, the Ṛgveda is much older to Ptolemy. And interestingly, now we find that there is an evolution of the word rkṣa to saptaṛṣīn. We will try to understand the evolution of rkṣa to saptaṛṣīn some other day.
……………………………………………………………………………………..
References
ऋक्ष m. a bear (as a ravenous beast), RV. v, 56, 3; VS. xxiv, 36 ; Mn. ; Suśr.
N. of several men, RV. viii, 68, 15; MBh. &c
ऋक्ष mfn. (√2. ऋष्, Uṇ. iii, 66; 67 ; probably fr. √ऋश्), hurting, pernicious, RV. viii, 24, 27
Seven Ṛiṣis or saptarṣis whose names, according to Śat. Br., areगौतम, भरद्वाज, विश्वामित्र, जमदग्नि, वसिष्ठ, कश्यप and अत्रि; according to Mahābhārata, मरीचि, अत्रि, अङ्गिरस्, पुलह, क्रतु, पुलस्त्य and वसिष्ठ; Manu calls these sages Prajāpatis or pro- genitors of mankind, and gives ten names, three more being added to the latter list, i. e.दक्ष or प्रचेतस्, भृगु and नारद. In astronomy the seven Ṛiṣis form the constellation of “theGreat Bear”); यत्रा सप्त ऋषीन् पर एकमाहुः Rv.1.82.2.
A sanctified sage, saint, an ascetic, anchorite; (there are usually three classes of thesesaints; देवर्षि, ब्रह्मर्षि and राजर्षि; sometimes four more are added; महर्षि, परमर्षि, श्रुतर्षि and काण्डर्षि.
A ray of light.
An imaginary circle.
