Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s6.1

v1.c3.s6.1

1. Ṛkṣa, ‘bear,’ is found only once in the Rigveda,¹ and seldom later,² the animal having evidently been scarce in the regions occupied by the Vedic Indians. Not more frequent³ is the use of the word in the plural to denote the ‘seven bears,’ later called the ‘seven Ṛṣis,’⁴ the constellation of the ‘Great Bear’ (ἄρκτος, ursa).