संस्‍कृतशब्‍दकोशः

Monier–Williams

वसिष्ठ — {vásiṣṭha} mfn. (superl. fr. 1. {vásu}##cf. {vásīyas} and under √3. {vas}) most excellent, best, richest RV. AV. Br. ChUp. MBh##m. (wrongly written {vaśiṣṭha}), 'the most wealthy', N. of a celebrated Vedic Ṛishi or sage (owner of the 'cow of plenty', called Nandinī, offspring of Surabhi, which by gransing all desires made him, as his name implies, master of every {vasu} or desirable object##he was the typical representative of Brāhmanical rank, and the legends of his conflict with Viśvā-mitra, who raised himself from the kingly or Kshatriya to the Brāhmanical class, were probably founded on the actual struggles which took place between the Brāhmans and Kshatriyas##a great many hymns of the RV. are ascribed to these two great rivals##those of the seventh Maṇḍala, besides some others, being attributed to Vasishṭha, while those of the third Maṇḍala are assigned to Viśvā-mitra##in one of Vasishtha's hymns he is represented as king Su-dās' family priest, an office to which Viśvā-mitra also aspired##in another hymn Vasishṭha claims to have been inspired by Varuṇa, and in another [RV. vii, 33, 11] he is called the son of the Apsaras Urvaśī by Mitra and Varuṇa, whence his patronymic Maitrāvaruṇi##in Manu i, 35, he is enumerated among the ten Prajā-patis or Patriarchs produced by Manu Svāyambhuva for the peopling of the universe##in the MBh. he is mentioned as the family priest of the solar race or family of Ikshvāku and Rāma-candra, and in the Purāṇas as one of the arrangers of the Vedas in the Dvāpara age##he is, moreover, called the father of Aurva {ḥariv.}, of the Sukālins {ṃn.}, of seven sons {ḥariv. Pur.}, and the husband of Aksha-mālā or Arundhatī {ṃBh.} and of Ūrjā {Pur.}##other legends make him one of the 7 patriarchal sages regarded as forming the Great Bear in which he represents the star ( See {ṛṣi}) RV. &c. &c. (cf. IW. 361 ; 402, n. 1 &c.)##N. of the author of a law-book and other wks. (prob. intended to be ascribed to the Vedic Ṛishi above)##pl. the family of Vasishṭha RV. ŚBr. ŚrS. ({vasiṣṭhasyâṅkuśaḥ} &c., N. of Sāmans ĀrshBr.)##N. of an Anuvāka Pat. on Pāṇ. 4-3, 131 Vārtt. 2##n. flesh Gal

वसिष्ठ — {vasiṣṭha} {vasīyas}, See p. 930