Within the Vedic vision, the Rigveda is regarded as *apauruṣeya*—not a human fabrication—yet its hymns are traditionally linked to particular lineages of inspired seers. These rishis are remembered less as “authors” in the modern sense and more as *mantradraṣṭāḥ*, those who “saw” the mantras. Over generations, families of seers safeguarded and expressed this revelation, and the Rigvedic corpus preserves their names as luminous markers of a living spiritual heritage. The text itself is organized in such a way that these lineages are woven into its very structure, especially in the so‑called “family books.”

Among the most prominent rishi families associated with the Rigveda are the Angirasas, Bharadvājas, Viśvāmitras, Vasiṣṭhas, Atris, Kaśyapas, Gotamas, Agastyas, Gṛtsamadas, and Kanvas. These lineages are credited with large clusters of hymns, often gathered into specific *maṇḍalas* that bear the stamp of their spiritual style and ritual focus. For example, many hymns to Agni and Indra, as well as cosmogonic and ritual verses, are linked to these families and their descendants. The arrangement of *Maṇḍalas* 2–7 in particular reflects this family-based transmission, where each collection is associated with a distinct rishi lineage.

Alongside these families stand individual seers whose names echo through particular hymns, such as Dīrghatamas, Medhātithi, and Kutsa. Certain figures, like Gṛtsamada and Agastya, are remembered both as individuals and as the fountainheads of broader traditions, their insights shaping entire sections of the text. The Gayatrī mantra, for instance, is associated with the Viśvāmitra lineage, illustrating how specific verses become emblematic of a rishi’s contemplative realization. In this way, the Rigveda can be seen as a tapestry of visionary voices, each rishi or family offering a distinct angle of approach to the same ineffable reality.

This traditional attribution does not diminish the sense of the Rigveda as a single sacred revelation; rather, it highlights the diversity of channels through which that revelation was received. The rishis and their lineages function as spiritual lenses, refracting the one Vedic light into many hymns addressed to deities such as Agni, Indra, and Soma. To contemplate these names—Angirasa, Bharadvāja, Viśvāmitra, Vasiṣṭha, Atri, Kaśyapa, Gotama, Agastya, Gṛtsamada, Kanva—is to remember that the text emerged from a long, disciplined, and deeply interior seeing. The Rigveda thus stands as both a record of divine speech and a testament to the seers who were capable of hearing it.