The Chronology of the Rishis of Later Vedic Period mentioned

in the Post Vedic Literature

Vedveer Arya

Upanishads, Samhitas, Brahmanas and Aranyakas refer to numerous Vedic Rishis and their
contemporaries. Considering the following timelines, I have attempted to arrive the chronology
of Rishi of later Vedic period.
• Proto Vedic Period (16000-14500 BCE)
• Vedic Period (14500-10000 BCE)
• Adiyuga : The Early Manu Dynasty (14500-14000 BCE)
• Devayuga: The Vedic Period (14000-11000 BCE)
• The Great Flood in Vaivasvata Manu’s Kingdom (11200 BCE)
• Vedic Sarasvati River lost in Thar desert (10900-10500 BCE)
• Later Vedic Period (11000-10000 BCE)
• Sarasvati River started flowing westwards (10500-10000 BCE)
• The Post Vedic Period (10000-6778 BCE)
• The submergence of Dvaravati City by sea (9800-9500 BCE)
• The epoch of the end of the 28th Kritayuga (6778-6777 BCE)

1 Indrota Daivāpa He was a contemporary of Janamejaya Pārikshita 11270 BCE

Shaunaka (11270 BCE). He anointed him and performed Aindra
Mahabhisheka.
2 Tura Kāvasheya He was a Purohita of King Janamejaya Pārikshita. 11270 BCE
3 Shaunaka A contemporary of Abhipratārin Kākshaseni. 11200 BCE
Kāpeya
4 Abhipratārin Seemingly, he was the son of Kakshasena. 11200 BCE
Kākshaseni Panchavimsha Brahmana (10.5.7) and Jaiminiya
Brahmana (3.156) refer to him. According to
Shatapatha Brahmana, Kakshasena was the son of
Janamejaya (11270 BCE).
5 Parvata and Aitareya Brahamana indicates that Rishi Parvata and 11200 BCE
Narada Rishi Narada were the contemporaries of King
Yudhashraishti, son of Agrasena, King Sahadeva, son
of Srinjaya, King Somaka, son of Sahadeva, King
Babhru, son of Devavridha II, King Bima of Vidarbha
and King Nagnajit, son of Gāndhāra I.
6 Chaikitaneya Kuru King Abhipratārin, son of Kakshasena was the 11200 BCE
Brahmadatta patron of him.
7 Babhru A pupil of Parvata and Narada. 11180 BCE
Daivavridha
8 Bhima He is mentioned in the Aitareya Brahmana as having 11180 BCE
Vaidarbha received instruction regarding the substitute for the
Soma juice through a succession of teachers from
Parvata and Nārada.
9 Uddālaka I He was a pupil of Rishi Ayodha Dhaumya. Upamanyu 11160 BCE
and Veda were his classmates.
10 Upamanyu A contemporary of Uddālaka I. 11160 BCE
11 Veda He was a contemporary of Uddālaka I and the 11160 BCE
teacher of Uttanka.
12 Yājnavalkya I He was a pupil of Uddālaka I and son of Devarāta. 11140 BCE
Vājasaneya
13 Gautama He was the teacher of Satyakāma Jābāla. 11140 BCE
Haridrumata
14 Kusuruvinda There were two Uddālakas. Uddālaka I was a pupil of 11130 BCE
Auddālaki Rishi Dhaumya (11150 BCE), a brother of Rishi
Devala. Seemingly, Kusuruvinda Auddālaki was the
son of Uddālaka I. Uddālaka Aruni (10870 BCE) was
the second Uddālaka.
15 Satyakāma He was a pupil of Gautama Haridrumata and 11100 BCE
Jābāla Uddalaka I (11100 BCE). King Videha refers to
Satyakama Jābāla (Brihadaranyaka, 4.1.6).
16 Revottara He was a royal official of Srinjaya Pānchala king 11100 BCE
Sthapati Pātava Dushtharitu Paumsāyana. He had diplomatically
Chākra opposed Kauravya king Bāhlika, son of King Pratipa
(11130 BCE).
17 Goshruti A disciple of Satyakāma Jābāla 11080 BCE
Vaiyāghrapadya
18 Upakosala A pupil of Satyakāma Jābāla. 11080 BCE
Kāmalāyana
19 Shauva Udgitha A contemporary of Vaka Dālbhya 11050 BCE
20 Vaka Dālbhya He was a contemporary of Satanika Satrajita and 11050 BCE
or Glāva Dhritarashtra Vaichitravirya.
Maitreya
21 Devabhāga He was a Purohita of Srinjayas and Kurus. Girija 11000 BCE
Shrautarsha Bābhravya was his pupil.
22 Kapila He was a contemporary of Ikshvaku King Sagara 10940 BCE
(10940-10900 BCE)
23 Asuri A pupil of Maharshi Kapila. 10900 BCE
24 Patanchala He was the teacher of Uddālaka Aruni. 10900 BCE
Kāpya
25 Aruna Aruna was the son of Upavesha and a contemporary 10900 BCE
Aupaveshi of King Ashvapati Kaikeya. His son Uddālaka Aruni
Gautama was a contemporary of Kinga Janaka (10870-10830
BCE).
26 Priyavrata Aitareya Brahmana (7.24) refers to him. He was a 10900 BCE
Saumapi senior contemporary of Uddālaka Aruni.
27 Panchashikha A pupil of Asuri. 10880 BCE
28 Ashvala He was the Hotā (Purohita) of King Videha and 10880 BCE
Janaka. He was the progenitor of Ashvalāyanas.
29 Ashvapati He was the king of Kekaya and the senior 10880 BCE
Kaikeya contemporary of King Janaka. He was the only
scholar having the knowledge of Vaishvanara. Six
great Rishis namely Prāchinasāla, Satyayajna,
Indradyumna, Jana, Budila and Uddālaka Aruni
approached him to learn about Vaishvanara. Savitri
was his daughter.
30 Atyamha Aruni Taittiriya Brahmana (3.10.9.3) refers to Atyamha 10870 BCE
Aruni. He was the son of Aruna Aupaveshi and a
contemporary of Plaksha Dayyampāti.
31 Uddālaka Aruni He was the contemporary of Videha King Janaka. His 10870 BCE
father-teacher was Aruna Aupaveshi. Patanchala
Kāpya was also his teacher.
32 Bārku Vārshna He was a contemporary of King Videha. 10870 BCE
33 Prachinashāla A contemporary of Uddālaka Aruni. 10860 BCE
Aupamanyava
34 Satyayajna A contemporary of Uddālaka Aruni. 10860 BCE
Paulushi
35 Indradyumna A contemporary of Uddālaka Aruni. 10860 BCE
Bhāllaveya
36 Jana A contemporary of Uddālaka Aruni. 10860 BCE
Shārkarākshya
37 Budila A contemporary of Uddālaka Aruni. 10860 BCE
Ashvatarāshvi
38 Mahishāla He went to King Ashvapati along with Uddālaka 10860 BCE
Jābāla Aruni.
39 Yajnavalkya II He debated with many scholars like Uddalaka Aruni, 10850 BCE
Gārgi Vāchaknavi etc. in the court of King Janaka.
40 Gaushla A contemporary of Budila Ashvatarāshvi 10850 BCE
41 Gārgya Bālāki Kashi King Ajatashatru, a contemporary of Videha 10850 BCE
King Janaka (10870-10830 BCE) was the patron of
Bālāki. He lived among the Ushinaras, Satvat-
Matsyas, Kuru-Panchalas and Kāshi-Videhas.
42 Ajatashatru He was the king of Kashi and a contemporary of King 10850 BCE
Janaka.
43 Udanka He was also a contemporary of King Janaka. 10850 BCE
Shaulbāyana
44 Prāchinayogya Uddālaka Aruni defeated him in a debate. 10850 BCE
Shaucheya
45 Svaidāyana Uddālaka Aruni defeated him in a debate. 10850 BCE
Shaunaka
46 Dividāsa He was a contemporary of Uddālaka Aruni. 10850 BCE
Bhaimaseni
47 Vasishtha He was a contemporary of Uddālaka Aruni. 10850 BCE
Chaikitāyana
48 Chitra He was a contemporary of Uddālaka Aruni. 10850 BCE
Gāngyāyani
49 Ushasti He was a contemporary of King Janaka. He lived as a 10850 BCE
Chākrāyana Bhikshu in a village of Kurus named Ibhyagrāma. A
severe rain of hailstones had destroyed the region of
Kurus resulting a famine during his lifetime.
50 Kahodaka He married Sujata, daughter of Uddalaka Aruni. Rishi 10850 BCE
Ashtāvakra was his son.
51 Gārgi She debated with Yajnavalkya in the court of King 10850 BCE
Vāchaknavi Janaka. She was a daughter of Vachaknu.
52 Jitvan Shailini A contemporary of King Janaka. 10850 BCE
53 Barku Vārshana A contemporary of King Janaka. 10850 BCE
54 Vidagdha A contemporary of King Janaka. 10850 BCE
Shākalya
55 Jala Jātukarnya A purohita of three kingdoms, Kāshi, Videha and 10850 BCE
Kosala.
56 Jaratkārava A contemporary of King Janaka. 10850 BCE
Artabhāga
57 Maitreyi First wife of Yājnavalkya II 10850 BCE
58 Kātyāyani Second wife of Yājnavalkya II 10850 BCE
59 Shvetaketu He was the son of Uddālaka Aruni. 10840 BCE
Auddālaki
Aruneya
60 Pravahana He was the king of Panchala and a contemporary of 10840 BCE
Jaivali King Janaka and Shvetaketu Auddalaki.
61 Proti He was a pupil of Uddālaka Aruni. 10840 BCE
Kausuruvindi of
Kaushambi
62 Kaushitaki He was a pupil of Uddalaka Aruni. 10840 BCE
63 Bhadrasena He was a son of Kashi king Ajatashatru. Uddālaka 10840 BCE
Ajatashatrava Aruni defeated him in a debate.
64 Madhuka He was a pupil of Uddalaka Aruni. 10840 BCE
Paingya
65 Chula He was a pupil of Uddalaka Aruni. 10840 BCE
Bhāgavitti
66 Jānaki He was a pupil of Uddalaka Aruni. 10840 BCE
Ayasthuna
67 Gardabhi Vipita He was a contemporary of King Janaka. He belonged 10840 BCE
to Bharadvaja gotra.
68 Bhujyu A contemporary of Uddalaka Aruni and a pupil of 10840 BCE
Lāhyāyani Patanchala Kāpya. He debated with Yajnavalkya.
69 Chākitāyana A contemporary of Panchala King Pravahana Jaivali. 10840 BCE
Dālbhya
70 Somasuhma A contemporary of Shvetaketu Auddālaki and son of 10840 BCE
Sātyayajni Satyayajna.
71 Silaka A contemporary of Panchala King Pravahana Jaivali. 10830 BCE
Shālāvatya
72 Shānkhāyana He was a pupil of Kahola. Kahola was a pupil of 10800 BCE
Kaushitaki and Kaushitaki was a pupil of Uddālaka
Aruni.
73 Babara Taittiriya Samhitā (7.1.10.2) refers to him. Most 10800 BCE
Prāvāhani probably, Babara was the son of Panchala king
Pravahana Jaivali.
74 Jāta Shākāyana A contemporary of Ikshvaku king Brihadratha. He is 10750 BCE
mentioned in Kathaka Samhitā (22.7).
75 Pippalāda Prince Hiranyanābha Kaushalya (10700 BCE) was a 10700 BCE
contemporary of Rishi Pippalada. Ashvalayana
Kaushalya was a descendant of Rishi Ashvala, a
priest of King Videha and his son Janaka (10870-
10830 BCE).
76 Sukesha A pupil of Rishi Pippalada. 10670 BCE
Bhāradvaja
77 Satyakāma A pupil of Rishi Pippalada. 10670 BCE
Shaivya
78 Gārgya A pupil of Rishi Pippalada. 10670 BCE
Sauryāyani
79 Ashvalāyana A pupil of Rishi Pippalada. 10670 BCE
Kaushalya
80 Bhārgava A pupil of Rishi Pippalada. 10670 BCE
Vaidarbhi
81 Kabandhi A pupil of Rishi Pippalada. 10670 BCE
Kātyāyana
Though the chronological information of the following Rishis is not available but most
probably, they had flourished around 11200-10700 BCE.
82 Atidhanva The teacher of Udara Shāndilya.
Shaunaka
83 Taponitya He is mentioned in Taittiriya Upanishad.
Paurushishti
84 Tuminjna He is mentioned in Taittiriya Samhita (1.7.2.1)
Aupoditi
85 Tura Shravas He is mentioned in Panchavimsha Brahmana
(9.4.10)
86 Dirgha Shravas He was expelled by a King. He starved himself till he
could invent a Sāma.
87 Dridhachyut He was Udgātā at the satra Yajna of Vibhindukiyas.
Agasti
88 Prati Bodhi Aitareya Brahama (3.1.5) refers to him.
Putra
89 Nāka Shatapatha Brahmana (12.5.2.1) refers to him
Maudgalya
90 Priyavrata Shatapatha (10.3.5.14)
Rauhinyāyana
91 Babhru Panchavimsha Brahmana (15.3.13).
Kaumbhya
92 Basta Maitrayani Samhitā (4.2.10).
Rāmakāyana
93 Bādhva Aitareya Brahmana (3.2.3).
94 Mākshavya Aitareya Aranyaka (3.1)
95 Mahachamasa Taittiriya Aranyaka (1.5.1)
96 Māhitthi Shatapatha (6.2.2.10)
97 Raikva He was a contemporary of King Janashruti
Pautrāyana.
98 Vātavata Panchavimsha Brahmana (25.3.6). Dārteyas (Driti)
were more prosperous than the Vātavatas.
99 Samshravas Taittiriya Samhitā (1.7.2.1).
Sauvarchanasa
100 Satyavachas Taittiriya Upanishad (1.9.1).
Rāthitara