Vasishtha ('most excellent') is one of the oldest and revered Vedic rishis or sages,and one of the Saptarishis (seven great Rishis).
Vasishtha is credited as the chief author of Mandala 7 of the Rigveda.
Vasishtha and his family are mentioned in Rigvedic verse 10.167.4, other Rigvedic mandalas and in many Vedic texts.
His ideas have been influential and he was called the first sage of the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy by Adi Shankara.