Story of Lomaśa

(ROMAŚA) I. A sage, who was a great story-teller. Many of the stories found as episodes in the Purāṇas were told by this sage. Mahābhārata gives the following details about him.

(1) Lomaśa was very virtuous and longlived. (Śloka 18, Chapter 31, Vana Parva).

(2) Once Lomaśa entered the court of Indra and spoke to Indra about Arjuna sitting sharing a half of his seat before him. (Śloka 1, Chapter 47, Vana Parva).

(3) Lomaśa returned to Kāmyakavana from the court of Indra and gave Yudhiṣṭhira the messages from Indra and Arjuna. (Śloka 33, Chapter 47, Vana Parva).

(4) He prophesied to Arjuna that he would get divine weapons from Śiva. (Śloka 10, Chapter 91, Vana Parva).

(5) Lomaśa consoled Yudhiṣṭhira when he came to the forests in exile leaving all his happy surroundings in the country. (Śloka 17, Chapter 94, Vana Parva).

(6) He told Dharmaputra the story of Agastya. (Chapter 96, Vana Parva).

(7) Lomaśa told Dharmaputra the stories of Śrī Rāma and Paraśurāma. (Śloka 40, Chapter 99, Vana Parva).

(8) Asuras defeated all the Devas and the latter were perplexed. It was Lomaśa who then advised them to make weapons out of the bones of the sage Dadhīca. (Chapter 100, Vana Parva).

(9) Lomaśa mentioned to the Devas a trick to kill Vṛtrāsura. (Chapter 101, Vana Parva).

(10) The story of Bhagīratha, the episode of Ṛṣyasṛṅga etc. were all told by Lomaśa. (Chapters 103 to 113, Vana Parva).

(11) Lomaśa told Yudhiṣṭhira the story of the Yāga of King Gaya, the story of the river Payoṣṇī, the glory of the mountain of Vaiḍūrya and the river Narmadā, and the story of Cyavana the great sage. (Chapter 121, Vana Parva).

(12) He told the Pāṇḍavas the story of Māndhātā. (Chapter 126, Vana Parva).

(13) Lomaśa told Yudhiṣṭhira the story of Somaka and Jantu. (Chapter 127, Vana Parva).

(14) He praised the glory of the holy place Yamunātīrtha, known as Plakṣaprasravaṇa also, near Kurukṣetra. Chapter 129, Vana Parva).

(15) It was Lomaśa who told the story of the emperor Śibi who gave his own flesh to protect a dove which went to him for refuge. (Chapter 130, Vana Parva).

(16) Lomaśa told the story of the sage Aṣṭāvakra to the Pāṇḍavas. (Chapter 133, Vana Parva).

(17) He described the story of Yavakrīta and Medhāvī to the Pāṇḍavas. (Chapter 135, Vana Parva).

(18) Dharmaputra heard the stories of Bharadvāja, Raibhya, Arvāvasu and Parāvasu from Lomaśa. (Chapter 137, Vana Parva).

(19) Lomaśa told Dharmaputra the story of Narakāsura and the incarnation of Viṣṇu as Varāha. (Chapter 142, Vana Parva).

(20) Lomaśa visited Bhīṣma lying on his bed of arrows. (Śānti Parva).

(21) Lomaśa praised the glory of giving rice as charity, (Śloka 10, Chapter 67, Anuśāsana Parva).

(22) Lomaśa was a sage from the north. (Śloka 46, Chapter 165, Vana Parva).

(23) Lomaśa relieved many nymphs like Pramohinī from their curses. (See under Pramohinī).