Divine Beings
Lomasa
लोमश
Guide of the Pilgrimage
Who was Lomasa?
Lomasa (लोमश): Guide of the Pilgrimage, one of the divine beings in the Mahabharata. A celestial rishi who came upon Arjuna seated on half of Indra's own throne, and was sent down to earth with two errands: to tell Yudhishthira that his brother was safe and mastering weapons in heaven, and to walk the exiled Pandavas through the sacred fords and guard them from the cannibals of the mountain roads.
Quick Facts
| Sanskrit name | लोमश |
|---|---|
| Title / Epithet | Guide of the Pilgrimage |
| Faction | Divine Beings |
| Key traits | learned, protective, travelled, patient |
| Notable relationships | Sent by: Indra, Guide of: Yudhishthira, Bearer of his news: Arjuna, Fellow guide: Dhaumya |
| Featured in | 8 stories |
About Lomasa
A celestial rishi who came upon Arjuna seated on half of Indra's own throne, and was sent down to earth with two errands: to tell Yudhishthira that his brother was safe and mastering weapons in heaven, and to walk the exiled Pandavas through the sacred fords and guard them from the cannibals of the mountain roads. He is the epic's principal guide and narrator of the pilgrimage, explaining at each ford why it is holy - Agastya and the ocean, Rudra's first share at the Vaitarani, the limit past Arshtishena's hermitage beyond which mortals may not climb.
In Their Words
Bathe here, and I will tell you why the water was worth the walk.
Lomasa
Traits
- learned
- protective
- travelled
- patient
Story Appearances
Stories Featuring Lomasa
6 further tales on this site name Lomasa, in canonical reading order.
- The Queen Who Put God on TrialA bird on a string, and a child breaking its toys
- The Mountain That Answers SpeechWhere a sage's temper made silence the price of passage
- The Two Pots of RiceA mother and daughter exchange their bowls and exchange their sons
- The Council at PrabhasaThe Yadavas find the exiles on the shore and argue about ending the exile by force
- The Warning in the DreamA father begs his son to live, and the son chooses to be remembered
- The Count of the DeadKrishna's blunt answer, and a king who could see where they had gone
Character Arc
- The ErrandCarries Indra's word about Arjuna down to the Kamyaka woods
- The FordsWalks the brothers from Prayaga to the northern mountains
- The LimitHalts them where the road toward Kubera's city ends
Key Relationships
- Sent byIndra
- Guide ofYudhishthira
- Bearer of his newsArjuna
- Fellow guideDhaumya
Places in Lomasa's Story
Drawn from the stories Lomasa appears in.
Related Characters
Others counted among the Divine Beings.