Dear all,
Thank you for your replies. I have passed them along to my colleague.
In The Holy Land Reborn (2008: 246), Huber states:
There are Śaivite temples at the site that predate the modest nineteenth-century Tibetan temple there, and a local Sanskrit māhātmya for the area records the legend of Ṛishi Lomaśa, a figure whose exploits there are in fact very similar to those attributed by the Tibetans to Padmasambhava.
He then provides a footnote that cites Vogel and Francke. However, neither Vogel nor Francke (the latter being merely a quote of the former) mention that the māhātmya is in Sanskrit, but Huber does. This detail along with diction like "in fact" and "very similar" give the impression (to me at least) that Huber has first hand knowledge of this mysterious māhātmya. But does he really? He does not provide a title. Otherwise, perhaps he is inferring from Vogel's mention of brahmins that such a māhātmya would most likely be in Sanskrit.
If Huber is on this list, perhaps he can shine some light on this mystery.
As for the theory about Lomaśa's name, it certainly makes one wonder. However, as I understand it, Lomaśa ṛṣi is well attested in epic and puranic literature beyond Rewalsar, so it seems unlikely that the etymology of his name would be so closely associated with that site alone.
On a totally unrelated note, I remember reading somewhere that Rewalsar's name might also be associated with another legendary ascetic: Rawalnath.
Sincerely,
Westin Harris
Ph.D. Candidate
Study of Religion
University of California, Davis
The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies
Sarva Mangalam.