In the Mahabharata, a king of the Solar dynasty named Shala visits Vamadeva's hermitage during a hunt, asking the sage for a few of his horses belonging to the herd called vamya, reputed to be swift.
His brother, Dala, upon ascending the throne, also refuses to give up the horses, and plots to have Vamadeva killed with a poisoned arrow.
When the new king repents, Vamadeva tells him that he may be absolved of the sin of trying to murder a Brahmin by touching his queen with the arrow.
When the gandharva begged for mercy, the sage added that as a mouse, he would assume the honourable role of the vahana (mount) of Ganesha.
[6] In multiple places in the early Buddhist texts, such as the Vinaya Pitaka of the Mahavagga (I.245)[7] section the Buddha lists the ancient Vedic rishis "Atthako, Vâmako, Vâmadevo, Vessâmitto, Yamataggi, Angiraso, Bhâradvâjo, Vâsettho, Kassapo, and Bhagu".