A sage – grandson of the king Agnidhra.

Antecedents: Vishnu – Brahma – Swayambhuvamanu – Priyavrata – Agnidhra – Nabhi – Rishabha.

He was born to Nabhi and his wife Meru. Rishabha’s wife was Jayanti and they had a hundred sons. Rishabha left the kingdom to his first born Bharata and went away to meditate in Pulaha’s hermitage in the jungles. He meditated there for several years and the mountain where he sat came to be known as Rishabhakuta. Since he preferred silence, he disliked people coming to the mountain and cursed that the mountain would throw stones whenever anyone tried to climb it. Once he called the winds and told them to maintain silence when they passed the mountain. He decreed that those who spoke on the mountain would be struck by lightning. Later the place became a pilgrimage spot called Nanda as per Mahabharata Aranyaparva Chapter 11.

Rishabha prayed to Shiva and became a shivayogi. Once a brahmin named Mandara and a prostitute named Pingala, who were living together, died and in their next birth, Mandara was born as Nala’s grandson Bhadrayu and Pingala was born as Sumati, wife of Vajrabahu (Amshuman). Sumati became pregnant but was poisoned by the other wives, who were jealous. She became sick, as did her child, and they were abandoned in the forest. She started living with a trader family, but the child soon died. As per Shivapurana Rishabha reached there and consoled her.

Rishabha lived according to the rules of vanaprastha and conducted many yajnas. He lost weight and the veins in his body started becoming visible. He swallowed a stone and walked through the forest, waiting for salvation as per Vishnupurana Chapter 1. The Shivapurana has a story of a Rishabha who attained salvation after he died in a forest fire.