The Narmada originates from Amarkantak in the Mekal hills, an extension of Vindhyachal (literally meaning Vindhya hills, ‘achal’ meaning ‘something that cannot be moved’ and thus signifying a hill) and Satpuras on the MP-Chhatisgarh border, from a small source known as the ‘Narmada-Kund.’ Narmada’s origin is described in great detail, though in slightly varying ways in several texts like the ‘Reva-Khand’ of the ‘Skanda-Purana,’, ‘Vayu Purana’ and also in ‘Vashishtha Samhita’ in a dialogue between sage Vashishtha and Sri Ramachandra. The ‘Reva Khand’ is also available separately and in Hindi translation by name of ‘Narmada Purana.’ The Purana tells us that Narmada is the daughter of ‘Lord Shiva’ as she was born from his body – when the Great Lord was dancing (Shiva’s Tandava), a resplendent young girl appeared out of a drop of sweat and that was Narmada. Another close view is that she came into being from a drop of ‘Soma’ from the body of Shiva – hence she is also called ‘Somodbhava.’
Then for the blessing of gods, humans and all creatures alike, the divine girl took the form of a flowing river.
But then the question arose as to who would bear the great momentum of her descent. Vindhya’s son Mekal volunteered for the task. Hence she took this flowing form from the hill Mekal and for this reason she is also called Mekalkanya or Mekalsuta, daughter of Mekal.
Another name for Narmada, and a popular one too, is Reva and is quite commonly used not just in Narmadakhand but outside too. Reva has its origin in the root ‘Rav’ which means making a lot of sound, something which Narmada does in the larger part of its career where she encounters hills and rocks, turns and falls, sometimes with great speed and sound, and thus finding many ways to find its way through, surmounting all obstacles. People living much outside the Narmada belt have given their daughters the names Narmada or Reva.
The great Sanskrit scholar Amarsingh who was the famed author of the dictionary ‘Amarkosh’ has given these four names by which Narmada is referred to – Reva, Narmada, Somodhvhava, and Mekalkanya.
रेवा तु नर्मदा सोमोद्भवा मेकलकन्यका
(Amarkosh)
The name Narmada literally means ‘one who gives joy’ – Narma-da (Narma dadati iti Narmada.) A shloka that elaborates on the theme of the joy-giving nature of Narmada is as follows :
यतो ददासि नो नर्म चक्षुषात्वं विपश्यता।
ततो भविष्यसे देवी विख्याता भुवि नर्मदा ।।
An alternate etymological explanation of the name ‘Narmada’ is also given on account of the fact that she had the blessing for remaining in existence even after the great Pralayas (cataclysmic dissolutions) after every Kalpa, a great unit of time – sort of an aeon – in traditional Indian cosmology. So it was called ‘Na Mrita’ – one who never perishes, and from that idea the word Narmada has come.
The following shloka establishes this :
समुद्राः सरितः सर्वाः, कल्पे-कल्पे क्षयं गताः
सप्त कल्पक्षये क्षीणे न मृता तेन नर्मदा ॥
(The ocean and all the rivers get destroyed after each Kalpa (aeon). But even after the passage of seven Kalpas (aeons) Narmada remained unperished.)
Rishi Markandeya who had the blessing of being a ‘Chiranjeevi’ – ever-living – saw multiple dissolutions of the creation (Pralay) and described that he had been witness to seven dissolutions when everything had perished but Narmada, the imperishable, was still flowing. This is evocatively described in the ‘Reva-Khand’ of the ‘Skanda Purana’ in the dialogue between Rishi Markandeya and Yudhishthir.
There are several other names given for Narmada like Baluvahini – one carrying sand, Vipasha – one freeing from bondages, and Vipapa – one freeing from the baggage of sins.
Narmada’s Day of Manifestation
In Vashishtha-Samhita, the sage Vashishtha tells Sri Rama of exactly when did Narmada manifest herself in this world of mortals for giving eternal joy and bliss. The date indicated is Shukla Saptami of Magh (the seventh day during the waxing moon fortnight in the month of ‘Magh’ of traditional Hindu lunal calendars and even time is give as noon and is said that it was Ravivar (Sunday of the western calendars). This date is celebrated all across Narmadakhand as ‘Narmada Jayanti’.
माघे च सितसप्तम्यां दासभे च रवेर्दिने ।
मध्याह्नसमये राम भास्करेण क्रमागते ll
(Vashishtha-Samhita)
The inseparability of Narmada and Shiva
एषा पवित्रा विमला, नदी त्रैलोक्य-विश्रुता ।
नर्मदा सरितां श्रेष्ठा, महादेवस्य वल्लभा ||
(In all three worlds, she is hailed as a pure and taintless river, greatest among rivers and very dear to Mahadeva.)
The idea and name of Narmada is inseparable from that of Shiva. Hence the standard greeting ‘Narmade Har’ resonates all over the region from Amarkantak to the sea. The whole of Narmadakhand is full of Shiva temples – there would hardly be a village that would not have one. There are ghats (small or big) almost every two miles. It would not be wrong to claim that no river in the world would have as many ghats as Narmada does. It is a common sight every evening on each ghat, of people devotedly releasing lamps (diyas) floating on the waters or placing lights and incense. On special days, thousands of lights and lamps adorn the water surface of this holiest of holy rivers. Narmada is the Ishta-Devi of all who live in its vicinity. Their lives revolve around her.
Her flowing form is only her outer appearance just as an idol represents a divine characteristic of which the idol is only an outer form. But in essence Narmada is said to be Mother Goddess (Devi) herself and is the presiding deity (Adhishthatri Devi) of the flowing waters (her outer form). All across the Narmadakhand, she is called Shiva-Putri (daughter of Shiva) and revered and worshipped as Mother-Goddess (Devi). The scriptures profess Narmada’s waters are imbued with the presence of Shiva and all who are blessed by Narmada get Shiva’s blessings as well. Even each ‘kankar’ (pebble) in Narmada has Lord Shiva in manifest form – ‘Har Kankar mein Shankar hai’ is a profoundly held belief in this region through the millennia.
Narmada’s Glory and Majesty
It has been a common saying among ascetics that one should do Tapasya on the banks of Narmada and breathe their last on the banks of the Ganga :
रेवातटे तपं कुर्यात्
मरणं जाह्नवी तटे।
यथा गङ्गा तथा रेवा तथा चैव सरस्वती।
समं पुण्यफलं प्रोक्तं स्नानदर्शनचिन्तनैः ।।
सरस्वत्यां च गङ्गायां नर्मदायां युधिष्ठिर ।
समं स्नानं च दानं च यथा मे शङ्करोऽब्रवीत्।
Even the Darshana (sight) of Narmada is considered to be of spiritually beneficial. The shloka below even says that while other rivers like Saraswati, Yamuna, and even Ganga required a certain number of baths in their waters, the very sight of Narmada purifies one.
त्रिभिः सारस्वतं पुण्यं सप्ताहेन तु यामुनम् ।
सद्यः पुनाति गाङ्गेयं दर्शनादेव नर्मदा ॥
Devotees even have the conviction that one need not necessarily be present at the Narmada banks for receiving her Grace. One may just reflect upon this daughter of Mahadeva and this contemplation alone unites the devotee with Devi Narmada.
There are several ancient texts extolling the majestic glory of Narmada like:
गंगा कनखले पुण्या, कुरुक्षेत्रे सरस्वती ।
ग्रामे वा यदि वाऽरण्ये पुण्या सर्वत्र नर्मदा II
(Ganga is holiest at Kankhal, Saraswati at Kurukshetra; in villages and forests alike, Narmada remains equally holy)
स्मरणात् जन्मजं पापं, दर्शनेन त्रिजन्मजम् ।
स्नानात् जन्मसहस्त्राख्यं हन्ति रेवा कलौ युगे ||
(In the Kali Yuga, even remembrance of Reva destroys one’s sins of the present life, by its sight sins of three lifetimes are destroyed, and by taking a bath in this holy river, one gets free from the sins of a thousand lifetimes.)
रेवायां स्नानदानादि जपहोमार्चनादिकम् ।
यः कुर्यान्मनुजः श्रेष्ठः सोऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत् ॥
(One who does Snana, Daan and performs practices spiritual austerities like Japa, Homa, and Archana on the banks of Narmada acquires the merit of the great ‘Ashwamedha Yagna.’)
नर्मदा नर्मदा सर्व – मनोरथान् ददाति वै ।
कलौ तु नर्मदा देवी, कल्पवृक्षो जनार्तिहा ||
(Narmada, the giver of joy, fulfils the aspirations of people. In this Kali-Yuga, Narmada is verily the wish-fulfilling tree that is ever-responsive to the prayers of its devotees.)
सर्वतीर्थेषु यत्पुण्यं स्नात्वा सागरमादितः |
सकृत् स्नात्वा तथा श्रृत्वा, नर्मदायां फलं हि तत् ||
(The spiritual merit gained by receiving Narmada’s Grace is equal to visiting all Teerthas (sacred places) and taking bath even in the great sea.
तटपुलिनं शिवदेवा यस्या
यतयोऽपि कामयन्ते वा ।
मुनिनिवह विहितसेवा
शिवाय मम जायतां रेवा ।।
(Skanda Purana)
The devotee of Narmada is also guaranteed some special blessings. For instance the Vishnu-Purana guarantees that one who worships Narmada in the morning and evening will ever be saved from deadliest venoms of the serpents which are in great number in the hills and forests of Narmadakhand and live on its banks.
नर्मदायै नमः प्रातर्नर्मदायै नमो निशि ।
नमोऽस्तु नर्मदे तुभ्यं त्राहि मां विषसर्पतः ।।
The great medieval and arguably the most popular Bhakti scripture in northern India – Ramacharitmanas of Tulsidas extols the glory of Narmada :
सिवप्रिय मेकल सैल सुता सी।
सकल सिद्धि सुख संपत्ति रासी ।।
(Balakand, Ramacharitmanas)
The great eighth century philosopher Sri Sankara, walked all the way from Kerala, a distance of nearly 2000 kilometres, to the Narmada and met his Guru Sri Govindpada at the Jyotirlinga of Omkareswar, a riverine island regarded as the pre-eminent pilgrim centre and spiritual eminence in the Narmadakhand. It is said that when the Guru asked him of his identity he replied in verse, which is famous as ‘Nirvana-Shatakam’ having the refrain that he was of the nature of the Pure Consciousness (Chidananda Rupah Shivoham Shivoham). Sankara also composed the famous hymn, the ‘Narmada-Ashtakam’ (Tvadiya Pada Pankajam, Namami Devi Narmade), well-known in the region, among ascetics and commoners alike. When his Guru was immersed in Samadhi, and a sudden overflow occurred in the Narmada, Sankara prayed to her to be seated in a small receptacle.
Besides, giving joy Narmada also is a remover of fear, cleanser of all sins and taints, and endower of both enjoyment as well as liberation.
These qualities come out strongly in Acharya Sankara’s ‘Narmada-ashtakam’.
As Remover of Fear
कृतान्तदूतकालभूत – भीतिहारि वर्मदे
(You remove (act as a protector against) the fear of Yama – the messengers of Yama – and of death itself.)
गतं तदैव मे भयं त्वदम्बु वीक्षितं यदा
(Seeing your waters, my fear left me.)
As Cleanser of sins and taints
कलौ मलौघभारहारि सर्वतीर्थनायक् ।
(You, the greatest of all sacred regions, remove the impurities and taint of Kali-Yuga)
दुरन्तपापतापहारि सर्वजन्तुशर्मदे
(You take away the sins and ill-being of all creatures)
As Bestower of enjoyment and liberation
ततस्तु जीवजन्तुतन्तु भुक्ति-मुक्तिदायकम् ।
(You bestow both enjoyment as well as liberation to all creatures.)
In Poetical Imagination
All great Sanskrit poets like Kalidasa, Bhasa, Murari, Banabhatt, Rajshekhar and several others have evocatively described Narmada, sometimes made her a character in their poetical or dramatic works, and often used her as a compelling metaphor.
Consider this passage from ‘Raghuvansham’ in which the great Kalidasa compares the lost and thwarted but yet energetic army finding and making its way through hills and forests of Vindhyas just as Narmada makes its way surmounting all opposition and blockages.
मार्गेषिणी सा कटकान्तरेषु वैन्ध्येषु सेना बहुधा विभिन्ना ।
चकार रेवेव महाविरावा बद्धप्रतिश्रुन्ति गुहामुखानि ।।
(Raghuvansham, 16/31)
Fairs and Festivities in Narmadakhhand
The entire region along Narmada, right from Amarkantak to the sea, is dotted with ghats and places considered ‘Teerthas’ (sacred) where people throng on days regarded as auspicious for Snana and Darshana in a local temple. Every Amavasya is considered auspicious in Narmadakhhand. People from villages as distant as thirty miles walk from the preceding evening, sometimes single, or at other times in groups, to reach a Ghat at night (camping there) for an early morning dip in the holy water. These crowds consist of people of all ages, a significant percent of whom are youths. Some Amavasyas are even special. Similarly, on a few Poornima days, Snana is considered auspicious like the Kartik Poornima. During the entire month of Kartik, womenfolk in particular take bath in the holy water. People bath in the Narmada throughout the month of Shravana (which is considered as the month of Shiva). Somvars (Mondays) in the month of Shravana are considered even more auspicious. Similarly, Somvati Amavasya (an Amavasya falling on a Monday) is considered special and huge crowds can be seen on the ghats. Days of Grihan (eclipse) are also considered special for bath, based on certain timings calculated astrologically. Then there are special days like Narmada Jayanti (on Magh Shukla Saptami) and Makar Sankranti (the most prominent and rare Hindu festival that follows the solar (and not lunar motion). There is another special day of Rishi Panchami (the day following ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’ in the month of Bhadra (which is little known in cities) when womenfolk in great numbers take bath in Narmada.
These days become like fairs at these places on the banks – with arrangements, however rudimentary, to accommodate the devotees, and small shoos selling wares like children’s toys, womenfolk’s simple ornaments like necklaces, bangles and Bindis, or items common to all devotees like lockets, photographs of gods and goddesses or locally revered saints, copies of scriptures, etc.
Some fairs go on for many together. For instance, the Makar Sankranti fair at Barman Ghat in Narsinghpur district, attracts crowds for almost a months.
There have been folksongs celebrating such occasions and people can be heard singing them while walking or at ghats – they are also played on speakers at the ghats, or at ashrams in located in the vicinity.
While instances on the nature of Ma Narmada as a giver of joy would surely be endless, we may close this chapter with a few lines from a couple of this folk-songs conveying the joy of the Snanarthis (those going for the auspicious bath).
चलो रे भैया चलिहें नरबदा के तीर
परब को दिन आयो
दिन आयो रे अनमोल
परब को दिन आयो
गंगा नहायो जमुना नहायो
अब देखि है मैया तेरो नीर
परब को दिन आयो ।
(Come all to the Narmada banks
The festive day has come
The precious day has come
The festive day has come
We have bathed in Ganga, bathed in Yamuna
Now we come to your banks O Mother
The festive day has come.)
तरे नर नारी माई के स्नान में,
मेला लागो बरमान में ।
पूरब दिसा बनी सतधारा,
निकरी रेवा फोर पहारा,
अर्जुन भीम ने बाँधी धारा ।
मेला लागो बरमान में ।
(Men and women alike swim (cross) the worldly difficulties while bathing in the Mother. There is a fair at Barman. On the east is the Saptadhara. Reva has smashed the hills to make her way. Arjun (Kartyaveera Arjun of the Treta Yuga and not the Arjun, the Pandava) and Bheem (the Pandava) had tried (in vain) to block the streams. There is a fair at Barman.)
▶Next Chapter: The Narmada Parikrama Tradition