Narmada, as is well-known, is the main peninsular river in India flowing westward, and is considered as one of the seven sacred rivers of ‘Bharatvarsha’ – others being Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Sindhu, Godawari, and Kaveri. The following shloka, that mentions all these seven sacred rivers is employed in most important ceremonies across the length and breadth of India.
गङ्गे च यमुने चैव गोदावरि सरस्वति ।
नर्मदे सिन्धु कावेरि जलेऽस्मिन् सन्निधिं कुरु ।।
Narmada is also distinguished in several other ways. It is, for a large part of its trajectory, enveloped on both sides by the forested hills of the Vindhyachal and Satpura. It had practically served the traditional boundary between North and South India and therefore been a defining factor of political control of the land for many a millennia. Most significantly – unbeknownst to most people – it is the only major river in the world circumambulated by thousands of devoted persons every year, a highly rigorous and exacting austerity known as ‘Narmada Parikrama’ or simply the ‘Parkamma.’
Narmada has also been known to the outside world since antiquity. Claudius Ptolemy, the great Alexandria-based polymath of the second century AD, mentions Narmada as Namade. The river also finds mention in the ‘Periplus Maris Erythrai’ (Periplus of the Erythraen Sea) – one of the first navigational guidebooks prominently used in the Greco-Roman world, as Nammadus. Records show that regular trading with the middle east, Egypt, Zanj, the Hellenic states and later the Roman Empire was already prevalent during those times and riverine ports near the Arabian Sea coast like Bharuch on bank of Narmada were already in considerable harness.
The original Narmada trajectory – not taking into account the changes due to dams – is 1312 km long. Out of it, the river flows 1078 km exclusively in MP, then serves as a 34 km border between MP and Maharashtra, followed by a 39 km border between Gujarat and Maharashtra, and finally exclusively 161 km in Gujarat before meeting the sea at the Gulf of Cambay. Therefore, one can also say that it flows 1112 km in MP, and 200 km in Gujarat (with about 73 km in Maharashtra.)
Narmada has numerous tributaries, big and small. Several of them have unfortunately been reduced to seasonal rivers, remaining almost dry during larger part of the year. Nevertheless, they carry out the great function of providing significant volumes of water to the Narmada during the rainy season. The longest tributary is Hiran which is 188 km long and meets Narmada at its northern bank. The second longest tributary is Banjar (183 km) which meets at the southern bank, while the Budhner (177 km) is third longest which meets on the northern bank. Other prominent tributaries are Tawa, Shakkar, Sher, Dudhi, Barna, , Kolar, Ganjal, Chhoti Tawa, Goi, Kundi, and Hathini in MP and Orsang, and Karjan in Gujarat.
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, 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 did not perish.)
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 Narmada manifested herself in this world of mortals for giving eternal joy and bliss. The date indicated is Shukla Saptami of Magha (the seventh day during the waxing moon fortnight in the month of ‘Magha’ of the traditional Hindu lunar calendar and even time is given 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
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 one, 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 – it would be difficult to find 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 (the chosen deity one regularly has devotion towards) 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 hailed as Shiva-Putri (daughter of Shiva) and revered and worshipped as Mother-Goddess. The scriptures profess that 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 bank of Narmada and breathe their last on the bank of the Ganga :
रेवातटे तपं कुर्यात्
मरणं जाह्नवी तटे।
The following two Sholkas assure that Narmada that Snana (bath), Darshana (sight), Chintan (contemplation), and Daana (charitable deeds) performed on bank of Narmada yield an equally virtuous fruit as it would in the two other sacred rivers, Ganga and Saraswati.
यथा गङ्गा तथा रेवा तथा चैव सरस्वती।
समं पुण्यफलं प्रोक्तं स्नानदर्शनचिन्तनैः ।।
सरस्वत्यां च गङ्गायां नर्मदायां युधिष्ठिर ।
समं स्नानं च दानं च यथा मे शङ्करोऽब्रवीत्।
Some Sholkas go even further and claim the superiority of Narmada in many ways. Even the Darshana (sight) of Narmada is considered to be 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 bank for receiving her Grace. One may just reflect upon this daughter of Mahadeva and this contemplation itself may unite the devotee with Devi Narmada and receive her Grace.
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 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, Daana and performs spiritual and devotional practices like Japa, Homa, and Archana on the bank 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 and destroys their miseries.
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)
May that Reva bless us with her Grace – one whose Grace is wished by the ascetic, one who is venerated and served by sages and ascetics and whose banks have presence of Shiva himself.
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 around its banks.
नर्मदायै नमः प्रातर्नर्मदायै नमो निशि ।
नमोऽस्तु नर्मदे तुभ्यं त्राहि मां विषसर्पतः ।।
The great eighth century philosopher Sri Sankara, walked all the way from Kerala to the Narmada region, 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 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.
The great medieval and arguably the most popular Bhakti scripture in North India – the Ramacharitmanas of Sri Tulsidas extols the glory of Narmada :
सिवप्रिय मेकल सैल सुता सी।
सकल सिद्धि सुख संपत्ति रासी ।।
(Balakand, Ramacharitmanas)
The one dear to Shiva, the daughter of Mekal, also bestows a treasure of joy, prosperity, and powers.
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.
While numerous verses across literature since antiquity can be found that vouch for this Grace of Mother Narmada, they are expressed in beautiful and emphatic language in Acharya Sankara’s ‘Narmada-Ashtakam’ from where we can see some examples.
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
As soon as I had the sight of your waters, all 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 sufferings of all creatures and bestow on them well-being and confort.
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, Trivikrambhatt, Rajshekhar and several others have evocatively described Narmada, sometimes making her a character in their poetical or dramatic works, and even employing her as a compelling metaphor.
Consider this passage from ‘Raghuvansham’ in which the great Kalidasa compares the lost and thwarted but yet an unyielding army trying to find and make its way through hills and forests of Vindhyas just as Narmada makes its way in its course, 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 regions) where people throng on days regarded as auspicious for Snana and Darshana. 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 on the Kartik Poornima. During the entire month of Kartik, womenfolk in particular, take bath in the holy water of Narmada even before the daylight. People bathe in Narmada throughout the month of Shravana (which is considered as the month of Shiva). Somvar (Monday) in the month of Shravana is 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 Mahashivaratri, Narmada Jayanti, 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, which is hardly known in the cities – it falls on the day following ‘Ganesh Chaturthi’ in the month of ‘Bhadra’ – when womenfolk in great numbers take bath in Narmada.
These special occasions often become like public fairs at these places on the bank and enhance to the joyous ambience – with arrangements, however rudimentary, to accommodate the devotees, and small shops selling wares like children’s toys, womenfolk’s simple ornaments like necklaces, bangles and bindis, or items common to all devotees like rings, Japa-malas, lockets, photographs of gods and goddesses or locally revered saints, copies of scriptures, and other such items.
Some fairs go on for many days together. For instance, the Makar Sankranti fair at Barman Ghat in Narsinghpur district, attracts crowds for almost a month.
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 located in the vicinity.
While instances in literature and folklore illustrating the characteristic 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 such folk-songs conveying the joy of the Snanarthis (those going for the auspicious bath) at a ghat on a special day.
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 bank
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 waters 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 (achieve liberation) upon bathing in the Mother. A fair is on at Barman. On the east (of Barman) is the Saptadhara where Reva, smashing the hills, has emerged to make her way. Arjun (Kartyaveera Arjun of the Treta Yuga) and Bheem (the Pandava) had tried (in vain) to block her flow. A fair is on at Barman.)
▶Next Chapter: The Narmada Parikrama Tradition