40 - The Glory of Narmada

Suta said: 

1. This highly meritorious river goddess Narmada,1 resorted to by Devas and Gandharvas, is famous in the worlds. It is a river that is the most sacred of all holy rivers.

1. Next to Ganga, Narmada is a very sacred river, glorified in various Puranas like AP. ch. 113, Pd. P. Svarga Khanda ch. 13, Mt. P. chs. 185-193, NP. II. 77. The Skanda has devoted one book (Part) to its glorification. As compared with Sk. P. or Mt. P. KP. treats it briefly but succinctly. It is interesting to note that most of the verses on the glory of Narmada in Pd. P. are the same as those of Mt. P. Even the KP. has borrowed a number of verses from the Mt. P. as shown below.

2. Listen ye all to its greatness as recounted by Markandeya to Yudhishthira. It is auspicious and destructive of all sins. 

Yudhishthira said: 

3. O sage, thanks to your favour, various items of virtue (Dharma) have been heard by me; so also, the greatness of Prayaga and different kinds of holy centres. 

4. The Narmada has been mentioned by your holiness as the most important of all sacred rivers. O excellent sage, it behoves you to recount its glory now." 

Markandeya said: 

5. The Narmada is the most excellent of all rivers: it flowed out of Rudra's body. It shall redeem all living beings mobile and immobile.1

1. The same as Mt. P. 190. 17.

6. I shall now recount the greatness of Narmada, which I have heard from the Puranas. It is auspicious. Listen with single-minded attention. 

7. Ganga is auspicious in Kanakhala and Sarasvati is meritorious in Kurukshetra. But whether in the village or in the forest, Narmada is meritorious everywhere.2

2. Verse 7 in KP. is the same as Mt. P. 185.10.

8. The holy water of Sarasvati sanctifies one in three days; the water of Yamuna sanctifies one in seven days; the water of Ganga sanctifies immediately; but the water of Narmada sanctifies one at its very sight.3

3. This shows how Narmada is superior to Ganga, Yamuna and Sarasvati. A borrowal from Mt. P. 185.11.

9. In the western half of Kalinga, on the mountain Amarakantaka (it has its source). It is very holy. It is the most beautiful and charming in the three worlds.4

4. Mt. P. 185.12.

10. O leading king, Devas, Asuras, Gandharvas, saints and the ascetics have attained the highest Siddhi by performing penance on her banks. 

11. O king, a person who takes his bath there, maintains all religious observances and has conquered the sense-organs shall redeem a hundred members of his family after observing fast for a night. 

12. O leading king, it is heard that the excellent river is more than hundred Yojanas in length and its width is two Yojanas (1 Yojana = 12 kms).5

5. The same Mt, P. 185. 23b-24a (More's edt.) Cf. AP 113. 2. Though the length of Narmadā is correct, its width viz 2 Yojanas, is wrong.

13. Sixty thousand holy centres and sixty crores of them are situated in Amarakantaka all-round the mountain.6

6. AP. 113. 2 and NP. II. 77.

14-15. O Sinless King! Attentively listen to the fruit acquired if a person of very pure conduct-celibate, with anger controlled and sense-organs subdued, refrained from all types of Himsa (violence) and engaged in the welfare of all abandons his life (there) in a state of purity.1

1. Committing suicide in a holy place was regarded as a means for Liberation, Mt. P. 193. 28b-29c.

16. O son of Pandu, he rejoices in heaven for a hundred thousand years. He will be surrounded by divine damsels, the groups of Apsaras. 

17. He will smear himself with divine scent and unguents. He will shine with divine flowers. He sports in the divine world and he rejoices along with Devas. 

18. After falling off from heaven, he shall be born as a righteous king. He will obtain a house embellished in different kinds of gems and jewels. 

19. The house shall be shining on being bedecked in diamonds and Lapis Lazuli. The columns therein shall be made of jewels. It shall be endowed with paintings, vehicles of brilliant appearance as well as hundreds of maid-servants. 

20. He shall be the emperor ruling over kings. He will be elegant and glorious and loved by all women. He will live for more than a hundred years enjoying all pleasures. 

21. When (for ending his life) he enters fire or water or when he observes fast, his departure shall be with no return (to Samsara) like that of the wind absorbed in the sky. 

22. On the ridge of the western mountain, there is a lake named Jaleshvara. It is well known in the three worlds and is destructive of all sins.2

2. Mt, P. 185. 50b-51.

23. If one offers Pindas there and performs the Sandhya worship; it is as good as propitiating the (Pitrus) for ten thousand years. There is no doubt about this. 

24. On the southern bank of Narmada, there is a great river named Kapila. It is stationed not very far. It is covered by Juicy Arjuna trees.3

3. Mt. P. 185. 53. 

25. That is meritorious and highly blessed. It is well-known in the three worlds. O Yudhishthira, the holy spots there number to more than a hundred crore.1

1. Mt. P. 185. 53.

26. The trees that fall into the holy river after growing for many years, attain great goal due to the contact of waters of Narmada.2

2. Mt. P. 185.54b-55a.

27. A second holy river is the blessed and auspicious Vishalyakarani. A man taking bath in that holy river becomes free from pains, sins and grief.3

3. Mt. P. 185.55b-56a.

28. Kapila and Vishalyā are heard as the two excellent rivers mentioned by Ishvara formerly with a desire for the wellbeing of the worlds.

29. O lord of men, he who gives up food until death in that Tirtha, shall have his soul purified of all sins. He goes to the region of Rudra.4

4. Mt. P. 185. 62.

30. O king, on taking his bath there a man shall attain the fruit of a horse-sacrifice. Those who reside on the northern bank reside in the region of Rudra.5

5. Mt. P. 185. 63b-64a.

31. As Shankara told me, O Yudhishthira, the bath and the charitable gift at Sarasvati, Ganga, and Narmada are of equal efficacy.6

6. Mt. P. 185. 64b-65a.

32. He who abandons his life on the mountain Amarakantaka is honoured in the Rudraloka for hundreds of crores of years and more.7

7. Mt. P. 185-65b-66a. 

The above examples are enough to show that KP, has freely borrowed from the Mt. P. or both the Puranas had used a common Narmada-mahatmya and hence the above textual identity of verses.

33. On sprinkling the head with the holy and sacred water of Narmada along with its foam one is relieved of all sins.

34. Narmada is holy everywhere. It dispels sins of Brahmana-slaughter. By observing fast for a day and a night, one is absolved of the sin of Brahmana slaughter. 

35. The most excellent holy centre Jaleshvara is destructive of all sins. A man who observes religious regulation and restraints on going there, attains all desires. 

36. Ongoing to Amarakantaka during the lunar or solar eclipse, a man attains ten times the merit of an Ashvamedha (horse-sacrifice). 

37. This excellent mountain is meritorious. It is resorted to by Devas and Gandharvas. It is full of various kinds of trees and creepers. It shines with different kinds of flowers. 

38. O King, Maheshvara (the great God) is present there along with the goddess (Uma). Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra (Indra?) (are present there) along with the groups of Vidyadharas. 

39. The man who circumambulates the mountain Amarakantaka attains the fruit of Paundarika sacrifice. 

40. The river Kaveri1 is well-known as the destructive of sins. One should take bath there and worship the bull-bannered Mahadeva. (One who takes bath) at the confluence of Narmada is honoured in the Rudraloka.

1. This Kaveri is the northern branch of the Narmada where the island Omkara is situated (HD IV P. 705 footnote 1604).