NARMADĀ I A famous holy river of South India. This river which springs from Amarakaṇṭaka flows through the valley called Khambhāta and falls into the ocean.
1)
Birth. This river which is considered to be a holy river was the rebirth of Tapatī the daughter of the Sun. (To know how Tapatī was reborn as Narmadā, see under Tapatī).
2)
The divine nature of the river Narmadā. Mention is made in most of the Purāṇas about the river Narmadā which is one of the holy rivers of Bhārata. Once Nārada said to Yudhiṣṭhira about the river Narmadā as follows: “Gaṅgā has more divinity in Kanakhala and Sarasvatī has more divinity in Kurukṣetra. But Narmadā is a holy river everywhere, whether in the villages or in the forests. Sarasvatī purifies us in three days and Gaṅgā in one day. But the moment we see Narmadā we are purified.” The river Narmadā, the former half of which embraces the mountain Amarakaṇṭaka in the country of Kaliṅga, is the purest of rivers in the three worlds. The devas, asuras, Gandharvas and hermits bathe in the river and attain eternal bliss. He who controls his organs of senses and takes fast for one night and bathes in this river would be prosperous for hundred generations. This great river is hundred yojanas long and two yojanas wide. There are sixty crores and sixty thousand holy ghats in this river around the mountain Amarakaṇṭaka. Anybody who dies by fire, by drowning or by fast on this mountain Amarakaṇṭaka, will never have rebirth.
[Padma Purāṇa, Chapter 13] .
3)
Mahābhārata and Narmadā. Throughout Mahābhārata mention is made about Narmadā. Important of them are given below:
(i) Goddess Narmadā stays in the palace of Varuṇa worshipping him.
[M.B. Sabhā Parva, Chapter 9, Stanza 18] .
(ii) While leading forest life Dharmaputra with his brothers visited Narmadādevī.
[M.B. Vana Parva, Chapter 121, Stanza 16] .
(iii) Indra and the Aśvinīdevas once drank Soma sitting on the mountain Vaiḍūrya on the banks of the Narmadā.
[M.B. Vana Parva, Chapter 121, Stanza 19] .
(iv) Narmadā is the origin of Agni (fire).
[M.B. Vana Parva, Chapter 222, Stanza 21] .
(v) A king named Duryodhana, who ruled over the city called Māhiṣmatī on the banks of the Narmadā once married Devī Narmadā. A daughter named Sudarśanā was born to them. She was extremely beautiful.
[M.B. Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 2, Stanza 18] .
(vi) He who observes fast for two weeks bathing in the waters of Narmadā will be born as a prince in the next birth.
[M.B. Anuśāsana Parva, Chapter 25, Stanza 50] .
(vii) Once Narmadā took Purukutsa, the son of Māndhātā, as her husband.
[M.B. Āśramavāsika Parva, Chapter 20, Stanza 12] . For the importance of Narmadā, see under Pramohinī).
NARMADĀ II See under Puṣpotkaṭā.