Goddess Narmada is the subject of numerous myths. According to legend, she was born from Siva's body. Goddess Narmada was slim and lovely. Gods and demons both wanted to marry her, so she had to flee and avoid the possibilities. She was, however, able to vanish when they were in close proximity. She played hide and seek with them, and one of Narmada's inferences is her playful attitude of dodging. She finally surrenders to Lord Shiva. Her complete devotion and saranagathi pleased the Lord. "May you become a holy river, and may your waters always be full!" Siva blessed her. This is not a story, but rather the spiritual philosophy of Shiva's concealing and revealing aspects. When one surrenders to the Source, one receives all of the Lord's blessings. The key word is saranagathi, which means "surrender."

According to another legend, Lord Shiva once meditated so hard that he began to perspire. Shiva's sweat accumulated in a tank and began to flow as a river, the Narmada. According to another legend, two teardrops that fell from Lord Brahma's eyes gave birth to two rivers: the Narmada and the Sone. According to legend, Ganga bathes in Narmada waters in the shape of a black cow. This event is commemorated as a holy day.

Nagas:

Goddess Narmada is related to the Naginis, according to the Vishnu Purana, because her waters are believed to be effective against snakebite. According to legend, Naramada is the personified daughter of a Rishi Mekala as a moon daughter, a mind born daughter of the Somapas, and a sister of the Nagas. She was the one who brought Purukutsa to the Nagas' aid against the Ghandarvas, and the grateful snake-gods made her a charm against snake venom. As a result, she is also known as Rava and Purva-ganga. As the Moon's daughter, she is known as Indu-ja and Somobhava. She had a son by Purukutsa, according to the Vishnu Purana. Trasadasyu was his name. The story begins with Mandhatri, the son of Yuvanasva of the Ikshvaku family, during the solar dynasty. Puranic accounts mention Mandhatri, Yuvabasva, and Aikshvaka as great chakravarthins. Sasabindu's Yadava empire was rivalled by Mandhatri's Ayodhya kingdom. Mandhatri was the son of Yuvanasva and Gauri, the daughter of the Pauravas' Matinara. He was regarded as Vishnu's fifth incarnation. He married Bindumati, the daughter of Yadava Sasabindu. Mandhatri is said to be suckled by Indra, so her name translates as "the child will suck me." He is said to have seized half of Indra's throne and conquered the Purava and Kanyakubja realms. Purukusta carried on his father's conquest.

Purukusta was persuaded by the Nagas to destroy the Mauneya Gandharvas who had despoiled them. They are said to have given him their princess Narmada in exchange for his rescue from the Gandharvas. Thus, the culture toward the Narmada and Naga land were most likely aborigines or primitive people. Muchukunda, Mandhatri's third son, was a famous king. The story that connects him to Kalayavana and Sri Krishna appears to be a POWEaRnEaDchBYronism. He fortified and built a town on the Narmada between the Paripatra and Rishka mountains. His glory lasted until the Haihaya king Mahishmant conquered and named it after him. After Ourukusta and other Lunar dynasties rose to prominence, the Ayodhya kingdom declined.

Narmada River:

The Narmada River is considered one of India's seven holy rivers. Its source is a small reservoir called Narmada Kund, which is located on the Amarkantak Hills. The Narmada River, also known as Rewa, is linked to Amarkantak and Narmadakund. The Narmada is mentioned less frequently in Vedic literature, but it is mentioned in the Puranas, Ramayana, Mahabaratha, Vashistha Samhita, and Shatapatha Brahmana. Riksh Parvat is said to be Amarkantak's Puranic name. Suryavanshi samrat Mandhata founded the town of Mandhata in the Riksh parvat valley around six thousand years ago. The river was given the name Narmada by the queen of samrat Purukutsa.

The Narmada River rises in the Maikala ranges of Madhya Pradesh's Amarkantak Hills and flows between the Vindhya and Satpura ranges before emptying into the Arabian Sea. It is the fifth largest river in the Indian subcontinent and, like the Ganges and Godavari, flows entirely within India. The Hindu God Lord Shiva Omkareshwar temple is located on the banks of the Narmada River in the Madhya Pradesh district of Khandwa.

The Narmada splits here, forming the island Mandhata. Shivpuri was the ancient name for it. The confluence of the Krishna and Narmada rivers is considered a very holy spot. The aerial view of the island is said to depict an Om symbol. The white Sikhara of the Sri Omkar Mandhata or 'Bestover of Desires,' the Omkareswara Temple, dominates the island. It is home to one of the twelve sacred Jyotir Shiva Lingas, which are natural rocks that have miraculously emerged from light.

Her name appears in ancient world history records as 'Nammadus.' 'Narma' means 'tenderness,' and Narmada is also described in some scriptures as the most sacred and best of the holy rivers. It is also a Sanskrit term that means "the Giver of Pleasure." It is believed that simply seeing the Narmada cleanses a man of all sins and purifies him. On the banks of the Narmada, Adi Shankaracharya met his guru, Govinda Bhagavatpada.

Legend:

Lord Shiva once sat on the peak of Amarkantak Hills in a beautiful trance that gave birth to a female form, according to legend. He gave her the name "Narmada" because she had inspired "Narma," or tenderness, in his heart. He also granted her eternal freedom. The Gods attempted to capture her, but she slipped through their fingers, taking the form of the Narmada River. The river is also known as Shankari, which means "daughter of Shankar," a name attributed to Lord Shiva.

The river was then strewn with pebbles in the shape of his emblem, the Linga, with the inscription "Narmada Ke Kanker utte Sankar," which means "Narmada's pebble stones become a personified form of Shiva." These lingam-shaped stones, known as Banalingas or Banashivalingas, are highly sought after by Hindus for daily worship. One of the largest Banalingas can be found in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, at the Brihadeeswara Temple. Rajaraja Chola constructed this temple.

The other legend has Narmada falling in love with the Sonbhadra, another river that runs through the Chhota Nagpur plateau. Because it flows through a rocky bed, it was given the name Rewa. Another legend claims that Mandhata, a great Emperor of the Ishvaku clan, ruled and performed great penance here. During one of his visits to the Vindyas, sage Naradar sang Mount Meru's praises to Mount Vindhya. Mount Vindhya prayed to Lord Siva to increase in importance after hearing this. Lord Siva blessed him and appeared at Omkareshwara and Amaleshwara, bestowing the boon of growth on devotees of Lord Shiva.

However, Vindhya's development could not be stifled. It obstructed the sun and the moon. The sage subdued this by saying Vindhya should not grow until he returned, and he never did.

Sanctity:

The Narmada River has been sanctified by four events. To begin, the Narmada is said to have flowed through the ancient Kingdom of Ayodhya. Second, the Narmada's banks are home to the ashrams of Bhirgu Rishi, Kapila Muni, and Markandeya Rishi. Third, the Pandavas benefited from their exile by living along the Narmada riverbanks. Some of these particulars can be found in the Mahabaratha. Fourth, some three thousand years later, Adi Shankara, who was born in 788 AD, was sanctified on the Narmada River's banks.

Adi Shankaracharya:

Adi Shankaracharya is attributed with the Pataleshwar Mahadev in Amarkantak, near the source of the Narmada. Shankara's bamboo bunches are said to still exist in a location known as Surajkund. On the banks of the Narmada, Adi Shankara met his guru, Govinda Bhagavatpada. He left his village and travelled north in search of a Brahman realised Guru. After passing through several hermitages, he arrived at the Narmada's banks after a two-month arduous journey through treacherous terrain. He discovers the hermitage of the Mahayogi, Govinda Bhagavatpada, in Omkareshwar. His first inclination was to see the mahayogi in samadhi.

On one occasion, he discovered the Narmada gushing into floods. He encapsulated the river in his Kamandal and released it on the river's banks using his powers. Govinda realised in his enlightened state that Lord Shiva had taken human form.

Regardless, Shankara followed the guru-shisya rules of discipline and spent three years mastering Hatha, Raja, and Jnana Yoga. Govinda Bhagavatpada requests that Shankara proceed to Kashi after this spiritual yoga and complete understanding of advaita. Adi Shankara wrote his well-known commentaries on the Brahma Sutras, Upanishads, and Gita there. He also successfully responds to criticism directed at his teachings.

The Narmada River is still revered as the mother and giver of peace. Narmada is a beautiful river in its own right, home to many temples and spiritual centres, and a source of Hindu philosophy. The mere sight of it, as opposed to a dip in the Ganga or Yamuna, is said to cleanse the soul. According to legend, the great Ganga visits the Narmada once a year in the form of a black cow to cleanse herself of all her sins! Om

Source:

Narmada Udgam is the sacred Narmada River's source, and it is home to a temple dedicated to the goddess Narmada. It houses a colourfully decorated black basalt stone Narmada statue. Thousands of devotees from all over the country come to pay their respects to the goddess at the temple.