Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2
कथमेषा नदी पुण्या सर्वनदीषु चोत्तमा । नर्मदा नाम विख्याता भूयो मे कथयानघ
kathameṣā nadī puṇyā sarvanadīṣu cottamā | narmadā nāma vikhyātā bhūyo me kathayānagha
Bagaimanakah sungai ini begitu suci dan menjadi yang utama di antara semua sungai—yang termasyhur dengan nama ‘Narmadā’? Wahai yang tanpa noda, ceritakanlah kepadaku lagi dengan lebih rinci.
A king (listener; addressed as nṛpa in the next verse) speaking to Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
Tirtha: Narmadā (Revā)
Type: river
Listener: Mārkaṇḍeya (recipient of the question)
Scene: The listener asks specifically about Narmadā’s exceptional holiness; visual focus shifts toward an imagined river with sacred markers—ghāṭas, śiva-liṅgas, sages on banks.
FAQs
A sincere seeker should repeatedly inquire into the greatness (māhātmya) of a tīrtha to understand its dharmic power and purpose.
The river Narmadā (Revā), introduced as renowned and supreme among rivers.
No direct rite is prescribed here; the verse sets up the request to explain Narmadā’s sanctity and merits.