Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6
इयं माहेश्वरी गङ्गा महेश्वरतनूद्भवा । प्रोक्ता दक्षिणगङ्गेति भारतस्य युधिष्ठिर
iyaṃ māheśvarī gaṅgā maheśvaratanūdbhavā | proktā dakṣiṇagaṅgeti bhāratasya yudhiṣṭhira
ही माहेश्वरी गंगा आहे, महेश्वराच्या तनूपासून उत्पन्न झालेली; हे भारतनंदन युधिष्ठिरा, हिला ‘दक्षिण गंगा’ असे म्हटले जाते.
Narrative voice addressing Yudhiṣṭhira (speaker not explicit in the snippet; framed as authoritative Purāṇic instruction within Revā Khaṇḍa)
Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) as ‘Māheśvarī Gaṅgā’
Type: river
Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira (Bhārata)
Scene: A luminous river-goddess Revā rises as if from Śiva’s own body; sages and a royal listener (Yudhiṣṭhira) receive the proclamation ‘Dakṣiṇa-Gaṅgā’. Śiva’s presence is suggested through matted locks, crescent moon, and a subtle aura over the river.
FAQs
Narmadā’s holiness is equated with Gaṅgā, and her sanctity is rooted in a direct Śaiva origin, elevating her as a foremost tīrtha.
The Narmadā (Revā) river, honored as the ‘Dakṣiṇa Gaṅgā’ (Southern Gaṅgā).
No specific rite is stated; the verse functions as a māhātmya declaration establishing the river’s status for pilgrimage, bathing, and worship.