Narmadā–Tīrtha-Māhātmya: Sequence of Sacred Fords and Their Fruits
यत्र नारायणो देवो मुनोनां भावितात्मनाम् / स्वात्मानं दर्शयामास लिङ्गं तत् परमं पदम्
yatra nārāyaṇo devo munonāṃ bhāvitātmanām / svātmānaṃ darśayāmāsa liṅgaṃ tat paramaṃ padam
Itulah tempat di mana Dewa Nārāyaṇa memperlihatkan Diri-Nya sendiri kepada para muni yang jiwanya disucikan dan bertafakur. Di sana, penzahiran Diri sebagai Liṅga itulah kediaman tertinggi (parama pada).
Purāṇic narrator (contextual description of the tīrtha and its glory)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
It identifies the highest reality as Nārāyaṇa’s own Self (svātmā), directly realizable by purified sages, and equates that Self-revelation with the “parama padam,” the supreme liberating state.
The phrase bhāvitātmanām points to inner purification through sustained contemplation (bhāvanā/dhyāna), implying a yogic discipline where refined awareness becomes fit for direct vision (darśana) of the Supreme.
By stating that Nārāyaṇa reveals His own Self as the Liṅga, it presents a Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis: the Liṅga signifies the formless Supreme, showing non-sectarian unity at the level of the highest truth.