Historical Geography of Ancient India c10.259

c10.259

Narmadā.—It is the most important river of Central and Western India. It is known as the Namados according to Ptolemy. The Padma Purāṇa (Svargakhaṇḍa, 6th Ch., V, 15), Bhāgavata Purāṇa (V, 19, 18; VI, 10, 16; VIII, 18, 21) and Yoginītantra (2. 5, p. 139) mention it. According to the Matsya Purāṇa (Ch. 193) the place where this river falls to the sea is a great place of pilgrimage called the Yāmadagnitīrtha. Bhṛgutīrtha is situated on this river. Here the sage Bhṛgu performed austerities (Matsya, 193, 23-49). Kanyātīrtha is also situated on this river (Matsya, 193-194). This river rises from the Maikal range and flows more or less in a south-westerly direction forming the natural boundary between Bhupal and Central Provinces. Some hold that it rises in the Amara-kaṇṭaka mountain and falls into the Gulf of Cambay. Thereafter the river runs through Indore and flows past Rewa Kantha of Bombay and meets the sea at Broach. As the river takes its course in between the two great mountain ranges of Vindhya and Satpurā, it is fed by a large number of tributaries. Before it enters Indore it is joined by some tributaries. This river is also known as the Revā, Samodbhavā, and Mekhalasutā. The Narmadā and the Revā form a confluence a little above Māndlā to flow down under either name. Kālidāsa in his Raghuvaṃśam (V. 42-46) makes it flow through forests of the jambu and raktamāla trees. This is poetic effulgence. According to the Daśakumāracaritam (p. 197) the shrine of the goddess dwelling in the Vindhya mountain existed on the bank of the river Revā. According to the Mahābhārata (Ch. 85, 9; cf. Kūrmap., 30. 45-48; Agnip., Ch. 109; Saurap., 69. 19) the Narmadā formed the southern boundary of the ancient kingdom of Avanti.