narmadāṣṭakam - Hymn to River Narmada - narmadāṣṭaka by śrīmacchaṃkarabhagavataḥ

sa-bindu-sindhu-suskhala-ttaraṅga-bhaṅga-rañjitaṃ
dviṣatsu pāpa-jāta-jāta-kāri-vāri-saṃyutam
kṛtānta-dūta-kāla-bhūta-bhīti-hāri-varmade
tvadīya-pāda-paṅkajaṃ namāmi devi narmade .. 1..

I bow down (namāmi) to your (tvadīya) lotus-like feet (pāda-paṅkajaṃ), O Goddess Narmadā (devi narmade), which are adorned (rañjitaṃ) by the breaking (bhaṅga) waves (taraṅga) that flow turbulently (suskhala) in the ocean (sindhu) filled with bubbles (sa-bindu), which are accompanied (saṃyutam) by the waters (vāri) that destroy (kāri) the accumulation (jāta) of sins (pāpa) of enemies (dviṣatsu), which serve as armor (varmade) removing (hāri) the fear (bhīti) of death (kṛtānta-dūta), time (kāla), and ghosts (bhūta).

 

 

tvad-ambu-līna-dīna-mīna-divya-sampradāyakaṃ
kalau malaugha-bhāra-hāri-sarva-tīrtha-nāyakam
su-maccha-kaccha-nakra-cakra-vāka-cakra-śarmade
tvadīya-pāda-paṅkajaṃ namāmi devi narmade .. 2..

I bow down (namāmi) to your (tvadīya) lotus-like feet (pāda-paṅkajaṃ), O Goddess Narmadā (devi narmade), which grant (sampradāyakaṃ) divine (divya) lineage to the fishes (mīna) dwelling in your waters (tvad-ambu-līna), which serve as the foremost (nāyakam) among all sacred rivers (sarva-tīrtha), removing (hāri) the burden (bhāra) of sins (malaugha) in the age of Kali (kalau), which bestow joy (śarmade) upon swans (maccha), turtles (kaccha), crocodiles (nakra), chakravāka birds (cakravāka), and fish (cakra).

 

mahā-gabhīra-nīra-pūra-pāpa-dhūta-bhūtalaṃ
dhvanat-samasta-pātakāri-dāritāpa-dācalam
jagallaye mahā-bhaye mṛkaṇḍu-sūnu-harmyade
tvadīya-pāda-paṅkajaṃ namāmi devi narmade .. 3..

I bow down (namāmi) to your (tvadīya) lotus-like feet (pāda-paṅkajaṃ), O Goddess Narmadā (devi narmade), whose vast (mahā) and deep (gabhīra) waters (nīra) cleanse (dhūta) the earth (bhūtalaṃ) of sins (pāpa), whose roaring (dhvanat) waters shatter (dārita) the suffering (tāpa) and destroy (kāri) all sins (samasta-pātaka), who granted protection (harmyade) to Mṛkaṇḍu’s son (mṛkaṇḍu-sūnu) during the great fear (mahā-bhaye) at the time of the world's dissolution (jagallaye).

 

gataṃ tad-aiva me bhayaṃ tvad-ambu vīkṣitaṃ yadā
mṛkaṇḍu-sūnu-śaunaka-asurāri-sevitaṃ sadā
punarbhavābdhi-janma-jaṃ bhavābdhi-duḥkha-varmade
tvadīya-pāda-paṅkajaṃ namāmi devi narmade .. 4..

I bow down (namāmi) to your (tvadīya) lotus-like feet (pāda-paṅkajaṃ), O Goddess Narmadā (devi narmade), from the moment (tad-aiva) your waters (tvad-ambu) were seen (vīkṣitaṃ), my fear (bhayaṃ) was gone (gataṃ), which are forever (sadā) served (sevitaṃ) by Mṛkaṇḍu’s son (mṛkaṇḍu-sūnu), Śaunaka (śaunaka), and the foes of demons (asurāri), which serve as armor (varmade) against the suffering (duḥkha) of the ocean (ābdhi) of worldly existence (bhava) and against rebirth (punarbhava).

alakṣya-lakṣa-kinnara-āmarā-asurādi-pūjitaṃ
su-lakṣa-nīra-tīra-dhīra-pakṣi-lakṣa-kūjitam
vasiṣṭha-śiṣṭa-pippalādi-kardamādi-śarmade
tvadīya-pāda-paṅkajaṃ namāmi devi narmade .. 5..

I bow down (namāmi) to your (tvadīya) lotus-like feet (pāda-paṅkajaṃ), O Goddess Narmadā (devi narmade), which are worshiped (pūjitaṃ) by countless (lakṣa) unseen (alakṣya) beings, including Kinnaras (kinnara), celestial gods (āmarā), demons (asura), and others (ādi), whose sacred banks (su-lakṣa-nīra-tīra) echo with the sweet calls (kūjitam) of countless (lakṣa) calm (dhīra) birds (pakṣi), which bestow joy (śarmade) upon sages (śiṣṭa) such as Vasiṣṭha (vasiṣṭha), Pippalāda (pippalādi), and Kardama (kardama).

 

sanat-kumāra-nāciketa-kaśyapa-atri-ṣaṭpadaiḥ
dhṛtaṃ svakīyam-ānaseṣu nārada-ādi-ṣaṭpadaiḥ
ravīndu-rantideva-devarāja-karma-śarmade
tvadīya-pāda-paṅkajaṃ namāmi devi narmade .. 6..

I bow down (namāmi) to your (tvadīya) lotus-like feet (pāda-paṅkajaṃ), O Goddess Narmadā (devi narmade), which are held (dhṛtaṃ) in the minds (svakīyam-ānaseṣu) of great sages such as Sanatkumāra (sanat-kumāra), Naciketa (nāciketa), Kaśyapa (kaśyapa), and Atri (atri), which are honored (dhṛtaṃ) by sage Nārada (nārada) and others (ādi), known as the six-legged ones (ṣaṭpadaiḥ, referring to bees and sages), which bring joy (śarmade) through the righteous deeds (karma) of the Sun (ravī), the Moon (indu), King Rantideva (rantideva), and Lord Indra (devarāja).

 

alakṣa-lakṣa-lakṣa-pāpa-lakṣa-sāra-sāyudham
tatas-tu jīva-jantu-tantu-bhukti-mukti-dāyakam
viriñci-viṣṇu-śaṃkara-svakīya-dhāma-varmade
tvadīya-pāda-paṅkajaṃ namāmi devi narmade .. 7..

I bow down (namāmi) to your (tvadīya) lotus-like feet (pāda-paṅkajaṃ), O Goddess Narmadā (devi narmade), which serve as a weapon (sāyudham) to destroy (lakṣa) countless (lakṣa) accumulated (lakṣa) sins (pāpa), which bestow (dāyakam) both enjoyment (bhukti) and liberation (mukti) to all living beings (jīva-jantu), which serve as the divine abode (dhāma) of Brahmā (viriñci), Viṣṇu (viṣṇu), and Śiva (śaṃkara), providing them protection (varmade).

 

aho dhṛtaṃ svanaṃ śrutaṃ maheśa-keśa-jātaṭe
kirāta-sūta-bāḍabeṣu paṇḍite śaṭhe naṭe
duranta-pāpa-tāpa-hāri sarva-jantu-śarmade
tvadīya-pāda-paṅkajaṃ namāmi devi narmade .. 8..

I bow down (namāmi) to your (tvadīya) lotus-like feet (pāda-paṅkajaṃ), O Goddess Narmadā (devi narmade), whose divine sound (svanaṃ) is held (dhṛtaṃ) and heard (śrutaṃ) on the matted locks (keśa-jātaṭe) of Lord Maheśa (maheśa), which is worshiped by hunters (kirāta), charioteers (sūta), horse traders (bāḍabeṣu), scholars (paṇḍite), rogues (śaṭhe), and actors (naṭe), which remove (hāri) the heat (tāpa) of intolerable sins (duranta-pāpa) and grant joy (śarmade) to all living beings (sarva-jantu).

 

 

idaṃ tu narmadāṣṭakaṃ tri-kālam-eva ye sadā
paṭhanti te nirantaraṃ na yānti durgatiṃ kadā
su-labhya-deha-durlabhaṃ maheśa-dhāma-gauravaṃ
punarbhavā narā na vai vilokayanti rauravam .. 9..

Those who recite (paṭhanti) this hymn (narmadāṣṭakaṃ) three times a day (tri-kālam-eva) never (na kadā) fall into misfortune (durgatiṃ) and attain (su-labhya) the rarest divine body (deha-durlabhaṃ), gaining the honor (gauravaṃ) of residing in Lord Śiva’s abode (maheśa-dhāma), and never (na vai) see (vilokayanti) the torments of hell (rauravam) after rebirth (punarbhava).

 

 

iti śrīmatparamahaṃsaparivrājakācāryasya

śrīgovindabhagavatpūjyapādaśiṣyasya

śrīmacchaṃkarabhagavataḥ kṛtau

         narmadāṣṭakaṃ sampūrṇam ..