narmadariver-goddessashtakamshankaracharya

නර්මදාෂ්ටකම්

Narmada Ashtakam in Sinhala · සිංහල

🕉️ hindu·📿 3× repetitions·🕐 At the three sandhyas (sunrise, midday and sunset); especially on Narmada Jayanti (Magha Shukla Saptami) and while bathing in or doing parikrama of the river·📜 Traditional Sanskrit stotra literature (Shaiva / Shakta devotional tradition)

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हिन्दी / देवनागरी తెలుగు தமிழ்ಕನ್ನಡ മലയാളം ગુજરાતી বাংলা ଓଡ଼ିଆ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Englishසිංහල𑌗𑍍𑌰𑌨𑍍𑌥

Origin & Story

Traditional Sanskrit stotra literature (Shaiva / Shakta devotional tradition) · Adi Shankaracharya (attributed) · c. 8th century CE

The Narmada Ashtakam belongs to the tradition of river hymns through which sages personified India's great rivers as goddesses. The Narmada, flowing westward through the Vindhya and Satpura ranges, is held to have emerged from the body of Lord Shiva, and is the only river whose full circumambulation (parikrama) is a recognised lifelong vow. Adi Shankaracharya, who travelled across the subcontinent establishing the worship of the divine, is credited with this eight-verse hymn celebrating her power to destroy sin and bestow liberation. The hymn echoes the Puranic teaching that the very darshan of the Narmada purifies, and that sage Markandeya and others attained refuge on her banks.

✦ As told in scripture

It is traditionally told that when the cosmic deluge (pralaya) threatened all creation, sage Markandeya found unfailing refuge on the banks of the Narmada, which the sixth and third verses commemorate; and pilgrims on the Narmada Parikrama recount that those who complete the circumambulation reciting her praises are freed of lifetimes of karma and never see the hell of Raurava, as the closing verse declares.

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Complete Text with Meaning

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Verse 1

සබින්දුසින්ධුසුස්ඛලත්තරඞ්ගභඞ්ගරඤ්ජිතං ද්විෂත්සු පාපජාතජාතකාරිවාරිසංයුතම්. කෘතාන්තදූතකාලභූතභීතිහාරි වර්මදේ ත්වදීයපාදපඞ්කජං නමාමි දේවි නර්මදේ..

Sabindu-sindhu-suskhalat-taranga-bhanga-ranjitam Dvisatsu papa-jata-jata-kari-vari-samyutam Kritanta-duta-kala-bhuta-bhiti-hari varmade Tvadiya-pada-pankajam namami devi narmade

Meaning:I bow to your lotus-feet, O Goddess Narmada — radiant with gently rolling waves of countless sacred droplets, whose waters destroy the sins of those who are hostile, who removes the fear of the messengers of Death and of evil spirits, the bestower of protective armour.

Verse 2

ත්වදම්බුලීනදීනමීනදිව්යසම්ප්රදායකං කලෞ මලෞඝභාරහාරි සර්වතීර්ථනායකම්. සුමත්ස්යකච්ඡනක්රචක්රවාකශර්මදේ ත්වදීයපාදපඞ්කජං නමාමි දේවි නර්මදේ..

Tvad-ambu-lina-dina-mina-divya-sampradayakam Kalau malaugha-bhara-hari sarva-tirtha-nayakam Su-matsya-kachha-nakra-chakra-vaka-sharmade Tvadiya-pada-pankajam namami devi narmade

Meaning:I bow to your lotus-feet, O Goddess Narmada — who lovingly grants a divine refuge to the humble little fish dwelling in your waters, who in the Kali age carries away the heavy burden of impurities, the chief of all holy waters, the giver of joy to fish, tortoises, crocodiles and chakravaka birds.

Verse 3

මහාගභීරනීරපූරපාපධූතභූතලං ධ්වනත්සමස්තපාතකාරිදාරිතාපදාචලම්. ජගල්ලයේ මහාභයේ මෘකණ්ඩුසූනුහර්ම්යදේ ත්වදීයපාදපඞ්කජං නමාමි දේවි නර්මදේ..

Maha-gabhira-nira-pura-papa-dhuta-bhutalam Dhvanat-samasta-pataka-ri-darit-apad-achalam Jagallaye maha-bhaye mrikandu-sunu-harmyade Tvadiya-pada-pankajam namami devi narmade

Meaning:I bow to your lotus-feet, O Goddess Narmada — whose deep, vast flood of waters washes away the sins of the whole earth, whose roar shatters the mountains of calamity caused by all sinners, who became the very mansion of refuge for Markandeya even in the great deluge of cosmic dissolution.

Verse 4

ගතං තදෛව මේ භයං ත්වදම්බු වීක්ෂිතං යදා මෘකණ්ඩුසූනුශෞනකාසුරාරිසේවිසර්වදා. පුනර්භවාබ්ධිජන්මජං භවාබ්ධිදුඃඛවර්මදේ ත්වදීයපාදපඞ්කජං නමාමි දේවි නර්මදේ..

Gatam tadaiva me bhayam tvad-ambu vikshitam yada Mrikandu-sunu-shaunaka-surari-sevi-sarvada Punar-bhavabdhi-janmajam bhavabdhi-duhkha-varmade Tvadiya-pada-pankajam namami devi narmade

Meaning:I bow to your lotus-feet, O Goddess Narmada — the moment I beheld your waters my fear was gone; ever served by Markandeya, by Shaunaka and even by the foes of the gods, you give protective armour against the sorrows of the ocean of repeated births.

Verse 5

අලක්ෂලක්ෂකින්නරාමරාසුරාදිපූජිතං සුලක්ෂනීරතීරධීරපක්ෂිලක්ෂකූජිතම්. වසිෂ්ඨසිෂ්ටපිප්පලාදිකර්දමාදිශර්මදේ ත්වදීයපාදපඞ්කජං නමාමි දේවි නර්මදේ..

Alakshya-laksha-kinnar-amar-asur-adi-pujitam Su-laksha-nira-tira-dhira-pakshi-laksha-kujitam Vasishtha-sishta-pippal-adi-kardam-adi-sharmade Tvadiya-pada-pankajam namami devi narmade

Meaning:I bow to your lotus-feet, O Goddess Narmada — worshipped by Kinnaras, gods, demons and others, where countless steadfast birds warble along your auspicious banks, the bestower of blessings upon Vasishtha, the righteous, Pippalada, Kardama and other sages.

Verse 6

සනත්කුමාරනාචිකේතකශ්යපාදිෂට්පදෛඃ ධෘතං ස්වකීයමානසේෂු නාරදාදිෂට්පදෛඃ. රවීන්ද්රරන්තිදේවදේවරාජකර්මශර්මදේ ත්වදීයපාදපඞ්කජං නමාමි දේවි නර්මදේ..

Sanat-kumara-nachiketa-kashyap-adi-shatpadaih Dhritam svakiya-manaseshu narad-adi-shatpadaih Ravindra-rantideva-deva-raja-karma-sharmade Tvadiya-pada-pankajam namami devi narmade

Meaning:I bow to your lotus-feet, O Goddess Narmada — held within their hearts like bees by sages such as Sanatkumara, Nachiketa and Kashyapa, and by Narada and others; you grant the merit of the deeds of the Sun, Indu, Rantideva and the king of the gods.

Verse 7

අලක්ෂලක්ෂලක්ෂපාපලක්ෂසාරසායුධං තතස්තු ජීවජන්තුතන්තුභුක්තිමුක්තිදායකම්. විරඤ්චිවිෂ්ණුශඞ්කරස්වකීයධාමවර්මදේ ත්වදීයපාදපඞ්කජං නමාමි දේවි නර්මදේ..

Alaksha-laksha-laksha-papa-laksha-sara-sayudham Tatastu jiva-jantu-tantu-bhukti-mukti-dayakam Viranchi-vishnu-shankara-svakiya-dhama-varmade Tvadiya-pada-pankajam namami devi narmade

Meaning:I bow to your lotus-feet, O Goddess Narmada — armed as it were with countless lotus-arrows that destroy the countless sins of beings; you bestow upon every living creature, woven into the web of existence, both enjoyment and liberation, and grant Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva the armour of their own abodes.

Verse 8

අහෝ(අ)මෘතං ස්වනං ශ්රුතං මහේශකේශජාත්තටේ කිරාතසූතවාඩවේෂු පණ්ඩිතේ ශඨේ නටේ. දුරන්තපාපතාපහාරි සර්වජන්තුශර්මදේ ත්වදීයපාදපඞ්කජං නමාමි දේවි නර්මදේ..

Aho-amritam svanam shrutam mahesha-kesha-jat-tate Kirata-suta-vadaveshu pandite shathe nate Duranta-papa-tapa-hari sarva-jantu-sharmade Tvadiya-pada-pankajam namami devi narmade

Meaning:I bow to your lotus-feet, O Goddess Narmada — Ah! your sweet, nectar-like murmur is heard along the banks descending from the matted locks of Shiva; to hunters, charioteers, brahmins, scholars, the wicked and the actor alike you remove endless sin and suffering and bring joy to all beings.

Verse 9

ඉදං තු නර්මදාෂ්ටකං ත්රිකාලමේව යේ සදා පඨන්ති තේ නිරන්තරං න යාන්ති දුර්ගතිං කදා. සුලභ්යදේහදුර්ලභං මහේශධාමගෞරවං පුනර්භවා නරා න වෛ විලෝකයන්ති රෞරවම්..

Idam tu narmadashtakam tri-kalam eva ye sada Pathanti te nirantaram na yanti durgatim kada Sulabhya-deha-durlabham mahesha-dhama-gauravam Punar-bhava nara na vai vilokayanti rauravam

Meaning:Those who recite this Narmada Ashtakam ever at the three junctions of the day never fall into a wretched state; attaining the rare glory of Shiva's abode though they have human bodies, such people are not born again, nor do they ever behold the hell named Raurava.

Word-by-Word Meaning

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සබින්දුසින්ධු🔊Sabindu-sindhuTogether with the sea of countless droplets (of sacred water)

සුස්ඛලත්තරඞ්ගභඞ්ග🔊Suskhalat-taranga-bhangaBeautified by gently flowing waves and their breaking ripples

කෘතාන්තදූත🔊Kritanta-dutaThe messengers of Yama (the god of death)

කාලභූතභීතිහාරි🔊Kala-bhuta-bhiti-hariRemover of the fear of Death (Kala) and evil spirits

වර්මදේ🔊VarmadeO bestower of protective armour

ත්වදීයපාදපඞ්කජං🔊Tvadiya-pada-pankajamYour lotus-feet

නමාමි🔊NamamiI bow / I offer obeisance

දේවි නර්මදේ🔊Devi NarmadeO Goddess Narmada

කලෞ මලෞඝභාරහාරි🔊Kalau malaugha-bhara-hariIn the Kali age, remover of the great burden of accumulated impurities

සර්වතීර්ථනායකම්🔊Sarva-tirtha-nayakamThe foremost (leader) of all holy pilgrimage waters

මහාගභීරනීරපූර🔊Maha-gabhira-nira-puraWith a great, deep flood of waters

පාපධූතභූතලං🔊Papa-dhuta-bhutalamWhich washes away the sins of the whole earth

ගතං තදෛව මේ භයං🔊Gatam tadaiva me bhayamMy fear vanished that very moment

ත්වදම්බු වීක්ෂිතං යදා🔊Tvad-ambu vikshitam yadaWhen your waters were beheld

මෘකණ්ඩුසූනු🔊Mrikandu-sunuThe son of Mrikandu (i.e. sage Markandeya)

කින්නරාමරාසුරාදිපූජිතං🔊Kinnar-amar-asur-adi-pujitamWorshipped by Kinnaras, gods, demons and others

භුක්තිමුක්තිදායකම්🔊Bhukti-mukti-dayakamBestower of both worldly enjoyment and liberation

විරඤ්චිවිෂ්ණුශඞ්කර🔊Viranchi-vishnu-shankaraBrahma, Vishnu and Shiva

දුරන්තපාපතාපහාරි🔊Duranta-papa-tapa-hariRemover of endless sins and afflictions

න යාන්ති දුර්ගතිං කදා🔊Na yanti durgatim kadaThey never fall into an evil state / wretched destiny

Benefits of Chanting Narmada Ashtakam

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Washes away accumulated sins and purifies the mind, as promised in every verse

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Removes the fear of death, of Yama's messengers, and of evil spirits

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Grants both worldly well-being (bhukti) and liberation (mukti)

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Brings the spiritual merit of a pilgrimage to the sacred Narmada

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Recitation at the three sandhyas (dawn, noon, dusk) protects from a wretched destiny and rebirth

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Bestows peace, courage and Shiva's grace, since the Narmada flows from his matted locks

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Especially powerful for those living near, bathing in, or doing parikrama of the Narmada

How to Chant Narmada Ashtakam

Repetitions3times

Best TimeAt the three sandhyas (sunrise, midday and sunset); especially on Narmada Jayanti (Magha Shukla Saptami) and while bathing in or doing parikrama of the river

Sit facing the river or an image of Devi Narmada, or simply visualize her cool, clear waters. Recite all eight verses with devotion, letting the refrain 'Tvadiya-pada-pankajam namami devi narmade' bring the feeling of bowing at her feet. Traditionally chanted three times daily (trikalam). Pilgrims performing the Narmada Parikrama recite it along the banks. Conclude with the ninth phala-shruti verse describing the fruits of recitation.

Frequently Asked Questions

This page shows the complete Narmada Ashtakam written in the Sinhala script — the same Sanskrit/Hindi verses, transliterated character-by-character so you can read and chant comfortably. Tap any line (or the ▶ button) to hear it recited aloud.

Yes — only the script changes; the words and their meaning are the original. The verse-by-verse meaning, benefits and how-to-chant guidance on this page apply exactly the same.

It is traditionally attributed to Adi Shankaracharya (8th century CE), the great Advaita master, who composed many devotional ashtakams to deities and sacred rivers. The colophon credits 'Shrimat-Shankara-Bhagavatah'.

The Narmada is one of India's holiest rivers, said to have sprung from Lord Shiva himself. It is so sacred that, unlike other rivers which require bathing to purify, the mere sight (darshan) of the Narmada is believed to cleanse sin. Every pebble (bana-linga) from its bed is worshipped as a Shiva Linga.

Every verse ends with 'Tvadiya-pada-pankajam namami devi narmade', meaning 'O Goddess Narmada, I bow to your lotus-feet.' This repeated surrender is the heart of the hymn, expressing complete devotion to the river-goddess.

It is ideally recited three times a day (trikala), at dawn, noon and dusk, and especially on Narmada Jayanti and during the Narmada Parikrama pilgrimage. The final verse states that those who recite it at the three sandhyas never suffer a wretched fate.