The Greatness of Revā (Narmadā): A Sacred Story from the Skanda Purana
In the Revā-khaṇḍa of the Skanda Purana, the story of the sacred river Revā — known today as Narmadā —unfolds through a series of profound dialogues among sages and kings. The narrative begins during a great sacrificial assembly conducted by King Janamejaya. Surrounded by learned sages, he asks the wise Vaishampayana to recount the pilgrimages of his forefathers, the Pandavas. After their exile began with the fateful game of dice, the Pandavas wandered across the land visiting sacred tīrthas in search of spiritual strength. During these travels they reached the Vindhya region, where they discovered a serene hermitage filled with flowering trees, lotus-covered ponds, birds, and peaceful wildlife. In that sacred place they met the immortal sage Markandeya, surrounded by ascetics devoted to meditation, japa, and sacred rituals. Curious about the mysteries of cosmic time, Yudhishthira asked the sage an unusual question: when the universe diss...
