The Origin in the Mayura Kalpa and the Causes Behind Reva's Names

Verse 1 (skanda.5.161.1)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच। पुनर्युगान्ते सम्प्राप्ते तृतीये नृपसत्तम। दादशार्कवपुर्भूत्वा भगवान्नीललोहितः॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca| punaryugānte samprāpte tṛtīye nṛpasattama| dādaśārkavapurbhūtvā bhagavānnīlalohitaḥ||

Markandeya said: Again, O best of kings, when the third kalpa's end of the age had come, the Lord Nilalohita, having taken the form of the twelve suns,

Verse 2 (skanda.5.161.2)

सप्तद्वीपसमुद्रान्तां सशैलवनकाननाम्। निर्दग्धां तु महीं कृत्स्नां कालो भूत्वा महेश्वरः॥

saptadvīpasamudrāntāṁ saśailavanakānanām| nirdagdhāṁ tu mahīṁ kṛtsnāṁ kālo bhūtvā maheśvaraḥ||

having burnt up the entire earth, bounded by the seven continents and oceans, together with its mountains, woods, and forests — Maheshvara, having become Time,

Verse 3 (skanda.5.161.3)

ततो महाघनो भूत्वा प्लावयामास वारिणा। कृष्णं कृष्णवपुस्त्वेनां विद्युच्चन्द्रायुधाङ्किताम्॥

tato mahāghano bhūtvā plāvayāmāsa vāriṇā| kṛṣṇaṁ kṛṣṇavapustvenāṁ vidyuccandrāyudhāṅkitām||

then, having become a great dark cloud, dark-bodied, marked with lightning like a moon-weapon, flooded her with water,

Verse 4 (skanda.5.161.4)

प्लावयित्वा जगत्सर्वं तस्मिन्नेकार्णवीकृते। सुष्वाप विमले तोये जगत्संक्षिप्य मायया॥

plāvayitvā jagatsarvaṁ tasminnekārṇavīkṛte| suṣvāpa vimale toye jagatsaṁkṣipya māyayā||

and, having flooded the whole world, when it had become a single ocean, he slept upon the clear water, having drawn the world into himself by his maya.

Verse 5 (skanda.5.161.5)

ततोऽहं भ्रममास्तु तमोभूते महार्णवे। दिव्यं वर्षसहस्रं तु वायुभूते महेश्वरे॥

tato'haṁ bhramamāstu tamobhūte mahārṇave| divyaṁ varṣasahasraṁ tu vāyubhūte maheśvare||

Then I wandered about in that darkness-filled great ocean, for a thousand divine years, while Maheshvara had become the wind.

Verse 6 (skanda.5.161.6)

ओंकृत्वा देवदेवेशं येनेदं गहनीकृतम्। ध्यायमानस्ततो देवं राजेन्द्र विमले जले॥

oṁkṛtvā devadeveśaṁ yenedaṁ gahanīkṛtam| dhyāyamānastato devaṁ rājendra vimale jale||

Uttering Om to the lord of the gods, by whom this world had been made impenetrable, I meditated then upon the god, O lord of kings, in the clear water.

Verse 7 (skanda.5.161.7)

तस्मिन्महार्णवे घोरे नष्टे स्थावरजङ्गमे। मयूरं स्वर्णपत्राढ्यमपश्यंसहसा जले। विचित्रचन्द्रकोपेतं नीलकंठं सुलोचनम्॥

tasminmahārṇave ghore naṣṭe sthāvarajaṅgame| mayūraṁ svarṇapatrāḍhyamapaśyaṁsahasā jale| vicitracandrakopetaṁ nīlakaṁṭhaṁ sulocanam||

In that terrible great ocean, when the moving and unmoving had perished, I suddenly beheld in the water a peacock, rich with golden feathers, adorned with wondrous eye-spots, blue-throated, beautiful-eyed.

Verse 8 (skanda.5.161.8)

ततो मयूरः स महार्णवान्ते विक्षोभयित्वा हि महास्वेण। चचार देवस्त्रिशिखी शिखण्डी त्रैलोक्यगोप्ता स महानुभावः॥

tato mayūraḥ sa mahārṇavānte vikṣobhayitvā hi mahāsveṇa| cacāra devastriśikhī śikhaṇḍī trailokyagoptā sa mahānubhāvaḥ||

Then that peacock, at the edge of the great ocean, agitating the waters with a great cry, moved about — the god with three crests, crested, the protector of the three worlds, the great-souled one.

Verse 9 (skanda.5.161.9)

शिवश्च रौद्रेण मयूररूपिणा विक्षोभ्यमाणे सलिलेऽपि तस्मिन्। सह भ्रमन्तीं च महार्णवान्ते सरिन्महौघां सुमहान्ददर्श॥

śivaśca raudreṇa mayūrarūpiṇā vikṣobhyamāṇe salile'pi tasmin| saha bhramantīṁ ca mahārṇavānte sarinmahaughāṁ sumahāndadarśa||

And Shiva, in his fierce form as a peacock, even as that water was being agitated, saw at the edge of the great ocean a mighty river of great flood, wandering along with him.

Verse 10 (skanda.5.161.10)

स तां महादेवमयूररूपो दृष्ट्वा भ्रमन्तीं सहसोर्मिजालैः। का त्वं शुभे शाश्वतदेहभूता क्षयं न यातासि महाक्षयान्ते॥

sa tāṁ mahādevamayūrarūpo dṛṣṭvā bhramantīṁ sahasormijālaiḥ| kā tvaṁ śubhe śāśvatadehabhūtā kṣayaṁ na yātāsi mahākṣayānte||

Mahadeva, in the form of a peacock, seeing her wandering suddenly amid networks of waves, said: 'Who are you, O auspicious one, of everlasting body, who has not gone to destruction at this time of great destruction?'

Verse 11 (skanda.5.161.11)

देवासुरगणे नष्टे सरित्सरमहार्णवे। का त्वं भ्रमसि पद्माक्षि क्व गतासि च न क्षयम्॥

devāsuragaṇe naṣṭe saritsaramahārṇave| kā tvaṁ bhramasi padmākṣi kva gatāsi ca na kṣayam||

'When the hosts of gods and asuras have perished, and the rivers and lakes have become the great ocean, who are you, O lotus-eyed one, wandering here? Where have you gone that you have not met destruction?'

Verse 12 (skanda.5.161.12)

नर्मदोवाच। तव प्रसादाद्देवेश मृत्युर्मम न विद्यते। सृज देव पुनर्विश्वं शर्वरी क्षयमागता॥

narmadovāca| tava prasādāddeveśa mṛtyurmama na vidyate| sṛja deva punarviśvaṁ śarvarī kṣayamāgatā||

Narmada said: 'By your grace, O lord of gods, death does not exist for me. Create the universe again, O god — the night of dissolution has come to its end.'

Verse 13 (skanda.5.161.13)

एवमुक्तो महादेवो व्यधुनोत्पक्षपञ्जरम्। तावत्पञ्जरमध्यान्ते तस्य पक्षाद्विनिःसृताः॥

evamukto mahādevo vyadhunotpakṣapañjaram| tāvatpañjaramadhyānte tasya pakṣādviniḥsṛtāḥ||

Thus addressed, Mahadeva shook his cage of feathers; and at that moment, from within the midst of his feathers, there emerged...

Verse 14 (skanda.5.161.14)

तावन्तो देवदैत्येन्द्राः पक्षाभ्यां तस्य जज्ञिरे। तेषां मध्ये पुनः सा तु नर्मदा भ्रमते सरित्॥

tāvanto devadaityendrāḥ pakṣābhyāṁ tasya jajñire| teṣāṁ madhye punaḥ sā tu narmadā bhramate sarit||

...as many lords of gods and daityas as were born from his two wings. Among them, again, that river Narmada wandered.

Verse 15 (skanda.5.161.15)

ततश्चान्यो महाशैलो दृश्यते भरतर्षभ। त्रिभिः कूटैः सुविस्तीर्णैः शृङ्गवानिव गोवृषः॥

tataścānyo mahāśailo dṛśyate bharatarṣabha| tribhiḥ kūṭaiḥ suvistīrṇaiḥ śṛṅgavāniva govṛṣaḥ||

Then, O bull of the Bharatas, another great mountain was seen, with three vast peaks, horned like a bull,

Verse 16 (skanda.5.161.16)

त्रिकूटस्तु इति ख्यातः सर्वरत्नैर्विभूषितः। ततस्तस्मात्त्रिकूटाच्च प्लावयन्ती महीं ययौ॥

trikūṭastu iti khyātaḥ sarvaratnairvibhūṣitaḥ| tatastasmāttrikūṭācca plāvayantī mahīṁ yayau||

renowned as Trikuta, adorned with every kind of jewel. Thence, from that Trikuta, flooding the earth, she went forth.

Verse 17 (skanda.5.161.17)

त्रिकूटी तेन विख्याता पितॄणां त्रायणी परा। द्वितीयाच्च ततो गङ्गा विस्तीर्णा धरणीतले॥

trikūṭī tena vikhyātā pitṝṇāṁ trāyaṇī parā| dvitīyācca tato gaṅgā vistīrṇā dharaṇītale||

Thereby she was renowned as Trikuti, the supreme deliverer of the Pitrs. And from a second peak, she came to be called the Ganga, wide-spread over the surface of the earth.

Verse 18 (skanda.5.161.18)

तृतीयं च ततः शृङ्गं सप्तधा खण्डशो गतम्। जम्बूद्वीपे तु संजाताः सप्त ते कुलपर्वताः॥

tṛtīyaṁ ca tataḥ śṛṅgaṁ saptadhā khaṇḍaśo gatam| jambūdvīpe tu saṁjātāḥ sapta te kulaparvatāḥ||

And the third peak then went, splintered sevenfold; those became the seven Kula mountains, arisen in Jambudvipa,

Verse 19 (skanda.5.161.19)

चन्द्रनक्षत्रसहिता ग्रहग्रामनदीनदाः। अण्डजं स्वेदजं जातमुद्भिज्जं च जरायुजम्॥

candranakṣatrasahitā grahagrāmanadīnadāḥ| aṇḍajaṁ svedajaṁ jātamudbhijjaṁ ca jarāyujam||

together with the moon, the constellations, the planets, and the rivers and streams; and creatures born of eggs, of sweat, sprung from the earth, and born of the womb —

Verse 20 (skanda.5.161.20)

एवं जगदिदं सर्वं मयूरादभवत्पुरा। समस्तं नरशार्दूल महादेवसमुद्भवम्॥

evaṁ jagadidaṁ sarvaṁ mayūrādabhavatpurā| samastaṁ naraśārdūla mahādevasamudbhavam||

thus, O tiger among men, this entire universe arose of old from the peacock — all of it sprung from Mahadeva.

Verse 21 (skanda.5.161.21)

ततो नदीः समुद्रांश्च संविभज्य पृथक्पृथक्। नर्मदामाह देवेशो गच्छ त्वं दक्षिणां दिशम्॥

tato nadīḥ samudrāṁśca saṁvibhajya pṛthakpṛthak| narmadāmāha deveśo gaccha tvaṁ dakṣiṇāṁ diśam||

Then, having apportioned out the rivers and oceans, each separately, the lord of gods said to Narmada: 'Go you to the southern direction.'

Verse 22 (skanda.5.161.22)

एवं सा दक्षिणा गंगा महापातकनाशिनी। उत्तरे जाह्नवी देशे पुण्या त्वं दक्षिणे शुभा॥

evaṁ sā dakṣiṇā gaṁgā mahāpātakanāśinī| uttare jāhnavī deśe puṇyā tvaṁ dakṣiṇe śubhā||

'Thus you shall be the Ganga of the South, destroyer of great sins. As the Jahnavi is holy in the north, so you shall be auspicious in the south.'

Verse 23 (skanda.5.161.23)

यथा गंगा महापुण्या मम मस्तकसंभवा। तद्विशिष्टा महाभागे त्वं चैवेति न संशयः॥

yathā gaṁgā mahāpuṇyā mama mastakasaṁbhavā| tadviśiṣṭā mahābhāge tvaṁ caiveti na saṁśayaḥ||

'As the greatly holy Ganga arose from my head, so, O greatly fortunate one, you too are distinguished in like manner — of this there is no doubt.'

Verse 24 (skanda.5.161.24)

त्वया सह भविष्यामि एकेनांशेन सुव्रते। महापातकयुक्तानामौषधं त्वं भविष्यसि॥

tvayā saha bhaviṣyāmi ekenāṁśena suvrate| mahāpātakayuktānāmauṣadhaṁ tvaṁ bhaviṣyasi||

'I shall be with you, O one of good vows, in one portion of myself; you shall become the medicine for those burdened with great sins.'

Verse 25 (skanda.5.161.25)

एवमुक्ता तु देवेन महापातकनाशिनी। दक्षिणं दिग्विभागं तु सा जगामाशु विक्रमा॥

evamuktā tu devena mahāpātakanāśinī| dakṣiṇaṁ digvibhāgaṁ tu sā jagāmāśu vikramā||

Thus addressed by the god, the destroyer of great sins, mighty in her course, went swiftly to the southern quarter.

Verse 26 (skanda.5.161.26)

ऋक्षशैलेन्द्रमासाद्य चन्द्रमौलेरनुग्रहात्। वार्यौघैः प्रस्थिता यस्मान्महादेवप्रणोदिता॥

ṛkṣaśailendramāsādya candramauleranugrahāt| vāryaughaiḥ prasthitā yasmānmahādevapraṇoditā||

Having reached the lord of the Riksha mountain, by the grace of the moon-crested one, since she set forth with floods of water, impelled by Mahadeva,

Verse 27 (skanda.5.161.27)

महता चापि वेगेन यस्मादेषा समुच्छ्रिता। महती तेन सा प्रोक्ता महादेवान्महीपते॥

mahatā cāpi vegena yasmādeṣā samucchritā| mahatī tena sā proktā mahādevānmahīpate||

and since she was raised up with a great force, O lord of the earth, she is therefore called Mahati, having arisen from Mahadeva.

Verse 28 (skanda.5.161.28)

तपतस्तस्य देवस्य शूलाग्राद्बिन्दवोऽपतन्। तेनैषा शोणसंज्ञा तु दश सप्त च ताः स्मृताः॥

tapatastasya devasya śūlāgrādbindavo'patan| tenaiṣā śoṇasaṁjñā tu daśa sapta ca tāḥ smṛtāḥ||

As that god performed austerity, drops fell from the tip of his trident; therefore she bears the name Shona; and these are remembered as seventeen.

Verse 29 (skanda.5.161.29)

सर्वेषां नर्मदा पुण्या रुद्रदेहाद्विनिःसृता। सर्वाभ्यश्च सरिद्भ्यश्च वरदानान्महात्मनः॥

sarveṣāṁ narmadā puṇyā rudradehādviniḥsṛtā| sarvābhyaśca saridbhyaśca varadānānmahātmanaḥ||

Of all of them, the holy Narmada issued from the body of Rudra; and, by the boon-giving of the great soul, she is supreme above all rivers.

Verse 30 (skanda.5.161.30)

शंकरानुप्रहाद्देवी महापातकनाशिनी। यस्मान्महार्णवे घोरे दृश्यते महती च सा॥

śaṁkarānuprahāddevī mahāpātakanāśinī| yasmānmahārṇave ghore dṛśyate mahatī ca sā||

By Shankara's grace, the goddess is the destroyer of great sins; and since she is seen, mighty, in the terrible great ocean...

Verse 31 (skanda.5.161.31)

सुव्यक्ताङ्गी महाकाया महती तेन सा स्मृता। तस्माद्विक्षोभ्यमाणा हि दिग्गजैरम्बुदोपमैः॥

suvyaktāṅgī mahākāyā mahatī tena sā smṛtā| tasmādvikṣobhyamāṇā hi diggajairambudopamaiḥ||

...clear of limb, great of body, she is therefore remembered as Mahati. And since she is agitated by the elephants of the directions, resembling clouds,

Verse 32 (skanda.5.161.32)

कलुषत्वं नयत्येव रसेन सुरसा तथा। कृपां करोति सा यस्माल्लोकानामभयप्रदा॥

kaluṣatvaṁ nayatyeva rasena surasā tathā| kṛpāṁ karoti sā yasmāllokānāmabhayapradā||

she takes on turbidity yet remains flavorful, and is thus called Surasa. And since she shows compassion, giving fearlessness to the worlds,

Verse 33 (skanda.5.161.33)

संसारार्णवमग्नानां तेन चैषा कृपा स्मृता। पुरा कृतयुगे पुण्ये दिव्यमन्दारभूषिता॥

saṁsārārṇavamagnānāṁ tena caiṣā kṛpā smṛtā| purā kṛtayuge puṇye divyamandārabhūṣitā||

to those sunk in the ocean of samsara, she is therefore remembered as Kripa. Of old, in the holy Krita age, adorned with divine coral-trees,

Verse 34 (skanda.5.161.34)

कल्पवृक्षसमाकीर्णा रोहीतकसमाकुला। वहत्येषा च मन्देन तेन मन्दाकिनी स्मृता॥

kalpavṛkṣasamākīrṇā rohītakasamākulā| vahatyeṣā ca mandena tena mandākinī smṛtā||

thronged with wish-fulfilling trees, filled with rohitaka trees, she flows gently — therefore she is remembered as Mandakini.

Verse 35 (skanda.5.161.35)

भित्त्वा महार्णवं क्षिप्रं यस्माल्लोकमिहागता। पूज्या सुरैश्च सिद्धैश्च तस्मादेषा महार्णवा॥

bhittvā mahārṇavaṁ kṣipraṁ yasmāllokamihāgatā| pūjyā suraiśca siddhaiśca tasmādeṣā mahārṇavā||

Since, having swiftly broken through the great ocean, she has come here to the world, and is worshipped by gods and Siddhas, she is therefore called Maharnava.

Verse 36 (skanda.5.161.36)

विचित्रोत्पलसंघातैरृक्षद्विपसमाकुला॥

vicitrotpalasaṁghātairṛkṣadvipasamākulā||

Thronged with wondrous clusters of lotuses, and with bears and elephants,

Verse 37 (skanda.5.161.37)

भित्त्वा शैलं च विपुलं प्रयात्येवं महार्णवम्। भ्रामयन्ती दिशः सर्वा रवेण महता पुरा॥

bhittvā śailaṁ ca vipulaṁ prayātyevaṁ mahārṇavam| bhrāmayantī diśaḥ sarvā raveṇa mahatā purā||

breaking through the vast mountain, she thus proceeds to the great ocean, making all the directions resound of old with her mighty roar,

Verse 38 (skanda.5.161.38)

प्लावयन्ती विराजन्ती तेन रेवा इति स्मृता। भार्यापुत्रसुदुःखाढ्यान्नराञ्छापैः समावृतान्॥

plāvayantī virājantī tena revā iti smṛtā| bhāryāputrasuduḥkhāḍhyānnarāñchāpaiḥ samāvṛtān||

flooding and shining resplendent — therefore she is remembered as Reva. Men greatly afflicted through wife and son, encompassed by curses,

Verse 39 (skanda.5.161.39)

विपापान्कुरुते यस्माद्विपापा तेन सा स्मृता। विण्मूत्रनिचयां घोरां पांशुशोणितकर्दमाम्॥

vipāpānkurute yasmādvipāpā tena sā smṛtā| viṇmūtranicayāṁ ghorāṁ pāṁśuśoṇitakardamām||

she makes free of sin; therefore she is remembered as Vipapa. Those terribly bound in a mass of filth and urine, in mud of dust and blood,

Verse 40 (skanda.5.161.40)

पाशैर्नित्यं तु सम्बाधां यस्मान्मोचयते भृशम्। विपाशेति च सा प्रोक्ता संसारार्णवतारिणी॥

pāśairnityaṁ tu sambādhāṁ yasmānmocayate bhṛśam| vipāśeti ca sā proktā saṁsārārṇavatāriṇī||

ever tightly bound by fetters — since she frees them thoroughly, she is thus called Vipasha, the one who carries beings across the ocean of samsara.

Verse 41 (skanda.5.161.41)

नर्मदा विमलाम्भा च विमलेन्दुशुभानना। तमोभूते महाघोरे यस्मादेषा महाप्रभा॥

narmadā vimalāmbhā ca vimalenduśubhānanā| tamobhūte mahāghore yasmādeṣā mahāprabhā||

Narmada, of stainless waters, her face auspicious as the spotless moon — since, in the terribly dark dissolution, she shines with great splendor,

Verse 42 (skanda.5.161.42)

विमला तेन सा प्रोक्ता विद्वद्भिर्नृपसत्तम। करैरिन्दुकरप्रख्यैः सूर्यरश्मिसमप्रभा॥

vimalā tena sā proktā vidvadbhirnṛpasattama| karairindukaraprakhyaiḥ sūryaraśmisamaprabhā||

she is therefore called Vimala by the learned, O best of kings; with rays resembling the moon's beams, and splendor equal to the sun's rays,

Verse 43 (skanda.5.161.43)

क्षरन्ती मोदते विश्वं करभा तेन चोच्यते। यस्माद्रञ्जयते लोकान्दर्शनादेव भारत॥

kṣarantī modate viśvaṁ karabhā tena cocyate| yasmādrañjayate lokāndarśanādeva bhārata||

flowing, she delights the universe — therefore she is called Karabha. O descendant of Bharata, since she delights the worlds by the mere sight of her,

Verse 44 (skanda.5.161.44)

रञ्जनाद्रञ्जना प्रोक्ता धात्वर्थे राजसत्तम। तृणवीरुधगुल्माद्यास्तिर्यञ्चः पक्षिणस्तथा। तानुद्भूतान्नयेत्स्वर्गं तेनोक्ता वायुवाहिनी॥

rañjanādrañjanā proktā dhātvarthe rājasattama| tṛṇavīrudhagulmādyāstiryañcaḥ pakṣiṇastathā| tānudbhūtānnayetsvargaṁ tenoktā vāyuvāhinī||

O best of kings, from the root-meaning of 'coloring/delighting', she is called Ranjana. Grasses, creepers, shrubs, and the like, and beasts and birds — such creatures as have arisen there she leads to heaven; therefore she is called Vayuvahini.

Verse 45 (skanda.5.161.45)

एवं यो वेत्ति नामानि निर्गमं च विशेषतः। स याति पापविर्मुक्तो रुद्रलोकं न संशयः॥

evaṁ yo vetti nāmāni nirgamaṁ ca viśeṣataḥ| sa yāti pāpavirmukto rudralokaṁ na saṁśayaḥ||

Thus, whoever knows these names, and especially their derivation, he, freed from sin, goes to the realm of Rudra — of this there is no doubt.