नर्मदायै नमः प्रातः नर्मदायै नमो निशि ।
नमोऽस्तु नर्मदे तुभ्यं त्राहि मां विषसर्पदः ।
जरत्कार्वोर्जरत्कर्वां समुत्पन्न महायशाः ।
अस्तीक सत्यसन्धो मां पन्नगेभ्यो अभिरक्षतु ॥
Meaning:
(prayer to Narmada river as well as for protection from snake-bite) (1) Prayer to Narmada river Salutation to Narmada, the River Goddess in the morning. Salutation to Narmada in the evening. O, Narmada, I salute you. Please protect me from venomous serpents. (2) Prayer for protection from snake-bite. The great Epic MahAbhArata tells the story of an ascetic named jaratkAru. He saw some men suspended over a deep pit with their heads down on a rope of fiber which was being gradually gnawed by a rat. He t that they were his ancestors brought to this state by his not having a son to perform certain prescribed rites and if he remained childless, the rope will break and they would fall into the pit. jaratkAru agreed to give up the life of the ascetic and to marry on condition that the bride should have his name. Vesuki, the king of serpents, offered his sister jaratkAru whom the ascetic married. They had a son named astika. he was the protector of serpents who hence would respect him. Now here is the prayer: May the renowned and truthful astika, born of jaratkAru and his wife jaratkAru, protect me from serpents.
Word meanings:
नर्मदायै = to Goddess (river) Narmada;
नमः = bowing; salutation;
प्रातः = in the morning;
नर्मदायै = to Goddess (river) Narmada;
नमो = bowing; salute;
निशि = during the night;
नमोऽस्तु = let there be my or our bowing or salutation;
नर्मदे = Oh! Narmada river;
तुभ्यं = to you;
त्राहि = save; protect;
मां = me;
विषसर्पदः = from the poisonous snakes;
जरत्कार्वोर्जरत्कर्वां = jaratkArvA the wife of;
महायशाः = people of great renown;
अस्तीक = of the sage Astika;
सत्यसन्धो = One bound to speak or defend the truth.;
मां = me;
पन्नगेभ्यो = to or fom serpants or snakes;
अभिरक्षतु = Let one protect me or us;
