King Puruva once asked a saint, "How can a person be cleansed of his sins and go to heaven without performing yajnas?"  The sage said, "Only the river Narmada can do this, but she is in heaven and will have to be brought to earth." Puruva performed a long penance to please Shiva. When Shiva appeared he requested him to bring Narmada to earth. Shiva asked Narmada to descend on earth. But Narmada needed a base from which she could emerge on earth.

Shiva asked the mountains as to who was capable of providing Narmada with a base. The Maikal range of mountains agreed to it. When Narmada came on earth, she flooded all the mountains and forests. She was asked to control her force. Then Puruva purified his ancestors' souls by cleansing himself in the waters of the Narmada.