Modern Saṃskṛtam

This poem on the sacred geography of the Narmadā river (Central India) is an example of modern Sanskrit poetry composed by the Sanskrit scholar and poet Śrī Kuśāgra Aniket (Economist and Management Consultant, New York, NY, U.S.A.). In his own words:
“The composition is an attempt to enrich the tradition of nature and devotional poetry in Sanskrit by drawing inspiration from local cultures and traditions – one of the facets of Sanskrit as a Loka Bhāṣā. The song links the significance of Narmada in popular consciousness of the region to its description in the Puranas (Reva Khanda of the Skanda and Vayu Puranas). It emphasizes the intimate relationship between the “natural” and the “sacred” in Hinduism.
I have set this song to a tune based on Raga Bairagi Bhairava in Hindustani Music. Incidentally, the equivalent Raga in Karnataka Sangeeta is Revati, which is sometimes used as a name for Narmada (besides Reva).