Nath
Encyclopedia
The Sanskrit word nāthá or नाथ, is the proper name of a Hindu
initiatory tradition
and the word itself literally means "lord, protector, refuge". The related Sanskrit term Adi Natha means first or original Lord, and is therefore a synonym for Shiva
, Mahadeva, or Maheshvara, and beyond these supramental concepts, the Supreme Absolute Reality as the basis supporting all aspects and manifestations of consciousness.
The Nath tradition is a heterodox siddha
tradition containing many sub-sects. It was founded by Matsyendranath
and further developed by Gorakshanath
. These two individuals are also revered in Tibetan Buddhism as Mahasiddha
s (great adepts) and are credited with great powers and perfected spiritual attainment.
(Devanagari
:नाथ संप्रदाय), is a development of the earlier Siddha
or Avadhuta Sampradaya, an ancient lineage of spiritual masters. Its founding is traditionally ascribed as an ideal reflected by the life and spiritual attainments of the guru Dattatreya
, who was considered by many to have been a human incarnation of Lord Vishnu born to Rishi Atri and Anasuya mata. Shiva
. The establishment of the Naths as a distinct historical sect purportedly began around the 8th or 9th century with a simple fisherman, Matsyendranath
(sometimes called Minanath, who may be identified with or called the father of Matsyendranath in some sources).
One story of the origin of the Nath teachings is that Matsyendranath was swallowed by a fish and while inside the fish overheard the teachings given by Shiva
to his wife Parvati
. According to legend, the reason behind Shiva imparting a teaching at the bottom of the ocean was in order to avoid being overheard by others. In the form of a fish, Matsyendranath exerted his hearing in the manner required to overhear and absorb the teachings of Shiva
. After being rescued from the fish by another fisherman, Matsyendranath took initiation as a sannyasin
from Siddha Carpati. It was Matsyendranath who became known as the founder of the specific stream of yogi
s known as the Nath Sampradaya.
Matysendranath's two most important disciples were Caurangi and Gorakshanath
. The latter came to eclipse his Master in importance in many of the branches and sub-sects of the Nath Sampradaya. Even today, Gorakshanath is considered by many to have been the most influential of the ancient Naths. He is also reputed to have written the first books dealing with Laya yoga
and the raising of the kundalini-shakti
.
There are several sites, ashrams and temples in India dedicated to Gorakshanatha. Many of them have been built at sites where he lived and engaged in meditation
and other sadhana
s. According to tradition, his samadhi shrine and gaddi (seat) reside at the Gorakhnath Temple
in Gorakhpur
. However, Nityananda
stated that the samadhi shrines (tombs) of both Matsyendranath and Gorakshanath reside at Nath Mandir near the Vajreshwari temple
about a kilometer from Ganeshpuri, Maharashtra
, India
.
The Natha Sampradaya does not recognize caste barriers, and their teachings were adopted by outcasts and kings alike. The heterodox Nath tradition has many sub-sects, but all honor Matsyendranath and Gorakshanath as the founders of the tradition.
, Gorakshanath
or one of their students. According to the Shri Amrit Nath Ashram website, the twelve Natha Panthi are as follows:
However, there have always been many more Natha sects than will conveniently fit into the twelve formal panths. Thus less populous sannyasin sub-sects such as the Adinath Sampradaya
or Nandinatha Sampradaya
are typically either ignored or amalgamated into one or another of the formal panths.
Reference to the Adinath Sampradaya
is pointed out by Rajmohan Nath (1964) in the following list of the twelve sub-sects:
was Shri Gurudev Mahendranath (1911-1991), who received initiation in 1953 from H.H. Shri Sadguru Lokanath, the Avadhut
of the Himalayas
. In 1978, he founded the International Nath Order in order to make the Natha way of life available in the West. He wrote many essays and articles, some of which were collected as The Scrolls of Mahendranath, first published in 1990. His successor, Shri Kapilnath, continues to teach and initiate sincere seekers.
The Chitrakut Math parampara, made famous in the modern times by Shri Madhavnath Maharaj
is currently being led forward by Shri Mangalnath Maharaj, who succeeded Shri Madhavnath Maharaj
and has a large following. Shri Mangalnath Maharaj
has established a Machindranath temple and Ashram at Mitmita, near Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
Some people contradict this, paraphrasing from Shree Nath Deepa-Prakash (Preface ;line14;7th edition) which supposedly contradicts the above statement. On 15th May' 1935 the Padukas of Maharaj were consecrated at Indore temple. On that occasion, he was questioned on appointment of a successor to carry forward the work of Nath Paramapara, he instantly replied "Nobody has given me this position, nor will I leave it for anyone." He further stated that a trust be formed to look after the Nath-Karya. Of course the statement is true, because as per the tradition at Chitrakoot, no presiding Nath ever appoints a successor in his lifetime. The statement by Madhavnath holds true for all Naths who ever graced the Chitrakoot seat, including the current incumbent. So there is no contradiction.
. Membership in the sampradaya
is always conferred by initiation (diksha
) by a diksha-guru—either the lineage-holder or another member of the sampradaya whose ability to initiate has been recognized by his diksha-guru.
The Natha initiation itself is conducted inside a formal ceremony in which some portion of the awareness and spiritual energy (shakti
) of the Guru
is transmitted to the shishya (student). The neophyte, now a Nath, is also given a new name with which to support their new identity. This transmission or "touch" of the Guru is symbolically fixed by the application of ash to several parts of the body.
In The Phantastikos, Shri Gurudev Mahendranath, a Guru of the Adinath Sampradaya
, wrote,
there are principally two divisions of nath sampradaya namely naths of NADA and naths of BINDA . any layman initiated by a nath guru in to nath sampradaya is called nath of nada tradition (parampara) while house holder naths are called naths of binda tradition where the son of a nath is born as a nath. matsyendra nath ji was of binda tradition ( nemi nath and paras nath , two of 24 tirthankars of jainism were his sons, and gorakh nath ji is of nada tradition.
(known as Rasayana
) and the ritual, spiritual and medicinal usage of mercury, cinnabar
and other minerals and crystal preparations and elixirs was a practice of Nath
. In The Magick Path of Tantra, he wrote about several of the aims of the Naths,
and its literature which employed the 'Twilight Language
' (Sanskrit: sandhya bhasa) is championed by such as the Charyapada
, Matsyendranath
, Daripada and the Nath:
Nayak (2006: p.72) opines that the mystic
poetry of the Natha influenced the Panchasakha literature of Jagannath, Balarama, Yasowanta, Achyuta and Ananta:
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
initiatory tradition
Sampradaya
In Hinduism, a sampradaya can be translated as ‘tradition’ or a ‘religious system’, although the word commands much more respect and power in the Indian context than its translations in English does...
and the word itself literally means "lord, protector, refuge". The related Sanskrit term Adi Natha means first or original Lord, and is therefore a synonym for Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
, Mahadeva, or Maheshvara, and beyond these supramental concepts, the Supreme Absolute Reality as the basis supporting all aspects and manifestations of consciousness.
The Nath tradition is a heterodox siddha
Siddha
A Siddha सिद्ध in Sanskrit means "one who is accomplished" and refers to perfected masters who, according to Hindu belief, have transcended the ahamkara , have subdued their minds to be subservient to their Awareness, and have transformed their bodies into a different kind of body dominated by...
tradition containing many sub-sects. It was founded by Matsyendranath
Matsyendranath
Matsyendranatha or Machindranath was one of the eighty-four Mahasiddhas. He was the guru of Gorakshanath, with whom he founded the school of Hatha yoga. He is considered as the author of the Kaulajñānanirṇaya , one of the earliest texts on Hatha Yoga in Sanskrit...
and further developed by Gorakshanath
Gorakshanath
Gorakshanath was an 11th to 12th century Hindu Nath yogi, connected to Shaivism as one of the two most important disciples of Matsyendranath, the other being Caurangi. There are varying records of the spiritual descent of Gorakshanath. All name Adinath and Matsyendranath as two teachers preceding...
. These two individuals are also revered in Tibetan Buddhism as Mahasiddha
Mahasiddha
Mahasiddha is a term for one who cultivates those teachings that lead to becoming perfect. They are a type of eccentric yogini/yogi in both Sanatan Dharma and Vajrayana Dharma, given by Siddhartha. Mahasiddhi are those practitioners, or tantrikas who have gained sufficient understanding and are so...
s (great adepts) and are credited with great powers and perfected spiritual attainment.
Natha Sampradaya
The Natha SampradayaSampradaya
In Hinduism, a sampradaya can be translated as ‘tradition’ or a ‘religious system’, although the word commands much more respect and power in the Indian context than its translations in English does...
(Devanagari
Devanagari
Devanagari |deva]]" and "nāgarī" ), also called Nagari , is an abugida alphabet of India and Nepal...
:नाथ संप्रदाय), is a development of the earlier Siddha
Siddha
A Siddha सिद्ध in Sanskrit means "one who is accomplished" and refers to perfected masters who, according to Hindu belief, have transcended the ahamkara , have subdued their minds to be subservient to their Awareness, and have transformed their bodies into a different kind of body dominated by...
or Avadhuta Sampradaya, an ancient lineage of spiritual masters. Its founding is traditionally ascribed as an ideal reflected by the life and spiritual attainments of the guru Dattatreya
Dattatreya
Dattatreya or Datta is a Hindu deity encompassing the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, collectively known as Trimurti. The name Dattatreya can be divided into two words - "Datta" and "Atreya" referring to the sage Atri, his physical father.Various Hindu sects worship him differently...
, who was considered by many to have been a human incarnation of Lord Vishnu born to Rishi Atri and Anasuya mata. Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
. The establishment of the Naths as a distinct historical sect purportedly began around the 8th or 9th century with a simple fisherman, Matsyendranath
Matsyendranath
Matsyendranatha or Machindranath was one of the eighty-four Mahasiddhas. He was the guru of Gorakshanath, with whom he founded the school of Hatha yoga. He is considered as the author of the Kaulajñānanirṇaya , one of the earliest texts on Hatha Yoga in Sanskrit...
(sometimes called Minanath, who may be identified with or called the father of Matsyendranath in some sources).
One story of the origin of the Nath teachings is that Matsyendranath was swallowed by a fish and while inside the fish overheard the teachings given by Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
to his wife Parvati
Parvati
Parvati is a Hindu goddess. Parvati is Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Mahadevi, the Great Goddess...
. According to legend, the reason behind Shiva imparting a teaching at the bottom of the ocean was in order to avoid being overheard by others. In the form of a fish, Matsyendranath exerted his hearing in the manner required to overhear and absorb the teachings of Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
. After being rescued from the fish by another fisherman, Matsyendranath took initiation as a sannyasin
Sannyasa
Sannyasa is the order of life of the renouncer within the Hindu scheme of āśramas, or life stages. It is considered the topmost and final stage of the ashram systems and is traditionally taken by men or women at or beyond the age of fifty years old or by young monks who wish to renounce worldly...
from Siddha Carpati. It was Matsyendranath who became known as the founder of the specific stream of yogi
Yogi
A Yogi is a practitioner of Yoga. The word is also used to refer to ascetic practitioners of meditation in a number of South Asian Religions including Jainism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.-Etymology:...
s known as the Nath Sampradaya.
Matysendranath's two most important disciples were Caurangi and Gorakshanath
Gorakshanath
Gorakshanath was an 11th to 12th century Hindu Nath yogi, connected to Shaivism as one of the two most important disciples of Matsyendranath, the other being Caurangi. There are varying records of the spiritual descent of Gorakshanath. All name Adinath and Matsyendranath as two teachers preceding...
. The latter came to eclipse his Master in importance in many of the branches and sub-sects of the Nath Sampradaya. Even today, Gorakshanath is considered by many to have been the most influential of the ancient Naths. He is also reputed to have written the first books dealing with Laya yoga
Laya yoga
Laya yoga , also called Kundalini Yoga, is the practice whereby the Kundalini energy is raised, and which is attainable through deep meditation . Laya Yoga helps the aspirant to attain union with the supreme consciousness...
and the raising of the kundalini-shakti
Kundalini
Kundalini literally means coiled. In yoga, a "corporeal energy" - an unconscious, instinctive or libidinal force or Shakti, lies coiled at the base of the spine. It is envisioned either as a goddess or else as a sleeping serpent, hence a number of English renderings of the term such as 'serpent...
.
There are several sites, ashrams and temples in India dedicated to Gorakshanatha. Many of them have been built at sites where he lived and engaged in meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
and other sadhana
Sadhana
Sādhanā literally "a means of accomplishing something" is ego-transcending spiritual practice. It includes a variety of disciplines in Hindu, Sikh , Buddhist and Muslim traditions that are followed in order to achieve various spiritual or ritual objectives.The historian N...
s. According to tradition, his samadhi shrine and gaddi (seat) reside at the Gorakhnath Temple
Gorakhnath Temple
The Gorakhnath Math is a Hindu monastic groupin the Nath tradition. The name Gorakhnath derives from the medieval saint, Gorakshanath , a famous yogi who travelled widely across India and authored a number of texts that form part of the canon of the Nath sampradaya...
in Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur is a city in the eastern part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in India, near the border with Nepal. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur District and Gorakhpur Division. Gorakhpur is one of the proposed capitals of the Purvanchal state which is yet to be formed...
. However, Nityananda
Bhagawan Nityananda
Bhagawan Nityananda was an Indian guru. His teachings are published in the "Chidakash Gita". Nityananda was born in Quilandy , Kerala, South India.- Early life :...
stated that the samadhi shrines (tombs) of both Matsyendranath and Gorakshanath reside at Nath Mandir near the Vajreshwari temple
Vajreshwari temple
The Shree Vajreshwari Yogini Devi Mandir is a Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess Vajreshwari, located in the town Vajreshwari, 75 km away from Mumbai...
about a kilometer from Ganeshpuri, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
The Natha Sampradaya does not recognize caste barriers, and their teachings were adopted by outcasts and kings alike. The heterodox Nath tradition has many sub-sects, but all honor Matsyendranath and Gorakshanath as the founders of the tradition.
The twelve traditional Natha Panthas
The Natha Sampradaya is traditionally divided into twelve streams or Panths. According to David Gordon White, these panthas were not really a subdivision of a monolithic order, but rather an amalgamation of separate groups descended from either MatsyendranathMatsyendranath
Matsyendranatha or Machindranath was one of the eighty-four Mahasiddhas. He was the guru of Gorakshanath, with whom he founded the school of Hatha yoga. He is considered as the author of the Kaulajñānanirṇaya , one of the earliest texts on Hatha Yoga in Sanskrit...
, Gorakshanath
Gorakshanath
Gorakshanath was an 11th to 12th century Hindu Nath yogi, connected to Shaivism as one of the two most important disciples of Matsyendranath, the other being Caurangi. There are varying records of the spiritual descent of Gorakshanath. All name Adinath and Matsyendranath as two teachers preceding...
or one of their students. According to the Shri Amrit Nath Ashram website, the twelve Natha Panthi are as follows:
- Satya natha
- Dharam natha
- Daria natha
- Ayi Panthia
- Vairaga kea
- Rama ke
- Kapilani
- Ganga nathi
- Mannathi
- Rawal ke
- Paava panth
- Paagala panthi
However, there have always been many more Natha sects than will conveniently fit into the twelve formal panths. Thus less populous sannyasin sub-sects such as the Adinath Sampradaya
Adinath Sampradaya
The Adinath Sampradaya was a sadhu sub-sect of the greater Nath tradition. Followers of this tradition were given Sannyasa diksha, thus renouncing householder life, and thereafter lived as naked sadhus. Believing that sadhus should live alone until they had attained the goal, they lived in caves,...
or Nandinatha Sampradaya
Nandinatha Sampradaya
Nandinatha Sampradaya is a denomination of Hinduism that places great importance on the practice of yoga. It is related to the broader Nath Sampradaya.- Origins :...
are typically either ignored or amalgamated into one or another of the formal panths.
Reference to the Adinath Sampradaya
Adinath Sampradaya
The Adinath Sampradaya was a sadhu sub-sect of the greater Nath tradition. Followers of this tradition were given Sannyasa diksha, thus renouncing householder life, and thereafter lived as naked sadhus. Believing that sadhus should live alone until they had attained the goal, they lived in caves,...
is pointed out by Rajmohan Nath (1964) in the following list of the twelve sub-sects:
- Machhindranath
- Adinath
- Minanath
- Gorakhnath
- Khaparnath
- Satnath
- Balaknath
- Golaknath
- Birupakshanath
- Bhatriharinath
- Ainath
- Khecharanath
- Ramachandranath
Modern Natha lineages
A recent modern Natha of the Adinath SampradayaAdinath Sampradaya
The Adinath Sampradaya was a sadhu sub-sect of the greater Nath tradition. Followers of this tradition were given Sannyasa diksha, thus renouncing householder life, and thereafter lived as naked sadhus. Believing that sadhus should live alone until they had attained the goal, they lived in caves,...
was Shri Gurudev Mahendranath (1911-1991), who received initiation in 1953 from H.H. Shri Sadguru Lokanath, the Avadhut
Avadhut
Avadhuta is a Sanskrit term used in Indian religions to refer to an antinomian mystic or saint who is beyond ego-consciousness, duality and common worldly concerns and acts without consideration for standard social etiquette. Such personalities "roam free like a child upon the face of the Earth"...
of the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
. In 1978, he founded the International Nath Order in order to make the Natha way of life available in the West. He wrote many essays and articles, some of which were collected as The Scrolls of Mahendranath, first published in 1990. His successor, Shri Kapilnath, continues to teach and initiate sincere seekers.
The Chitrakut Math parampara, made famous in the modern times by Shri Madhavnath Maharaj
Shri Madhavnath Maharaj
Shri Madhavnath Maharaj was a Hindu saint, of Karvi, Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, who continued the Nath Sampradaya of the famous Navnaths in India.-Birth and early life:...
is currently being led forward by Shri Mangalnath Maharaj, who succeeded Shri Madhavnath Maharaj
Shri Madhavnath Maharaj
Shri Madhavnath Maharaj was a Hindu saint, of Karvi, Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, who continued the Nath Sampradaya of the famous Navnaths in India.-Birth and early life:...
and has a large following. Shri Mangalnath Maharaj
Shri Mangalnath Maharaj
Yogeshwaranand Shri Mangalnath Maharaj is a disciple of Swami Machindranath. Shri Mangalnath Maharaj leads the Chitrakoot Gadi of the famous Chitrakoot Math-Birth and History:Yogeshwaranand Shri Mangalnath Maharaj was born on 12 August 1936...
has established a Machindranath temple and Ashram at Mitmita, near Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
Some people contradict this, paraphrasing from Shree Nath Deepa-Prakash (Preface ;line14;7th edition) which supposedly contradicts the above statement. On 15th May' 1935 the Padukas of Maharaj were consecrated at Indore temple. On that occasion, he was questioned on appointment of a successor to carry forward the work of Nath Paramapara, he instantly replied "Nobody has given me this position, nor will I leave it for anyone." He further stated that a trust be formed to look after the Nath-Karya. Of course the statement is true, because as per the tradition at Chitrakoot, no presiding Nath ever appoints a successor in his lifetime. The statement by Madhavnath holds true for all Naths who ever graced the Chitrakoot seat, including the current incumbent. So there is no contradiction.
Initiation
The Natha Sampradaya is an initiatory Guru-shishya traditionGuru-shishya tradition
The guru-shishya tradition, lineage, or parampara, denotes a succession of teachers and disciples in traditional Indian culture and religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism and Buddhism. It is the tradition of spiritual relationship and mentoring where teachings are transmitted from a guru...
. Membership in the sampradaya
Sampradaya
In Hinduism, a sampradaya can be translated as ‘tradition’ or a ‘religious system’, although the word commands much more respect and power in the Indian context than its translations in English does...
is always conferred by initiation (diksha
Diksha
Diksa also spelled deeksha or deeksa in common usage, translated as a "preparation or consecration for a religious ceremony", is giving of a mantra or an initiation by the guru in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism...
) by a diksha-guru—either the lineage-holder or another member of the sampradaya whose ability to initiate has been recognized by his diksha-guru.
The Natha initiation itself is conducted inside a formal ceremony in which some portion of the awareness and spiritual energy (shakti
Shakti
Shakti from Sanskrit shak - "to be able," meaning sacred force or empowerment, is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the entire universe in Hinduism. Shakti is the concept, or personification, of divine feminine creative power, sometimes...
) of the Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
is transmitted to the shishya (student). The neophyte, now a Nath, is also given a new name with which to support their new identity. This transmission or "touch" of the Guru is symbolically fixed by the application of ash to several parts of the body.
In The Phantastikos, Shri Gurudev Mahendranath, a Guru of the Adinath Sampradaya
Adinath Sampradaya
The Adinath Sampradaya was a sadhu sub-sect of the greater Nath tradition. Followers of this tradition were given Sannyasa diksha, thus renouncing householder life, and thereafter lived as naked sadhus. Believing that sadhus should live alone until they had attained the goal, they lived in caves,...
, wrote,
- "The passage of wisdom and knowledge through the generations required the mystic magick phenomenon of initiation, which is valid to this day in the initiation transmission from naked guru to naked novice by touch, mark, and mantra. In this simple rite, the initiator passes something of himself to the one initiated. This initiation is the start of the transformation of the new Natha. It must not be overlooked that this initiation has been passed on in one unbroken line for thousands of years. Once you receive the Nath initiation, it is yours throughout life. No one can take it from you, and you yourself can never renounce it. This is the most permanent thing in an impermanent life."
there are principally two divisions of nath sampradaya namely naths of NADA and naths of BINDA . any layman initiated by a nath guru in to nath sampradaya is called nath of nada tradition (parampara) while house holder naths are called naths of binda tradition where the son of a nath is born as a nath. matsyendra nath ji was of binda tradition ( nemi nath and paras nath , two of 24 tirthankars of jainism were his sons, and gorakh nath ji is of nada tradition.
Indian alchemy
Indian alchemyAlchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
(known as Rasayana
Rasayana
Rasayan, a Sanskrit word , is used to describe chemistry and alchemy, and chemistry is generally called Rasayan Shastra in Sanskrit, Nepali, Marathi, Hindi, Kannada and several other languages.Ancient rasayan texts center around the use of prepared forms of mercury or cinnabar , as do...
) and the ritual, spiritual and medicinal usage of mercury, cinnabar
Cinnabar
Cinnabar or cinnabarite , is the common ore of mercury.-Word origin:The name comes from κινναβαρι , a Greek word most likely applied by Theophrastus to several distinct substances...
and other minerals and crystal preparations and elixirs was a practice of Nath
The aims of the Nathas
According to Muller-Ortega (1989: p.37), the primary aim of the ancient Nath Siddhas was to achieve liberation or jivan-mukti during their current lifespan. According to a recent Nath Guru, Shri Gurudev Mahendranath, another aim was to avoid reincarnationReincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
. In The Magick Path of Tantra, he wrote about several of the aims of the Naths,
- "Our aims in life are to enjoy peace, freedom, and happiness in this life, but also to avoid rebirth onto this Earth plane. All this depends not on divine benevolence, but on the way we ourselves think and act."
Sonepur literature and the Twilight Language
Nayak (2006: p.72) holds the great fertile locality of SonepurSonepur
Sonepur, also known as Subarnapur, is a town and district headquarters of Subarnapur district of Orissa. Sonepur was formerly the capital of a princely state of British India. The district spreads over an area of 2284.89 km2. It is also known as Second Varanasi of India for its cluster of...
and its literature which employed the 'Twilight Language
The Twilight Language
Twilight language is a rendering of the Sanskrit term — or of their modern Indic equivalents ....
' (Sanskrit: sandhya bhasa) is championed by such as the Charyapada
Charyapada
The Charyapada is a collection of 8th-12th century Vajrayana Buddhist caryagiti, or mystical poems from the tantric tradition in eastern India. Being caryagiti , the Charyapada were intended to be sung. These songs of realization were spontaneously composed verses that expressed a practitioner's...
, Matsyendranath
Matsyendranath
Matsyendranatha or Machindranath was one of the eighty-four Mahasiddhas. He was the guru of Gorakshanath, with whom he founded the school of Hatha yoga. He is considered as the author of the Kaulajñānanirṇaya , one of the earliest texts on Hatha Yoga in Sanskrit...
, Daripada and the Nath:
"The growth of literature at Sonepur can be traced to Charyapada, to Matsyendranath and Daripada of the Natha cult. They wrote esoteric poetry in language known as Sandhya bhasa. The local idioms they used are still in currency in this area."
Nayak (2006: p.72) opines that the mystic
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
poetry of the Natha influenced the Panchasakha literature of Jagannath, Balarama, Yasowanta, Achyuta and Ananta:
"The mystic poetry of the Natha cult which flourished from 8th to 11th century largely influenced the Panchasakha literature of Jagannath, Balarama, Yasowanta, Achuyta and Ananta. The Nath literature of Sonepur seems to have set the tone and temper of the literature the successive ages pursued."
Legendary Naths
- Adinath SampradayaAdinath SampradayaThe Adinath Sampradaya was a sadhu sub-sect of the greater Nath tradition. Followers of this tradition were given Sannyasa diksha, thus renouncing householder life, and thereafter lived as naked sadhus. Believing that sadhus should live alone until they had attained the goal, they lived in caves,...
- LuipaLuipaLuipa or Luipada was one of the Siddhas or Siddhacharyas from eastern India. He was a poet and writer of a number of Buddhist texts.-Nomenclature and etymology:...
- MatsyendranathMatsyendranathMatsyendranatha or Machindranath was one of the eighty-four Mahasiddhas. He was the guru of Gorakshanath, with whom he founded the school of Hatha yoga. He is considered as the author of the Kaulajñānanirṇaya , one of the earliest texts on Hatha Yoga in Sanskrit...
- GorakshanathGorakshanathGorakshanath was an 11th to 12th century Hindu Nath yogi, connected to Shaivism as one of the two most important disciples of Matsyendranath, the other being Caurangi. There are varying records of the spiritual descent of Gorakshanath. All name Adinath and Matsyendranath as two teachers preceding...
- Baba Balak NathBaba Balak NathBaba Balak Nath or Sidh Baba Balak Nath , is a Hindu deity worshipped in the northern Indian states of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. His shrine is known as "Deotsidh". It is 45 Kilometers from "Hamirpur"Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh and is on the border of Hamirpur and Bilaspur districts of Himachal...
Past teachers
- Shri Bhambhulnath - late abbot of the Nath Siddha monastery at HaridwarHaridwarHaridwar is an important pilgrimage city and municipality in the Haridwar district of Uttarakhand, India...
- Shri Gurudev Mahendranath - final GuruGuruA guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
of the Adinath SampradayaAdinath SampradayaThe Adinath Sampradaya was a sadhu sub-sect of the greater Nath tradition. Followers of this tradition were given Sannyasa diksha, thus renouncing householder life, and thereafter lived as naked sadhus. Believing that sadhus should live alone until they had attained the goal, they lived in caves,... - Nisargadatta MaharajNisargadatta MaharajSri Nisargadatta Maharaj , born Maruti Shivrampant Kambli, was an Indian spiritual teacher and philosopher of Advaita , and a Guru, belonging to the Inchgiri branch of the Navnath Sampradaya....
(1897-1981) - past master of the Navnath Sampradaya - Satguru Sivaya SubramuniyaswamiSatguru Sivaya SubramuniyaswamiSivaya Subramuniyaswami , also known as Gurudeva by his followers, was born in Oakland, California, on January 5, 1927, and adopted Saivism as a young man. He traveled to India and Sri Lanka where he received initiation from Yogaswami of Jaffna in 1949...
- a past Guru of the Nandinatha SampradayaNandinatha SampradayaNandinatha Sampradaya is a denomination of Hinduism that places great importance on the practice of yoga. It is related to the broader Nath Sampradaya.- Origins :... - Shankar Maharaj - a Nath Avadhuta
- Shri Madhavnath MaharajShri Madhavnath MaharajShri Madhavnath Maharaj was a Hindu saint, of Karvi, Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh, who continued the Nath Sampradaya of the famous Navnaths in India.-Birth and early life:...
(1857-1936)
Living teachers
- Sri Avedyanath - abbot of the Gorakhnath Math
- Bodhinatha VeylanswamiBodhinatha VeylanswamiSatguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami , a Hindu monk, is the head of Kauai's Hindu Monastery and publisher of Hinduism Today magazine...
- Sannyasin and SatguruSatguruSatguru does not merely mean true guru. The term is distinguished from other forms of gurus, such as musical instructors, scriptural teachers, parents, and so on...
of the Nandinatha SampradayaNandinatha SampradayaNandinatha Sampradaya is a denomination of Hinduism that places great importance on the practice of yoga. It is related to the broader Nath Sampradaya.- Origins :... - Sri Kapilnath - current head of the Intl. Nath Order of Shri Mahendranath
- Shri Naharinath - current master of the Shri Amrit Nath AshramShri Amrit Nath AshramShri Amrit Nath Ashram is an ashram of the Nath Sampradaya of MannaNathi Panth founded by Shri Amritnathji Maharaj in a small town of Fatehpur in region of Shekhawati which comes in Sikar district of Rajasthan, India....
- Sri Narayan Nath - a householder Nath who is the current head of the Vairag-panth
- Shri Mangalnath MaharajShri Mangalnath MaharajYogeshwaranand Shri Mangalnath Maharaj is a disciple of Swami Machindranath. Shri Mangalnath Maharaj leads the Chitrakoot Gadi of the famous Chitrakoot Math-Birth and History:Yogeshwaranand Shri Mangalnath Maharaj was born on 12 August 1936...
- Currently anointed at the spiritual seat of Chitrakoot - Sri Yogi Matsyendra Nath - Sannyasin and kanphata belonging to the Dharma Panth. Russian origin, has his own web site Nathas' Tradition
- Swami Khecaranatha - Sannyasin, American based in Berkeley California. Head of Sacred Space Yoga Sanctuary.