Misplaced Pages

Natha Sampradaya: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 07:27, 10 March 2006 editHanuman Das (talk | contribs)5,424 editsNo edit summary← Previous edit Latest revision as of 03:29, 15 December 2024 edit undoBD2412 (talk | contribs)Autopatrolled, IP block exemptions, Administrators2,449,075 editsm Clean up spacing around commas and other punctuation fixes, replaced: , → , (3)Tag: AWB 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Yogic tradition within Shaivism}}
]
{{Redirect|Natha|the deity in Buddhism|Nāthadeva|other uses|Nath (disambiguation)}}
{{EngvarB|date=February 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2016}}
{{Saivism|expanded=Schools}}
{{Hinduism}}
{{Infobox religious group|group=Nath Sampradaya
|founder=]
|religions=]
|image=17th century Hindu female Nath yogi painting.jpg
|image_caption=Painting of Hindu Nath yoginis ca. 17th century
|regions=]
}}
'''Natha''', also called '''Nath''' ({{Langx|sa|नाथसम्प्रदाय|translit=Nāthasaṃpradāya}}), are a ] sub-tradition within ] in India and Nepal.<ref name="JonesRyan2006p308"/><ref>{{harvnb|Nesbitt|2014|pp=360–361}}</ref> A medieval movement, it combined ideas from ], ] and ] traditions of the ].<ref name=britannatha>, Encyclopedia Britannica (2007)</ref> The Naths have been a confederation of devotees who consider ] as their first lord or ], with varying lists of additional gurus.<ref name="JonesRyan2006p308">{{harvnb|Jones|Ryan|2006|p=308}}</ref><ref name="Mallinson_2011_p407-428"/> Of these, the 9th or 10th century ]a and the ideas and organization mainly developed by ] are particularly important. Gorakhnath is considered the originator of the Nath Panth.<ref name="Mallinson_2011_p407-428"/>


The Nath tradition has an extensive Shaivism-related theological literature of its own, most of which is traceable to the 11th century CE or later.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=407-421}} However, its roots are in a far more ancient ] tradition.<ref name="JonesRyan2006p308"/>{{sfn|Muller-Ortega|2010|pp=36-37}} A notable aspect of Nath tradition practice has been its refinements and use of Yoga, particularly ], to transform one's body into a '']'' state of an awakened self’s identity with absolute reality. An accomplished ], that is, a yoga and spiritual guide, is considered essential,<ref name=britannatha/> and the Nath tradition has historically been known for its esoteric and heterodox practices.<ref name="Mallinson_2011_p407-428"/><ref name="Singleton2010p27">{{harvnb|Singleton|2010|pp=27–39}}</ref>
The Sanskrit word '''Nath''' is the proper name of an initiatory ] tradition and literally means Lord, Protector, a Refuge. The Sanskrit term ] means first or original Lord, and is therefore a synonym for ], ], or ], and beyond these mental concepts, the Supreme Absolute Reality as the originator of all things.


The unconventional ways of the Nath tradition challenged all orthodox premises, exploring dark and shunned practices of society as a means to understanding theology and gaining inner powers.{{sfn|Jones|Ryan|2006|pp=169-170, 308}} They formed monastic organizations, itinerant groups that walked great distances to sacred sites and festivals such as the ] as a part of their spiritual practice. The Nath also have a large settled householder tradition in parallel to its monastic groups.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=407-421}} Some of them metamorphosed into warrior ascetics during the ].<ref name=thapar165>{{harvnb|Thapar|2008|pp=165–166}}</ref>{{sfn|Rigopoulos|1998|pp=99-104, 218}}{{sfn|Lorenzen|1978|p=61}}
==The Nath Sampradaya==
The Nath tradition (]) is a timeless lineage of spiritual masters founded by Shri Bhagavan ], considered by some to have been an incarnation of Lord ]. Although the Nath tradition dates back to Shri Dattatreya, they do not appear to have become a distinct sect until approximately 300&ndash;400 CE.


The Nath tradition was influenced by other Indian traditions such as ] monism,<ref name="Lorenzen2011p5">{{harvnb|Lorenzen|Muñoz|2011|pp=4–5}}</ref> and in turn influenced it as well as movements within ], ] and ] through saints such as ] and ].<ref name=singleton28/><ref name=beck117/><ref name="Lorenzen2011xi">{{harvnb|Lorenzen|Muñoz|2011|pp=xi–xii, 30, 47–48}}</ref>{{sfn|Banerjea|1983|p=xxi}}
The establishment of the Naths as a distinct sect began with a simple fisherman named Mina who was a student of a sadhu known as Siddha Kakkuti. Siddha Kakkuti was a student of the ] ] ] and was later initiated as a Nath by Siddha Carpati.


==Etymology and nomenclature==
Mina was a lay disciple of Siddha Kakkuti and continued his occupation as a fisherman. The story of Mina is that he was swallowed by a fish and while inside the fish overheard the teachings given by Lord ] to his wife ], who had taken her to the bottom of the ocean in order to avoid being overheard.


The Sanskrit word ] नाथ literally means "lord, protector, master".<ref>{{harvnb|Storl|2004|p=258 with footnote}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Monier |last=Monier-Williams |author-link=Monier Monier-Williams |title=A Sanskrit-English Dictionary |year=2005 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-8120831056}}</ref> The related Sanskrit term ] means first or original Lord, and is a synonym for ], the founder of the Nāthas. Initiation into the Nātha ] includes receiving a name ending in ''-nath'',{{sfn|White|2012|pp=355 note 8, 100–101}} ''-yogi'', or ''-jogi''.
After being rescued from the fish by another fisherman, Mina and his son both took initiation as ] from Siddha Carpati. Mina became known within the Nath tradition as Minanath and his son was known as ]. It was Matsyendranath who became known as the founder of the Nath Sampradaya.
Matysendranath's two most important disciples were Caurangi and ]. 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 greatest of the Naths. He is reputed to have written the first books dealing with ] and the raising of the ]. He is also reputed to have been the original inventor of ] and (by some) ]. There are several temples in India dedicated to Gorakshanath. According to ], the samadhi shrines (tombs) of both Matsyendranath and Gorakshanath reside at Nath Mandir near the Vajreshwari temple about a kilometer from Ganeshpuri, ], ].


According to the yoga scholar ], the term ''Nath'' is a neologism for various groups previously known as ''yogi'' or ''jogi'' before the 18th century.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=407-410}} Within the Natha tradition, however, it is said that the identifier Nath began with the figures of Matsyendranatha in the 10th century and his guru ], known as Adinath (first lord). During East India Company and later British Raj rule, itinerant yogis were suppressed and many were forced into householder life. Many of their practices were banned in an attempt to limit their political and military power in North India.
The Nath 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.


During colonial rule the term ''Yogi/Jogi'' became a derisive word and they were classified by British India census as a "low status caste". In the 20th century, the community began to use the alternate term ''Nath'' instead in their public relations, while continuing to use their historical term of ''yogi'' or ''jogi'' to refer to each other within the community. The term ''Nath'' or ''Natha'', with the meaning of lord, is a generic Sanskrit theological term found in all the dharmic religions that utilize Sanskrit. It is found in ] (e.g. Gopinath, Jagannath), ] (e.g. Minanath), and in ] (Adinatha, Parsvanatha).{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=409-410}}
==The Aims of the Naths==
In ''The Magick Path of Tantra'', ] wrote,


The term ''yogi'' or ''jogi'' is not limited to Natha subtradition, and has been widely used in Indian culture for anyone who is routinely devoted to yoga.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=409-410}} Some memoirs by travelers such as those by the Italian traveler Varthema refer to the Nath Yogi people they met, phonetically as ''Ioghes''.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=411-415}}
:"The Nath Tantriks value the development of the three super-psychic faculties of Insight, Intuition, and Imagination. These three super-faculties or master powers also enable them to create their own texts, mantras, and rituals, all having utility and being in harmony with Cosmic Law. The faculties of Insight, Intuition, and Imagination are the building blocks on which we build our occult world and magick way of life.


==History==
:"The Tantra or Nath way of life can best be described as a state of mind. In no way can it be mistaken for an agglomeration of rules, morals, or prohibitions. It assumes that human beings can and want to live without them. Even when it advises you to do or not to do something, it is not a rule but a guideline to spare you trouble and pain. But you are still free to do and think as you wish.
{{see also|Sampradaya}}


Nath are a sub-tradition within Shaivism, who trace their lineage to nine Nath ]s, starting with Shiva as the first, or ‘’Adinatha’’.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=407-411}} The list of the remaining eight is somewhat inconsistent between the regions Nath ] is found, but typically consists of c. 9th century Matsyendranatha and c. 12th century Gorakhshanatha along with six more. The other six vary between Buddhist texts such as ''Abhyadattasri'', and Hindu texts such as ''Varnaratnakara'' and ''Hathapradipika''. The most common remaining Nath gurus include Caurangi (Sarangadhara, Puran Bhagat), Jalandhara (Balnath, Hadipa), Carpatha, Kanhapa, Nagarjuna and Bhartrihari.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=409-411}}
:"Of course, our way of life has many physical aspects, but our minds still determine the success or pleasure of an act. Our life should have a plan and purpose, since most people blunder their way through life and generate misery for themselves and for others too. 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."


The Nath tradition was not a new movement, but one evolutionary phase of a very old Siddha tradition of India.{{sfn|Muller-Ortega|2010|pp=36-37}} The Siddha tradition explored ], with the premise that human existence is a psycho-chemical process that can be perfected by a right combination of psychological, alchemy and physical techniques, thereby empowering one to a state of highest spirituality, living in prime condition ''ad libitum'', and dying when one so desires into a calm, blissful transcendental state. The term ''siddha'' means "perfected", and this premise was not limited to the Siddha tradition but was shared by others such as the ] school of Ayurveda.{{sfn|Muller-Ortega|2010|pp=36-37}}
==Some Recent and Living Naths==
A recent modern Nath of the ] was ] (]-], who received initiation in ] from H.H. Shri Sadguru Lokanath, the ] of the ]. In ], he founded the ''International Nath Order'' in order to make the Nath 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 ]. His successor, Shri Kapilnath, continues to teach and initiate sincere seekers.


===Deccan roots===
Another more recent teacher is ] (b. ]), who at some point received initiation from Raja Sundarnath into the Dharam Nath ]. Sometime later, he founded the ''Hamsa Yoga Sangh'' and is purported by his disciples and devotees to be a modern living master and Nath ]. His book, called ''Wings to Freedom:Mystic Revelations from Babaji & the Himalayan Yogis'' was first published in ]. He rarely initiates others into the Nath Sampradaya, but rather gives initiation into what he calls ''Mahavatar Babaji Kriya Yoga''.
According to Mallinson, "the majority of the early textual and epigraphic references to Matsyendra and Goraksa are from the Deccan region and elsewhere in peninsular India; the others are from eastern India".{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=410-412}} The oldest iconography of Nath-like yogis is found in the ] region (near the coast of ], ], ]).{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=410-412}} The ] artworks include them, as do texts from a region now known as Maharashtra, northern Karnataka and Kerala. The Chinese traveller, named ], visited a part of the western coast of India, wrote a memoir, and he mentions the Nath Yogis. The oldest texts of the Nath tradition that describe pilgrimage sites include predominantly sites in the Deccan region and the eastern states of India, with hardly any mention of north, northwest or south India.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=411-413}} This community also can be found in some parts of Rajasthan but these are normal like other castes, considered as other backward castes.


Gorakhshanatha is traditionally credited with founding the tradition of renunciate ascetics, but the earliest textual references about the Nath ascetic order as an organized entity (sampradaya), that have survived into the modern era, are from the 17th century.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=407-408}} Before the 17th century, while a mention of the Nath sampradaya as a monastic institution is missing, extensive isolated mentions about the Nath Shaiva people are found in inscriptions, texts and temple iconography from earlier centuries.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=407-408}}
==The Nath Initiation==
The Nath initiation is conducted inside a formal ceremony in which some portion of the awareness and spritual energy (]) of the ] is transmitted to the ]. The Neophyte, now a Nath, is generally 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'', ], the final Guru of the ] sub-sect of the Nath Sampradaya, wrote,
In the Deccan region, only since the 18th century according to Mallison, ] has been traditionally included as a Nath guru as a part of Vishnu-Shiva syncretism.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=409-411}} According to others, Dattatreya has been the revered as the Adi-Guru (First Teacher) of the ] of the Nathas, the first "Lord of Yoga" with mastery of ] (techniques).{{sfn|Rigopoulos|1998|pp=77-78}}{{Sfn|Harper|Brown|2002|pp=155-156}}


The number of Nath gurus also varies between texts, ranging from 4, 9, 18, 25 and so on.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=409-411}} The earliest known text that mentions nine Nath gurus is the 15th century Telugu text '']''.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=409-411}} Individually, the names of Nath Gurus appear in much older texts. For example, Matsyendranatha is mentioned as a siddha in section 29.32 of the 10th century text ''Tantraloka'' of the Advaita and Shaivism scholar Abhinavagupta.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=409-412}}
:"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."


The mention of Nath gurus as siddhas in Buddhist texts found in Tibet and the Himalayan regions led early scholars to propose that Naths may have Buddhist origins, but the Nath doctrines and theology is unlike mainstream Buddhism.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=409-412}}<ref name="Mallinson_2011_p407-428"></ref> In the Tibetan tradition, Matsyendranatha of Hinduism is identified with ], one referred to as the first of Buddhist Siddhacharyas. In Nepal, he is a form of Buddhist Avalokiteshvara.<ref name="McLeod1987p217">{{harvnb|Schomer|McLeod|1987|pages=217–221 with footnotes}}</ref>
==See also==
===Concepts===
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]


According to Deshpande, the Natha Sampradaya, is a development of the earlier Siddha or Avadhuta Sampradaya, an ancient lineage of spiritual masters.<ref name=Despande>Deshpande, M.N. (1986). ''The Caves of Panhale-Kaji''. New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India, Government of India.</ref> They may be linked to Kapalikas or Kalamukhas given they share their unorthodox lifestyle, though neither the doctrines nor the evidence that links them has been uncovered.<ref name="McLeod1987p217"/> The Nath Yogis were deeply admired by the Bhakti movement saint ].<ref>{{harvnb|Schomer|McLeod|1987|pages=36–38 with footnotes}}</ref>
===Sub-sects===
*]
*]
*]


===Teachers & Gurus=== ===Natha Panthis===

*] - final ] of the ] sub-sect
The Nath Sampradaya is traditionally divided into twelve streams or ''Panths''. According to ], these ''panth''s were not really a subdivision of a monolithic order, but rather an amalgamation of separate groups descended from either Matsyendranatha, Gorakshanatha or one of their students.<ref name=White/> However, there have always been many more Natha sects than will conveniently fit into the twelve formal ''panths''.<ref name=White/>
*] - current master of the ]

*] - past master of the ]
In Goa, the town called ] may have been derived from Mathgram, a name it received from being a center of Nath Sampradaya ]s (monasteries). Nath yogis practiced yoga and pursued their beliefs there, living inside caves. The ] and ] rock-cut caves were used for meditation by the Nath yogis. In the later half of the 16th century, they were persecuted for their religious beliefs and forced to convert by the Portuguese Christian missionaries. Except for few, the Nath yogi chose to abandon the village.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/the-evolution-of-salcetes-mighty-mathgram/articleshow/57833009.cms |title=The evolution of Salcete's mighty Mathgram |work=The Times of India |access-date=2017-04-07}}</ref>{{sfn|Mitragotri|1999|pp=117, 240–244}}
*] - living master and founder of ]

===Contemporary lineages===
{{further|Inchegeri Sampradaya}}

The ], also known as Nimbargi Sampradaya, is a lineage of Hindu Navnath teachers from ] which was started by Shri Bhausaheb Maharaj.<ref name="ShantiKuteer">{{Cite web |url=http://www.shantikuteer.org/page.php?pi=21 |title=ShantiKuteer Ashram, ''Bhausaheb Maharaj'' |access-date=17 December 2014 |archive-date=20 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181020004254/http://www.shantikuteer.org/page.php?pi=21 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It is inspired by ] teachers as ], ] and ]. The Inchegeri Sampraday has become well-known through the popularity of ].{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}

==Practices==
] from the manuscript of ], definitive text of the Nath yogis. ], 1823. ] Museum Trust]]
The Nath tradition has two branches, one consisting of sadhus (celibate monks) and other married householder laypeople. The householders are significantly more in number than monks and have the characteristics of an endogamous caste.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=407-408}} Both Nath sadhus and householders are found in Nepal and India, but more so in regions such as West Bengal, Nepal, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Karnataka. The ascetics created an oversight organization called the ''Barah Panthi'' Yogi Mahasabha in 1906, based in the Hindu sacred town of ].{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=407-408}} According to an estimate by Bouillier in 2008, there are about 10,000 ascetics (predominantly males) in the Nath ascetic order, distributed in about 500 monasteries across India but mostly in northern and western regions of India, along with a much larger householder Nath tradition.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=407-409}} The oldest known monastery of the Naths that continues to be in use, is near ], in Karnataka.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=413-417}} This monastery (Kadri ]) houses Shaiva iconography from the 10th century.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=413-417}}

A notable feature of the monks is that most of them are itinerant, moving from one monastery or location to another, never staying in the same place for long.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=407-408}} Many form a floating group of wanderers, where they participate in festivals together, share work and thus form a collective identity. They gather in certain places cyclically, particularly on festivals such as Navaratri, Maha Shivaratri and Kumbh Mela. Many walk very long distances over a period of months from one sacred location to another, across India, in their spiritual pursuits.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=407-408}}

The Nath monks wear loin cloths and ''dhotis'', little else. Typically they also cover themselves with ashes, tie up their hair in dreadlocks, and when they stop walking, they keep a sacred fire called dhuni.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=407-409}} These ritual dressing, covering body with ash, and the body art are, however, uncommon with the householders. Both the Nath monks and householders wear a woolen thread around their necks with a small horn, rudraksha bead and a ring attached to the thread. This is called ''Singnad Janeu''.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=407-409}} The small horn is important to their religious practice, is blown during certain festivals, rituals and before they eat. Many Nath monks and a few householders also wear notable earrings.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=407-409}}

{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=407-410}} Those Nath ascetics who do tantra, include smoking cannabis in flower (marijuana) or resin (charas, hashish) as an offering to Shiva, as part of their practice.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=407-409}} The tradition is traditionally known for hatha yoga and tantra, but in contemporary times, the assiduous practice of hatha yoga and tantra is uncommon among the Naths. In some monasteries, the ritual worship is to goddesses and to their gurus such as Adinatha (Shiva), Matsyendranatha and Gorakhshanatha, particularly through bhajan and kirtans. They greet each other with ''ades'' (pronounced: "aadees").{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=1-2}}

===Warrior ascetics===

The Yogis and Shaiva sampradayas such as Nath metamorphosed into a warrior ascetic group in the late medieval era, with one group calling itself ''shastra-dharis'' (keepers of scriptures) and the other ''astra-dharis'' (keepers of weapons).{{Sfn|Rigopoulos|1998|pp=99-104, 218}} The latter group grew and became particularly prominent during the Islamic period in South Asia, from about the 14th to 18th century.

==Gurus, siddhas, naths==
{{Main|Navnath}}

The Nath tradition revere nine, twelve or more Nath gurus.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=409-411}}{{sfn|Jones|Ryan|2006|pp=169-170, 308}} For example, nine Naths are revered in the Navnath Sampradaya.{{sfn|Boucher|n.d.}}<ref name="nisargadatta">{{cite web |title=Navnath Sampradaya |url=http://nisargadatta.org/pages/navnath_sampradaya.html |website=Nisargadatta Maharaj|access-date=2 December 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150223050723/http://nisargadatta.org/pages/navnath_sampradaya.html |archive-date=2015-02-23}}</ref> The most revered teachers across its various subtraditions are:{{sfn|Berntsen|1988}}{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=407-420}}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ The traditional ]s of Naths
|-
! Guru{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=407-420}}
!Depiction
! Alternate names
! Notability{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=407-420}}
|-
| Adiguru
|
| ], ]
| Shiva is a pan-Hindu god
|-
| ]
|
| Mina, Macchandar, Macchaghna
| 9th or 10th century yoga siddha, important to ] tantra traditions, revered for his unorthodox experimentations
|-
| ]
|]
| Gorakh
| founder of monastic Nath Sampradaya, systematized yoga techniques, organization and monastery builder, ] texts attributed to him, known for his ideas on ''nirguna bhakti'', 10th or 11th century
|-
| Jalandhara
|]
| Jalandhari, Hadipa, Jvalendra, Balnath, Balgundai
| 13th century siddha (may be earlier), from Jalandhar (Punjab), particularly revered in ] and ] regions
|-
| ]
|
| Kanhu, Kaneri, Krishnapada, Karnaripa, Krishnacharya
| 10th century siddha, from Bengal region, revered by a distinct sub-tradition within the Natha people
|-
| Caurangi
|]
| Sarangadhara, Puran Bhagat
| a son of King Devapala of Bengal who renounced, revered in the northwest such as the Punjab region, a shrine to him is in Sialkot (now in Pakistan)
|-
| Carpath
|]
|
Charpath
| lived in the ] region of the Himalayas, Himachal Pradesh, championed ], taught that outer rituals do not matter, emphasized inner state of an individual
|-
| ]
|]
|
| king of ] who renounced his kingdom to become a ], a scholar
|-
| Gopichand
|]
|
| son of the Queen of Bengal who renounced, influential on other Indian religions
|-
| Revannath
|
| Hajji Ratan
| a 13th-century siddha (may be earlier), revered in medieval Nepal and Punjab, cherished by both Naths and ] of north India
|-
| Dharamnath
|
|
| a 15th-century ] revered in Gujarat, founded a monastery in ] region, legends credit him to have made Kutch region liveable
|-
| Mastnath
|
|
| founded a monastery in ], an 18th-century siddha
|}

===Matsyendranatha===
]
{{Main|Matsyendranatha}}

The establishment of the Naths as a distinct historical sect purportedly began around the 8th or 9th century with a simple fisherman, ]a (sometimes called Minanath, who may be identified with or called the father of Matsyendranatha in some sources).<ref name="White">{{harvnb|White|2012}}{{page needed|date=January 2021}}</ref>

One of earliest known Hatha text ''Kaula Jnana Nirnaya'' is attributed to Matsyendra, and dated to the last centuries of the 1st millennium CE.<ref>{{harvnb|Rosen|2012|pp=263–264}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Bagchi|Magee|1986}}{{page needed|date=January 2021}}</ref> Other texts attributed to him include the ''Akulavira tantra'', ''Kulananda tantra'' and ''Jnana karika''.<ref>{{harvnb|Lorenzen|Muñoz|2011|p=211}}</ref>

===Gorakshanatha===
{{Main|Gorakhnath}}

]a is considered a ''Maha-yogi'' (or great yogi) in the Hindu tradition.<ref name="banerjeagn23">{{harvnb|Banerjea|1983|pp=23–25}}</ref> Within the Nath tradition, he has been a revered figure, with Nath hagiography describing him as a superhuman who appeared on earth several times.<ref name="briggs229">{{harvnb|Briggs|2009|p=229}}</ref> The ] and the city of ] in Uttar Pradesh is named after him. The ] of Nepal and ] take their name after him, as does ], a historical district of Nepal. The monastery and the temple in Gorakhpur perform various cultural and social activities and serves as the cultural hub of the city, and publishes texts on the philosophy of Gorakhnath.{{sfn|Banerjea|1983}} Gorakshanatha did not emphasize a specific metaphysical theory or a particular Truth, but emphasized that the search for Truth and spiritual life is valuable and a normal goal of man.<ref name="banerjeagn23" /> Gorakshanatha championed ], spiritual discipline and an ethical life of ] as a means to reaching siddha state, ] and one's own spiritual truths.<ref name="banerjeagn23" /> Gorakshanatha, his ideas and yogis have been highly popular in rural India, with monasteries and temples dedicated to him found across the country, particularly in the eponymous city of ],<ref name="whitesiddhayogi7" /><ref name="lorenzenmunozx">{{harvnb|Lorenzen|Muñoz|2011|pp=x-xi}}</ref> whereas among urban elites, the movement founded by Gorakhnath has been ridiculed.<ref name="whitesiddhayogi7">{{harvnb|White|2012|pp=7–8}}</ref>

==Aims==

According to Muller-Ortega (1989: p.&nbsp;37), the primary aim of the ancient Nath Siddhas was to achieve liberation or '']'' while alive, and ultimately "paramukti" which it defined as the state of liberation in the current life and into a divine state upon death.{{sfn|Muller-Ortega|2010|pp=36-38}}
The Natha Sampradaya is an initiatory ].{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}

According to contemporary Nath Guru, Mahendranath, another aim is to avoid reincarnation. In ''The Magick Path of Tantra'', he wrote about several of the aims of the Naths:

<blockquote>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.<ref>Mahendranath (1990), ''''</ref></blockquote>

===Hatha yoga===

The earliest texts on ] of the Naths, such as '']'' and '']'', are from ], and these manuscripts are likely from the 13th century. These Nath texts, however, have an overlap with the 13th century ] commentary on the Hindu scripture ], called the Jnanesvari. This may be because of mutual influence, as both the texts integrate the teachings of ] and ] schools of Hinduism in a similar way.{{sfn|Mallinson|2012|pp=411-415}}

Numerous technical treatises in the Hindu tradition, composed in Sanskrit about Hatha Yoga, are attributed to ].<ref>{{harvnb|Schomer|McLeod|1987|pages=70–71 with footnotes}}</ref>

==Influence==

The Hatha Yoga ideas that developed in the Nath tradition influenced and were adopted by ], though some esoteric practices such as ''kechari-mudra'' were omitted.<ref name=singleton28/> Their yoga ideas were also influential on Vaishnavism traditions such as the ], as well as Sufi fakirs in the Indian subcontinent.<ref name=singleton28>{{harvnb|Singleton|2010|pp=28–29}}</ref><ref name=beck117>{{harvnb|Beck|2012|pp=117–118}}</ref> The Naths recruited devotees into their fold irrespective of their religion or caste, converting Muslim yogins to their fold.<ref name=singleton28/>{{sfn|Pinch|2006|pp=10–11}}

The Nath tradition was influenced by the ] saints such as ], ] and ].<ref name=beck117/><ref name="Lorenzen2011xi"/>{{sfn|Shukla-Bhatt|2015|p=271 note 34}}

== Caste system ==
The ''Siddha-siddhanta-paddhati'' (SSP) by '']'' is a key text for the ''nathayogis''. It explores their philosophy, the concept of the Absolute, the universe from their perspective, and the traits of an ''avadhutayogi''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gorakṣanātha Heiliger |title=Siddhasiddhāntapaddhatiḥ: a treatise on the Nātha Philosophy |last2=Pai |first2=G. K. |last3=Gorakṣanātha Heiliger |date=2005 |publisher=Lonavla Yoga Institute India |others=Lonavla Yoga Institute |isbn=978-81-901617-1-8 |editor-last=Gharote |editor-first=M. L. |location=Lonavla |pages=vi}}</ref>

''Goraksanatha'' rejects the traditional four-class system ('']'') of '']'', '']'', '']'', and '']'', which are defined by their respective qualities of ''sadācāra - सदाचार'' (good conduct), ''śaurya - शौर्य'' (bravery), ''vyavasāya - व्यवसाय'' (trade and commerce), and ''sevā - सेवा'' (service). Instead, he introduces sixty-four additional classes based on the practice of sixty-four ''kalas'' (arts). As a ], he believes in an inclusive order that goes beyond these class distinctions.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gorakṣanātha Heiliger |title=Siddhasiddhāntapaddhatiḥ: a treatise on the Nātha Philosophy |last2=Pai |first2=G. K. |last3=Gorakṣanātha Heiliger |date=2005 |publisher=Lonavla Yoga Institute India |others=Lonavla Yoga Institute |isbn=978-81-901617-1-8 |editor-last=Gharote |editor-first=M. L. |location=Lonavla |pages=54}}</ref>
{{Blockquote|text=''sadacara-tattve brahmana vasanti {{!}} saurya ksatriyah {{!}} vyavasaye vaisyah {{!}} seva-bhave sudrah {{!}} catuh-sasti-kalasvapi catuh-sasti-varnah {{!}}{{!}}''<br />Good conduct signifies ''brahmanas'', bravery ''ksatriyas'', trade and commerce ''vaisyas'', service ''sudras'' and the sixty-four arts sixty-four (additional) ''varnas''.|title=Chapter III: Verse 6}}{{Blockquote|text=''na vidhir-naiva varnas-ca na varjyavarjya-kalpana {{!}} na bhedo nidhanam kincin-nasaucam nodaka-kriya {{!}}{{!}}<br />yogisvaresvarasyaivam nitya-trptasya yoginah {{!}} cit-svatma-sukha-visrantibhava-labdhasya punyatah {{!}}{{!}}''<br />To an eminent ''yogi'' who is ever contented and who has attained the state of bliss of consciousness by his own merit, to that lord of the ''yogis'' there are no (binding) injunctions, no (distinction of) ''varna'', no (conception of) prohibition and non-prohibition, no distinction (of any sort), no death or impurity, nor any libation (enjoined).|title=Chapter V: Verses 53-54}}

==Notable Naths==
* ] – the abbot of the ]<ref name=White/>
* ] – Sannyasin and ] of the ]
* ] - a yogi of Nath and ] sampradayas
* ] – a past guru of the Nandinatha Sampradaya
* ] (1857–1936)
* ]

==See also==
* {{annotated link|Gurunath}}
* {{annotated link|Sahaja}}
* {{annotated link|Samarasa}}
* {{annotated link|Samaveda}}
* {{annotated link|Svecchacara|Svecchachara}}


==References== ==References==
{{reflist|28em}}
*Adityanath (2002). . Retrieved Oct. 20, 2004.

*]. . Retrieved Oct. 20, 2004.
===Works cited===
*]. . Retrieved Mar. 6, 2006.
{{refbegin|25em}}
*]. . Retrieved Oct. 20, 2004.
* {{cite book |last1=Bagchi |first1=Prabodh Chandra |last2=Magee |first2=Michael |title=Kaulajnana-nirnaya of the school of Matsyendranatha |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O0sdAAAAMAAJ |year=1986 |publisher=Prachya Prakashan}}
* {{cite book |last=Banerjea |first=Akshaya Kumar |title=Philosophy of Gorakhnath with Goraksha-Vacana-Sangraha |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ljn1koKa0CQC |year=1983 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0534-7}}
* {{cite book |first=Guy L. |last=Beck |title=Alternative Krishnas: Regional and Vernacular Variations on a Hindu Deity |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K0XqbG0LKBUC |year=2012 |publisher=State University of New York Press |isbn=978-0-7914-8341-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Berntsen |first=Maxine, and Eleanor Zelliot |title=The Experience of Hinduism: Essays on Religion in Maharashtra |publisher=State University of New York Press |location=Albany, N.Y |year=1988 |pages= |isbn=0-88706-662-3 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/experienceofhind00zell/page/338 }}
* {{cite web |last=Boucher |first=Cathy |year=n.d. |title=The Lineage of Nine Gurus. The Navnath Sampradaya and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj |url=http://nisargadatta.net/Navnath_Sampradaya.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127101611/http://www.nisargadatta.net/Navnath_Sampradaya.html |archive-date=January 27, 2016 }}
* {{cite book |last=Briggs |title=Gorakhnath and the Kanphata Yogis |edition=6th |orig-year=1938 |year=2009 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-8120805644 |page=229}}
* Davisson, Sven (2003). in '''', Vol. 2, No. 4, Winter 2003.
* Gold, Daniel and Ann Grodzins Gold (1984). in ''History of Religions'', Vol. 24, No. 2 (Nov., 1984), pp.&nbsp;113–132.
* {{cite book |last1=Harper |first1=Katherine Anne |last2=Brown |first2=Robert L. |year=2002 |title=The Roots of Tantra |publisher=State University of New York Press |isbn=978-0-7914-5305-6}}
* {{cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Constance |last2=Ryan |first2=James D. |title=Encyclopedia of Hinduism |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OgMmceadQ3gC |year=2006 |publisher=Infobase Publishing |isbn=978-0-8160-7564-5}}
* {{cite journal | last=Lorenzen | first=David N. | title=Warrior Ascetics in Indian History | journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=98 | issue=1 | year=1978 | pages=61–75 | doi=10.2307/600151 | jstor=600151 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Lorenzen |first1=David N. |last2=Muñoz |first2=Adrián|title=Yogi Heroes and Poets: Histories and Legends of the Naths |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qMEet3ou3HMC |year=2011 |publisher=State University of New York Press |isbn=978-1-4384-3892-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Mallinson |first=James |author-link=James Mallinson (author) |chapter="Nāth Sampradāya" |title=Brill's Encyclopedia of Hinduism |volume=3 | editor1=Knut A. Jacobsen |editor2=Helene Basu |editor3=Angelika Malinar |editor4=Vasudha Narayanan |publisher=Brill |year=2012 }}
* {{cite book |last=Mitragotri |first=Vithal Raghavendra |title=A socio-cultural history of Goa from the Bhojas to the Vijayanagara |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AGBuAAAAMAAJ |year=1999 |publisher=Institute Menezes Braganza}}
* {{cite book |last=Muller-Ortega |first=Paul E. |title=Triadic Heart of Siva, The: Kaula Tantricism of Abhinavagupta in the Non-dual Shaivism of Kashmir |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2maVlGOSdlMC |year=2010|publisher=State University of New York Press |isbn=978-1-4384-1385-3}}
* {{cite book |last=Nesbitt |first=Eleanor |editor1=Pashaura Singh |editor2=Louis E. Fenech |title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7YwNAwAAQBAJ |year=2014 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-100411-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Pinch |first=William R. |title=Warrior Ascetics and Indian Empires |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HmVS2b8cZQwC |year=2006 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-85168-8}}
* {{cite book |last=Rigopoulos |first=Antonio | title=Dattatreya: The Immortal Guru, Yogin, and Avatara: A Study of the Transformative and Inclusive Character of a Multi-faceted Hindu Deity | year=1998 | publisher=State University of New York Press |isbn=978-0-7914-3696-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Rosen |first=Richard |author-link=Richard Rosen (yoga teacher) |title=Original Yoga: Rediscovering Traditional Practices of Hatha Yoga |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6ZeOYkgOQTUC |year=2012 |publisher=Shambhala Publications |isbn=978-0-8348-2740-0 }}
* {{cite book |last=Saran |first=Prem |title=Yoga, Bhoga and Ardhanariswara: Individuality, Wellbeing and Gender in Tantra |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5-DfCgAAQBAJ |year=2012 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-51648-1 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Schomer |first1=Karine |last2=McLeod |first2=W. H. |title=The Sants: Studies in a Devotional Tradition of India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OkKhOivXrhgC |year=1987 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-208-0277-3}}
* {{cite book |last=Shukla-Bhatt |first=Neelima|title=Narasinha Mehta of Gujarat: A Legacy of Bhakti in Songs and Stories |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SnXDBAAAQBAJ |year=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-997642-3}}
* {{cite book |last=Singleton |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Singleton (yoga scholar) |title=Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tUgBIrn5REwC |year=2010 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-974598-2}}
* {{cite book |last=Storl |first=Wolf-Dieter |title=Shiva: The Wild God of Power and Ecstasy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dvo9ScSbz0IC |year=2004 |publisher=Inner Traditions |isbn=978-1-59477-780-6}}
* {{cite book |last=Thapar |first=Romila |title=Somanatha |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ZZ8T8tZc4YC |year=2008 |publisher=Penguin Books |isbn=978-0-14-306468-8}}
* {{cite book |first=David Gordon |last=White |author-link=David Gordon White |title=The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pQuqAAAAQBAJ |year=2012 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0-226-14934-9}}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last=Bhatnagar |first=V. S. |date=2012 |title=The Nātha philosophy and Ashṭāṅga-yoga |place=New Delhi |publisher=Aditya Prakashan |isbn=978-8177421200}}
* {{cite web |title=The Navnath Sampradaya and Shree Nisargadatta Maharaj |first=Cathy |last=Boucher |website=Abideinself.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130624173930/http://www.abideinself.com/inchegeri-sampraday.php |archive-date=2013-06-24 |url=http://www.abideinself.com/inchegeri-sampraday.php}}
*{{cite web |last=Magee |first=Mike |date=n.d. |title=Jogis |url=http://www.shivashakti.com/jogi.htm |website=Shivashakti.com |access-date=February 6, 2010}}
*{{cite web |last=Mahendranath |first=Shri Gurudev |year=1990 |url=http://www.mahendranath.org/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607163140/http://www.mahendranath.org/ |archive-date=2011-06-07 |url-status=dead |title=The Scrolls of Mahendranath |website=Mahendranath.org |publisher=International Nath Order |access-date=March 6, 2006}}
*{{cite web |last=Mahendranath |first=Shri Gurudev |date=n.d. |url=http://www.mahendranath.org/~kapil/tantrikguru2.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101128094531/http://www.mahendranath.org/~kapil/tantrikguru2.html |archive-date=2010-11-28 |url-status=dead |title=The Tantrik Initiation |work=The Occult World of a Tantrik Guru |publisher=International Nath Order |access-date=November 18, 2006}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*
* *
* {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828105257/http://www.nathorder.org/ |date=28 August 2008 }}
*

{{Hatha yoga}}
{{Shaivism}}


] ]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 03:29, 15 December 2024

Yogic tradition within Shaivism "Natha" redirects here. For the deity in Buddhism, see Nāthadeva. For other uses, see Nath (disambiguation).

Part of a series on
Shaivism
DeitiesParameshvara
(Supreme being)
Shiva
Shakti
Scriptures and texts
Philosophy
Three Components
Three bondages
other aspects
Practices
Schools
Ati marga
Mantra marga

Saiddhantika

Non - Saiddhantika

Others
Scholars
Related
Hinduism portal
Part of a series on
Hinduism
OriginsHistorical

Traditional

Sampradaya (Traditions)
Major Sampradaya (Traditions)
Other Sampradaya (Traditions)
Deities
Absolute Reality / Unifying Force
Trimurti
Tridevi
Other major Devas / Devis
Vedic Deities:
Post-Vedic:
Devatas
Concepts
Worldview
Ontology
Supreme reality
God
Puruṣārtha (Meaning of life)
Āśrama (Stages of life)
Three paths to liberation
Liberation
Mokṣa-related topics:
Mind
Ethics
Epistemology
Practices
Worship, sacrifice, and charity
Meditation
Yoga
Arts
Rites of passage
Festivals
Philosophical schools
Six Astika schools
Other schools
Gurus, Rishi, Philosophers
Ancient
Medieval
Modern
Texts
Sources and classification of scripture
Scriptures
Vedas
Divisions
Upanishads
Rigveda:
Yajurveda:
Samaveda:
Atharvaveda:
Vedangas
Other scriptures
Itihasas
Puranas
Upavedas
Shastras, sutras, and samhitas
Stotras, stutis and Bhashya
Tamil literature
Other texts
Hindu Culture & Society
Society
Hindu Art
Hindu Architecture
Hindu Music
Food & Diet Customs
Time Keeping Practices
Hindu Pilgrimage
Other society-related topics:
Other topics
Hinduism by country
Hinduism & Other Religions
Other Related Links (Templates)
Nath Sampradaya
Painting of Hindu Nath yoginis ca. 17th century
Founder
Matsyendranatha
Regions with significant populations
India
Religions
Hinduism

Natha, also called Nath (Sanskrit: नाथसम्प्रदाय, romanized: Nāthasaṃpradāya), are a Shaiva sub-tradition within Hinduism in India and Nepal. A medieval movement, it combined ideas from Buddhism, Shaivism and Yoga traditions of the Indian subcontinent. The Naths have been a confederation of devotees who consider Shiva as their first lord or guru, with varying lists of additional gurus. Of these, the 9th or 10th century Matsyendranatha and the ideas and organization mainly developed by Gorakhnath are particularly important. Gorakhnath is considered the originator of the Nath Panth.

The Nath tradition has an extensive Shaivism-related theological literature of its own, most of which is traceable to the 11th century CE or later. However, its roots are in a far more ancient Siddha tradition. A notable aspect of Nath tradition practice has been its refinements and use of Yoga, particularly Hatha Yoga, to transform one's body into a sahaja siddha state of an awakened self’s identity with absolute reality. An accomplished guru, that is, a yoga and spiritual guide, is considered essential, and the Nath tradition has historically been known for its esoteric and heterodox practices.

The unconventional ways of the Nath tradition challenged all orthodox premises, exploring dark and shunned practices of society as a means to understanding theology and gaining inner powers. They formed monastic organizations, itinerant groups that walked great distances to sacred sites and festivals such as the Kumbh Mela as a part of their spiritual practice. The Nath also have a large settled householder tradition in parallel to its monastic groups. Some of them metamorphosed into warrior ascetics during the Islamic rule of the Indian subcontinent.

The Nath tradition was influenced by other Indian traditions such as Advaita Vedanta monism, and in turn influenced it as well as movements within Vaishnavism, Shaktism and Bhakti movement through saints such as Kabir and Namdev.

Etymology and nomenclature

The Sanskrit word nātha नाथ literally means "lord, protector, master". The related Sanskrit term Adi Natha means first or original Lord, and is a synonym for Shiva, the founder of the Nāthas. Initiation into the Nātha sampradaya includes receiving a name ending in -nath, -yogi, or -jogi.

According to the yoga scholar James Mallinson, the term Nath is a neologism for various groups previously known as yogi or jogi before the 18th century. Within the Natha tradition, however, it is said that the identifier Nath began with the figures of Matsyendranatha in the 10th century and his guru Shiva, known as Adinath (first lord). During East India Company and later British Raj rule, itinerant yogis were suppressed and many were forced into householder life. Many of their practices were banned in an attempt to limit their political and military power in North India.

During colonial rule the term Yogi/Jogi became a derisive word and they were classified by British India census as a "low status caste". In the 20th century, the community began to use the alternate term Nath instead in their public relations, while continuing to use their historical term of yogi or jogi to refer to each other within the community. The term Nath or Natha, with the meaning of lord, is a generic Sanskrit theological term found in all the dharmic religions that utilize Sanskrit. It is found in Vaishnavism (e.g. Gopinath, Jagannath), Buddhism (e.g. Minanath), and in Jainism (Adinatha, Parsvanatha).

The term yogi or jogi is not limited to Natha subtradition, and has been widely used in Indian culture for anyone who is routinely devoted to yoga. Some memoirs by travelers such as those by the Italian traveler Varthema refer to the Nath Yogi people they met, phonetically as Ioghes.

History

See also: Sampradaya

Nath are a sub-tradition within Shaivism, who trace their lineage to nine Nath gurus, starting with Shiva as the first, or ‘’Adinatha’’. The list of the remaining eight is somewhat inconsistent between the regions Nath sampradaya is found, but typically consists of c. 9th century Matsyendranatha and c. 12th century Gorakhshanatha along with six more. The other six vary between Buddhist texts such as Abhyadattasri, and Hindu texts such as Varnaratnakara and Hathapradipika. The most common remaining Nath gurus include Caurangi (Sarangadhara, Puran Bhagat), Jalandhara (Balnath, Hadipa), Carpatha, Kanhapa, Nagarjuna and Bhartrihari.

The Nath tradition was not a new movement, but one evolutionary phase of a very old Siddha tradition of India. The Siddha tradition explored Yoga, with the premise that human existence is a psycho-chemical process that can be perfected by a right combination of psychological, alchemy and physical techniques, thereby empowering one to a state of highest spirituality, living in prime condition ad libitum, and dying when one so desires into a calm, blissful transcendental state. The term siddha means "perfected", and this premise was not limited to the Siddha tradition but was shared by others such as the Rasayana school of Ayurveda.

Deccan roots

According to Mallinson, "the majority of the early textual and epigraphic references to Matsyendra and Goraksa are from the Deccan region and elsewhere in peninsular India; the others are from eastern India". The oldest iconography of Nath-like yogis is found in the Konkan region (near the coast of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka). The Vijayanagara Empire artworks include them, as do texts from a region now known as Maharashtra, northern Karnataka and Kerala. The Chinese traveller, named Ma Huan, visited a part of the western coast of India, wrote a memoir, and he mentions the Nath Yogis. The oldest texts of the Nath tradition that describe pilgrimage sites include predominantly sites in the Deccan region and the eastern states of India, with hardly any mention of north, northwest or south India. This community also can be found in some parts of Rajasthan but these are normal like other castes, considered as other backward castes.

Gorakhshanatha is traditionally credited with founding the tradition of renunciate ascetics, but the earliest textual references about the Nath ascetic order as an organized entity (sampradaya), that have survived into the modern era, are from the 17th century. Before the 17th century, while a mention of the Nath sampradaya as a monastic institution is missing, extensive isolated mentions about the Nath Shaiva people are found in inscriptions, texts and temple iconography from earlier centuries.

The Navnath, according to a Deccan representation

In the Deccan region, only since the 18th century according to Mallison, Dattatreya has been traditionally included as a Nath guru as a part of Vishnu-Shiva syncretism. According to others, Dattatreya has been the revered as the Adi-Guru (First Teacher) of the Adinath Sampradaya of the Nathas, the first "Lord of Yoga" with mastery of Tantra (techniques).

The number of Nath gurus also varies between texts, ranging from 4, 9, 18, 25 and so on. The earliest known text that mentions nine Nath gurus is the 15th century Telugu text Navanatha Charitra. Individually, the names of Nath Gurus appear in much older texts. For example, Matsyendranatha is mentioned as a siddha in section 29.32 of the 10th century text Tantraloka of the Advaita and Shaivism scholar Abhinavagupta.

The mention of Nath gurus as siddhas in Buddhist texts found in Tibet and the Himalayan regions led early scholars to propose that Naths may have Buddhist origins, but the Nath doctrines and theology is unlike mainstream Buddhism. In the Tibetan tradition, Matsyendranatha of Hinduism is identified with Luipa, one referred to as the first of Buddhist Siddhacharyas. In Nepal, he is a form of Buddhist Avalokiteshvara.

According to Deshpande, the Natha Sampradaya, is a development of the earlier Siddha or Avadhuta Sampradaya, an ancient lineage of spiritual masters. They may be linked to Kapalikas or Kalamukhas given they share their unorthodox lifestyle, though neither the doctrines nor the evidence that links them has been uncovered. The Nath Yogis were deeply admired by the Bhakti movement saint Kabir.

Natha Panthis

The Nath Sampradaya is traditionally divided into twelve streams or Panths. According to David Gordon White, these panths were not really a subdivision of a monolithic order, but rather an amalgamation of separate groups descended from either Matsyendranatha, Gorakshanatha or one of their students. However, there have always been many more Natha sects than will conveniently fit into the twelve formal panths.

In Goa, the town called Madgaon may have been derived from Mathgram, a name it received from being a center of Nath Sampradaya Mathas (monasteries). Nath yogis practiced yoga and pursued their beliefs there, living inside caves. The Divar island and Pilar rock-cut caves were used for meditation by the Nath yogis. In the later half of the 16th century, they were persecuted for their religious beliefs and forced to convert by the Portuguese Christian missionaries. Except for few, the Nath yogi chose to abandon the village.

Contemporary lineages

Further information: Inchegeri Sampradaya

The Inchegeri Sampradaya, also known as Nimbargi Sampradaya, is a lineage of Hindu Navnath teachers from Maharashtra which was started by Shri Bhausaheb Maharaj. It is inspired by Sant Mat teachers as Namdev, Raidas and Kabir. The Inchegeri Sampraday has become well-known through the popularity of Nisargadatta Maharaj.

Practices

Three Aspects of The Absolute, miniature by Bulaki from the manuscript of Shri Nath Charit, definitive text of the Nath yogis. Jodhpur, 1823. Mehrangarh Museum Trust

The Nath tradition has two branches, one consisting of sadhus (celibate monks) and other married householder laypeople. The householders are significantly more in number than monks and have the characteristics of an endogamous caste. Both Nath sadhus and householders are found in Nepal and India, but more so in regions such as West Bengal, Nepal, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Karnataka. The ascetics created an oversight organization called the Barah Panthi Yogi Mahasabha in 1906, based in the Hindu sacred town of Haridwar. According to an estimate by Bouillier in 2008, there are about 10,000 ascetics (predominantly males) in the Nath ascetic order, distributed in about 500 monasteries across India but mostly in northern and western regions of India, along with a much larger householder Nath tradition. The oldest known monastery of the Naths that continues to be in use, is near Mangalore, in Karnataka. This monastery (Kadri matha) houses Shaiva iconography from the 10th century.

A notable feature of the monks is that most of them are itinerant, moving from one monastery or location to another, never staying in the same place for long. Many form a floating group of wanderers, where they participate in festivals together, share work and thus form a collective identity. They gather in certain places cyclically, particularly on festivals such as Navaratri, Maha Shivaratri and Kumbh Mela. Many walk very long distances over a period of months from one sacred location to another, across India, in their spiritual pursuits.

The Nath monks wear loin cloths and dhotis, little else. Typically they also cover themselves with ashes, tie up their hair in dreadlocks, and when they stop walking, they keep a sacred fire called dhuni. These ritual dressing, covering body with ash, and the body art are, however, uncommon with the householders. Both the Nath monks and householders wear a woolen thread around their necks with a small horn, rudraksha bead and a ring attached to the thread. This is called Singnad Janeu. The small horn is important to their religious practice, is blown during certain festivals, rituals and before they eat. Many Nath monks and a few householders also wear notable earrings.

Those Nath ascetics who do tantra, include smoking cannabis in flower (marijuana) or resin (charas, hashish) as an offering to Shiva, as part of their practice. The tradition is traditionally known for hatha yoga and tantra, but in contemporary times, the assiduous practice of hatha yoga and tantra is uncommon among the Naths. In some monasteries, the ritual worship is to goddesses and to their gurus such as Adinatha (Shiva), Matsyendranatha and Gorakhshanatha, particularly through bhajan and kirtans. They greet each other with ades (pronounced: "aadees").

Warrior ascetics

The Yogis and Shaiva sampradayas such as Nath metamorphosed into a warrior ascetic group in the late medieval era, with one group calling itself shastra-dharis (keepers of scriptures) and the other astra-dharis (keepers of weapons). The latter group grew and became particularly prominent during the Islamic period in South Asia, from about the 14th to 18th century.

Gurus, siddhas, naths

Main article: Navnath

The Nath tradition revere nine, twelve or more Nath gurus. For example, nine Naths are revered in the Navnath Sampradaya. The most revered teachers across its various subtraditions are:

The traditional gurus of Naths
Guru Depiction Alternate names Notability
Adiguru Shiva, Bhairava Shiva is a pan-Hindu god
Matsyendra Mina, Macchandar, Macchaghna 9th or 10th century yoga siddha, important to Kaula tantra traditions, revered for his unorthodox experimentations
Goraksha Gorakh founder of monastic Nath Sampradaya, systematized yoga techniques, organization and monastery builder, Hatha Yoga texts attributed to him, known for his ideas on nirguna bhakti, 10th or 11th century
Jalandhara Jalandhari, Hadipa, Jvalendra, Balnath, Balgundai 13th century siddha (may be earlier), from Jalandhar (Punjab), particularly revered in Rajasthan and Punjab regions
Kanhapa Kanhu, Kaneri, Krishnapada, Karnaripa, Krishnacharya 10th century siddha, from Bengal region, revered by a distinct sub-tradition within the Natha people
Caurangi Sarangadhara, Puran Bhagat a son of King Devapala of Bengal who renounced, revered in the northwest such as the Punjab region, a shrine to him is in Sialkot (now in Pakistan)
Carpath

Charpath

lived in the Chamba region of the Himalayas, Himachal Pradesh, championed Avadhuta, taught that outer rituals do not matter, emphasized inner state of an individual
Bhartrihari king of Ujjain who renounced his kingdom to become a yogi, a scholar
Gopichand son of the Queen of Bengal who renounced, influential on other Indian religions
Revannath Hajji Ratan a 13th-century siddha (may be earlier), revered in medieval Nepal and Punjab, cherished by both Naths and Sufis of north India
Dharamnath a 15th-century siddha revered in Gujarat, founded a monastery in Kutch region, legends credit him to have made Kutch region liveable
Mastnath founded a monastery in Haryana, an 18th-century siddha

Matsyendranatha

A Matsyendra (Macchendranath) Temple in Nepal, revered by both Buddhists and Hindus.
Main article: Matsyendranatha

The establishment of the Naths as a distinct historical sect purportedly began around the 8th or 9th century with a simple fisherman, Matsyendranatha (sometimes called Minanath, who may be identified with or called the father of Matsyendranatha in some sources).

One of earliest known Hatha text Kaula Jnana Nirnaya is attributed to Matsyendra, and dated to the last centuries of the 1st millennium CE. Other texts attributed to him include the Akulavira tantra, Kulananda tantra and Jnana karika.

Gorakshanatha

Main article: Gorakhnath

Gorakshanatha is considered a Maha-yogi (or great yogi) in the Hindu tradition. Within the Nath tradition, he has been a revered figure, with Nath hagiography describing him as a superhuman who appeared on earth several times. The matha and the city of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh is named after him. The Gurkhas of Nepal and Indian Gorkha take their name after him, as does Gorkha, a historical district of Nepal. The monastery and the temple in Gorakhpur perform various cultural and social activities and serves as the cultural hub of the city, and publishes texts on the philosophy of Gorakhnath. Gorakshanatha did not emphasize a specific metaphysical theory or a particular Truth, but emphasized that the search for Truth and spiritual life is valuable and a normal goal of man. Gorakshanatha championed Yoga, spiritual discipline and an ethical life of self-determination as a means to reaching siddha state, samadhi and one's own spiritual truths. Gorakshanatha, his ideas and yogis have been highly popular in rural India, with monasteries and temples dedicated to him found across the country, particularly in the eponymous city of Gorakhpur, whereas among urban elites, the movement founded by Gorakhnath has been ridiculed.

Aims

According to Muller-Ortega (1989: p. 37), the primary aim of the ancient Nath Siddhas was to achieve liberation or jivan-mukti while alive, and ultimately "paramukti" which it defined as the state of liberation in the current life and into a divine state upon death. The Natha Sampradaya is an initiatory Guru-shishya tradition.

According to contemporary Nath Guru, Mahendranath, another aim is to avoid reincarnation. 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.

Hatha yoga

The earliest texts on Hatha yoga of the Naths, such as Vivekamārtaṇḍa and Gorakhshasataka, are from Maharashtra, and these manuscripts are likely from the 13th century. These Nath texts, however, have an overlap with the 13th century Jnanadeva commentary on the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita, called the Jnanesvari. This may be because of mutual influence, as both the texts integrate the teachings of Yoga and Vedanta schools of Hinduism in a similar way.

Numerous technical treatises in the Hindu tradition, composed in Sanskrit about Hatha Yoga, are attributed to Gorakshanatha.

Influence

The Hatha Yoga ideas that developed in the Nath tradition influenced and were adopted by Advaita Vedanta, though some esoteric practices such as kechari-mudra were omitted. Their yoga ideas were also influential on Vaishnavism traditions such as the Ramanandis, as well as Sufi fakirs in the Indian subcontinent. The Naths recruited devotees into their fold irrespective of their religion or caste, converting Muslim yogins to their fold.

The Nath tradition was influenced by the Bhakti movement saints such as Kabir, Namdev and Jnanadeva.

Caste system

The Siddha-siddhanta-paddhati (SSP) by Goraksanatha is a key text for the nathayogis. It explores their philosophy, the concept of the Absolute, the universe from their perspective, and the traits of an avadhutayogi.

Goraksanatha rejects the traditional four-class system (caturvarna) of brahmanas, ksatriyas, vaisyas, and sudras, which are defined by their respective qualities of sadācāra - सदाचार (good conduct), śaurya - शौर्य (bravery), vyavasāya - व्यवसाय (trade and commerce), and sevā - सेवा (service). Instead, he introduces sixty-four additional classes based on the practice of sixty-four kalas (arts). As a yogi, he believes in an inclusive order that goes beyond these class distinctions.

sadacara-tattve brahmana vasanti | saurya ksatriyah | vyavasaye vaisyah | seva-bhave sudrah | catuh-sasti-kalasvapi catuh-sasti-varnah ||
Good conduct signifies brahmanas, bravery ksatriyas, trade and commerce vaisyas, service sudras and the sixty-four arts sixty-four (additional) varnas.

— Chapter III: Verse 6

na vidhir-naiva varnas-ca na varjyavarjya-kalpana | na bhedo nidhanam kincin-nasaucam nodaka-kriya ||
yogisvaresvarasyaivam nitya-trptasya yoginah | cit-svatma-sukha-visrantibhava-labdhasya punyatah ||
To an eminent yogi who is ever contented and who has attained the state of bliss of consciousness by his own merit, to that lord of the yogis there are no (binding) injunctions, no (distinction of) varna, no (conception of) prohibition and non-prohibition, no distinction (of any sort), no death or impurity, nor any libation (enjoined).

— Chapter V: Verses 53-54

Notable Naths

See also

  • Gurunath – Spiritual title given to a householder Nath Guru
  • Sahaja – Spontaneous enlightenment in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism
  • Samarasa – Sanskrit term meaning 'one taste'
  • Samaveda – Veda of melodies and chants
  • Svecchachara – Sanskrit term meaning 'acting as one likes'

References

  1. ^ Jones & Ryan 2006, p. 308
  2. Nesbitt 2014, pp. 360–361
  3. ^ Natha: Indian religious sect, Encyclopedia Britannica (2007)
  4. ^ Mallinson, James (2011) 'Nāth Saṃpradāya.' In: Brill Encyclopedia of Hinduism Vol. 3. Brill, pp. 407-428.
  5. ^ Mallinson 2012, pp. 407–421.
  6. ^ Muller-Ortega 2010, pp. 36–37.
  7. Singleton 2010, pp. 27–39
  8. ^ Jones & Ryan 2006, pp. 169–170, 308.
  9. Thapar 2008, pp. 165–166
  10. ^ Rigopoulos 1998, pp. 99–104, 218.
  11. Lorenzen 1978, p. 61.
  12. Lorenzen & Muñoz 2011, pp. 4–5
  13. ^ Singleton 2010, pp. 28–29
  14. ^ Beck 2012, pp. 117–118
  15. ^ Lorenzen & Muñoz 2011, pp. xi–xii, 30, 47–48
  16. Banerjea 1983, p. xxi.
  17. Storl 2004, p. 258 with footnote
  18. Monier-Williams, Monier (2005). A Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-8120831056.
  19. White 2012, pp. 355 note 8, 100–101.
  20. ^ Mallinson 2012, pp. 407–410.
  21. ^ Mallinson 2012, pp. 409–410.
  22. ^ Mallinson 2012, pp. 411–415.
  23. Mallinson 2012, pp. 407–411.
  24. ^ Mallinson 2012, pp. 409–411.
  25. ^ Mallinson 2012, pp. 410–412.
  26. Mallinson 2012, pp. 411–413.
  27. ^ Mallinson 2012, pp. 407–408.
  28. Rigopoulos 1998, pp. 77–78.
  29. Harper & Brown 2002, pp. 155–156.
  30. ^ Mallinson 2012, pp. 409–412.
  31. ^ Schomer & McLeod 1987, pp. 217–221 with footnotes
  32. Deshpande, M.N. (1986). The Caves of Panhale-Kaji. New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India, Government of India.
  33. Schomer & McLeod 1987, pp. 36–38 with footnotes
  34. ^ White 2012
  35. "The evolution of Salcete's mighty Mathgram". The Times of India. Retrieved 7 April 2017.
  36. Mitragotri 1999, pp. 117, 240–244.
  37. "ShantiKuteer Ashram, Bhausaheb Maharaj". Archived from the original on 20 October 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  38. ^ Mallinson 2012, pp. 407–409.
  39. ^ Mallinson 2012, pp. 413–417.
  40. Mallinson 2012, pp. 1–2.
  41. Boucher n.d.
  42. "Navnath Sampradaya". Nisargadatta Maharaj. Archived from the original on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  43. Berntsen 1988.
  44. ^ Mallinson 2012, pp. 407–420.
  45. Saran 2012, p. 200.
  46. Rosen 2012, pp. 263–264
  47. Bagchi & Magee 1986
  48. Lorenzen & Muñoz 2011, p. 211
  49. ^ Banerjea 1983, pp. 23–25
  50. Briggs 2009, p. 229
  51. Banerjea 1983.
  52. ^ White 2012, pp. 7–8
  53. Lorenzen & Muñoz 2011, pp. x–xi
  54. Muller-Ortega 2010, pp. 36–38.
  55. Mahendranath (1990), The Magick Path of Tantra
  56. Schomer & McLeod 1987, pp. 70–71 with footnotes
  57. Pinch 2006, pp. 10–11.
  58. Shukla-Bhatt 2015, p. 271 note 34.
  59. Gorakṣanātha Heiliger; Pai, G. K.; Gorakṣanātha Heiliger (2005). Gharote, M. L. (ed.). Siddhasiddhāntapaddhatiḥ: a treatise on the Nātha Philosophy. Lonavla Yoga Institute. Lonavla: Lonavla Yoga Institute India. pp. vi. ISBN 978-81-901617-1-8.
  60. Gorakṣanātha Heiliger; Pai, G. K.; Gorakṣanātha Heiliger (2005). Gharote, M. L. (ed.). Siddhasiddhāntapaddhatiḥ: a treatise on the Nātha Philosophy. Lonavla Yoga Institute. Lonavla: Lonavla Yoga Institute India. p. 54. ISBN 978-81-901617-1-8.

Works cited

Further reading

External links

Hatha yoga
Subtle body Mayurasana, in the Jogapradipika, 1830
Texts
(Asanas)
Mudras
Shatkarmas
Pranayama
Related
Shaivism
History
Deities
Texts
Mantra/Stotra
Traditions
Festivals and observances
Shiva temples
Panch Kedar
Pancha Sabhai
Pancha Bhuta Sthalam
Jyotirlingas
Others
Related topics
Categories: