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The Sanskrit word Nath is the proper name of an initiatory siddha tradition and literally means Lord, Protector, a Refuge. The Sanskrit term Adi-Nath means first or original Lord, and is therefore a synonym for Shiva, Mahadeva, or Maheshvara, and beyond these mental concepts, the Supreme Absolute Reality as the originator of all things.
The Nath Sampradaya
The Nath tradition (Sampradaya) is a timeless lineage of spiritual masters founded by Shri Bhagavan Dattatreya, considered by some to have been an incarnation of Lord Shiva. Although the Nath tradition dates back to Shri Dattatreya, they do not appear to have become a distinct sect until approximately 300–400 CE.
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 Buddhist Mahasiddha Luipa and was later initiated as a Nath by Siddha Carpati.
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 Shiva to his wife Parvati, who had taken her to the bottom of the ocean in order to avoid being overheard.
After being rescued from the fish by another fisherman, Mina and his son both took initiation as Sannyasin from Siddha Carpati. Mina became known within the Nath tradition as Minanath and his son was known as Matsyendranath. It was Matsyendranath who became known as the founder of 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 greatest of the Naths. He is reputed to have written the first books dealing with Laya yoga and the raising of the kundalini-shakti. He is also reputed to have been the original inventor of Hatha yoga and (by some) Kriya yoga. There are several temples in India dedicated to Gorakshanath. According to Bhagawan Nityananda, 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 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.
The Aims of the Naths
In The Magick Path of Tantra, Shri Gurudev Mahendranath wrote,
- "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.
- "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.
- "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."
Some Recent and Living Naths
A recent modern Nath of the Adi-Nath Sampradaya 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 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 1990. His successor, Shri Kapilnath, continues to teach and initiate sincere seekers.
Another more recent teacher is Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath (b. 1944), who at some point received initiation from Raja Sundarnath into the Dharam Nath Sampradaya. Sometime later, he founded the Hamsa Yoga Sangh and is purported by his disciples and devotees to be a modern living master and Nath siddha. His book, called Wings to Freedom:Mystic Revelations from Babaji & the Himalayan Yogis was first published in 2004. He rarely initiates others into the Nath Sampradaya, but rather gives initiation into what he calls Mahavatar Babaji Kriya Yoga.
The Nath Initiation
The Nath initiation is conducted inside a formal ceremony in which some portion of the awareness and spritual energy (Shakti) of the Guru is transmitted to the Neophyte. 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, Shri Gurudev Mahendranath, the final Guru of the Adi-Nath sub-sect of the Nath Sampradaya, 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."
See also
Concepts
Sub-sects
Teachers & Gurus
- Shri Gurudev Mahendranath - final Guru of the Adi-Nath sub-sect
- Narhari Nathji Maharaj - current master of the Shri Amrit Nath Ashram
- Nisargadatta Maharaj - past master of the Navnath Sampradaya
- Yogiraj Gurunath Siddhanath - living master and founder of Hamsa Yoga Sangh
References
- Adityanath (2002). Nath FAQ. Retrieved Oct. 20, 2004.
- Mahendranath, Shri Gurudev. The Magick Path of Tantra. Retrieved Oct. 20, 2004.
- Mahendranath, Shri Gurudev. Notes on Pagan India. Retrieved Mar. 6, 2006.
- Mahendranath, Shri Gurudev. The Phantastikos. Retrieved Oct. 20, 2004.