Yogi Nath

Last updated

Yogi Nath is a Shaivism-related group of monks which emerged around the 13th-century. They are sometimes called Jogi or simply Yogi, and are known for a variety of siddha yoga practices. [1]

Contents

History

The yogis were primarily associated with the Yogic-traditions promoted by the great Nath saints, e.g. Matsyendranath, Gorakshanath, Chauranginath etc. Hatha yoga is considered as the prominent part of those traditions promoted by these great Nath masters. The Nath Sampradaya is considered as a development of the earlier Siddha or Avadhuta Sampradaya, [2] an ancient lineage of spiritual masters. The Nath yogis are classical followers of Shaivism; it was not a caste it is followed by different communities it was a sect within Hindu religion. [1]

In 1567, Jogis (Giris) and Sannyasi (Puris) battled each other as detailed in the Tabaqat-i-Akbari, both are 2 of the 10 akharas (orders) of Dashanami Sampradaya. Puris were outnumbered by 200 to 500 by Jogis, Akbar asked his soldiers to smear ash and join Puris to help them, this led to the victory of Puris. [3]

Organization

The Nath tradition is a syncretic Yoga and Vedanta schools of Hindu philosophy based Shaiva tradition, that reveres Shiva and Dattatreya. Its founding is attributed to the ideas of Matsyendranath and Gorakshanath, developed further with an additional seven other Siddha Yoga Gurus called "Naths" (literally, lords). [1] The Nath Yogi sampradaya and monastic organizations grew starting with the 13th century, [1] with its matha headquarters in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh. Many of their mathas are found in the northern, central and western states of India particularly in the Himalayas, but archeological inscriptions suggest their mathas existed in south India as well. The early Nath monks received endowments in Karnataka, for example, between the 10th and 13th century, which later became a temple and Shaiva matha hub for them near Mangalore. [4] The Kadri matha, for instance, is one of the legendary monasteries in the Nath tradition which attracted converts from Buddhism and infusion of Buddhist ideas into Shaivism. [4]

Nath Shaiva monastic organization was one of those Hindu monk groups that militarized and took up arms following the Muslim conquest of India, to resist persecution. [5] [6] [7] They were scorned and persecuted by Mughal Empire officials, and by social, cultural and religious elites. [8] [9] However, the Nath yogi monks have been very popular with the rural population in South Asia since medieval times. [10]

The Nath tradition of Shaivism is credited with establishing numerous Shiva Hindu temples and monasteries, particularly in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, north Bihar, and Nepal. [11]

Yogi Nath in Bengal

Prior to independence, census statistics rarely included the caste name Nath or Yogi nath. 19th-century British sources mentioned that castes known as jogis or jugis existed in Bengal. Some sources claim that Jogis held a low position during the 19th century. They appear to be particularly linked to failed ascetics and weavers who are often of lower status. [12] In the state of West Bengal they are classified as Other Backward Class under India's Reservation system. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tantra</span> Esoteric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism

Tantra is an esoteric yogic tradition that developed on the Indian subcontinent from the middle of the 1st millennium CE onwards in both Hinduism and Buddhism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yogi</span> Practitioner of Yoga

A yogi is a practitioner of Yoga, including a sannyasin or practitioner of meditation in Indian religions. The feminine form, sometimes used in English, is yogini.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaivism</span> Hindu tradition that worships Shiva

Shaivism is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions ranging from devotional dualistic theism such as Shaiva Siddhanta to yoga-orientated monistic non-theism such as Kashmiri Shaivism. It considers both the Vedas and the Agama texts as important sources of theology. According to a 2010 estimate by Johnson and Grim, Shaivism is the second-largest Hindu sect, constituting about 253 million or 26.6% of Hindus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hatha yoga</span> Branch of yoga focusing on physical techniques

Hatha yoga is a branch of yoga that uses physical techniques to try to preserve and channel vital force or energy. The Sanskrit word हठ haṭha literally means "force", alluding to a system of physical techniques. Some hatha yoga style techniques can be traced back at least to the 1st-century CE, in texts such as the Hindu Sanskrit epics and Buddhism's Pali canon. The oldest dated text so far found to describe hatha yoga, the 11th-century Amṛtasiddhi, comes from a tantric Buddhist milieu. The oldest texts to use the terminology of hatha are also Vajrayana Buddhist. Hindu hatha yoga texts appear from the 11th century onward.

<i>Sadhu</i> Religious ascetic or holy person in Hinduism

Sadhu, also spelled saddhu, is a religious ascetic, mendicant or any holy person in Hinduism and Jainism who has renounced the worldly life. They are sometimes alternatively referred to as yogi, sannyasi or vairagi.

Avadhūta is a Sanskrit term from the root 'to shake' that, among its many uses, in some Indian religions indicates a type of mystic or saint who is beyond egoic-consciousness, duality and common worldly concerns and acts without consideration for standard social etiquette. Avadhūta is a Jivanmukta who gives his insight to others and teaches them about his realisation of the true nature of the ultimate reality (Brahman) and self (Ātman) and takes the role of a guru to show the path of moksha to others. Some Avadhūta also achieve the title of Paramahamsa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dattatreya</span> Hindu deity

Dattatreya, Dattā or Dattaguru, is a paradigmatic Sannyasi (monk) and one of the lords of yoga, venerated as a Hindu god. He is considered to be an avatar and combined form of the three Hindu gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, who are also collectively known as the Trimurti, and as the manifestation of Parabrahma, the supreme being, in texts such as the Bhagavata Purana, the Markandeya Purana, and the Brahmanda Purana, though stories about his birth and origin vary from text to text. Several Upanishads are dedicated to him, as are texts of the Vedanta-Yoga tradition in Hinduism. One of the most important texts of Hinduism, namely Avadhuta Gita is attributed to Dattatreya. Over time, Dattatreya has inspired many monastic movements in Shaivism, Vaishnavism, and Shaktism, particularly in the Deccan region of India, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Himalayan regions where Shaivism is prevalent. His pursuit of simple life, kindness to all, sharing of his knowledge and the meaning of life during his travels is reverentially mentioned in the poems by Tukaram, a saint-poet of the Bhakti movement.

Nandinatha Sampradaya is a denomination of Shaivism sect of Hinduism that places great importance on the practice of yoga. It is related to the broader Nath Sampradaya. The self-styled living preceptor and 163rd head of the Nandinatha Sampradaya's Kailasa Parampara is Bodhinatha Veylanswami. It is most popular among Tamil Hindus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nath</span> Yogic tradition within Shaivism

Nath, also called Natha, 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.

Sampradaya, in Indian origin religions, namely Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, can be translated as 'tradition', 'spiritual lineage', 'sect', or 'religious system'. To ensure continuity and transmission of dharma, various sampradayas have the Guru-shishya parampara in which parampara or lineage of successive gurus (masters) and shishyas (disciples) serves as a spiritual channel and provides a reliable network of relationships that lends stability to a religious identity. Shramana is vedic term for seeker or shishya. Identification with and followership of sampradayas is not static, as sampradayas allows flexibility where one can leave one sampradaya and enter another or practice religious syncretism by simultaneously following more than one sampradaya. Samparda is a punjabi language term, used in Sikhism, for sampradayas.

<i>Matha</i> Hindu monastery

A matha, also written as math, muth, mutth, mutt, or mut, is a Sanskrit word that means 'institute or college', and it also refers to a monastery in Hinduism. An alternative term for such a monastery is adheenam. The earliest epigraphical evidence for mathas related to Hindu-temples comes from the 7th to 10th century CE.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daśanāmi Sampradaya</span> Monastic tradition in Hinduism

Dasanami (IAST: Daśanāmī Saṃpradāya "Tradition of Ten Names"), also known as the Order of Swamis, is a Hindu monastic tradition of "single-staff renunciation" generally associated with the four cardinal mathas of the Advaita Vedanta tradition and, according to tradition, organized in its present form by Vedic scholar and teacher Adi Shankaracharya.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matsyendranatha</span> 10th century Hindu and Buddhist saint and yogi

Matsyendranātha, also known as Matsyendra, Macchindranāth, Mīnanātha and Minapa was a saint and yogi in a number of Buddhist and Hindu traditions. He is considered the revivalist of hatha yoga as well as the author of some of its earliest texts. He is also seen as the founder of the natha sampradaya, having received the teachings from Shiva. He is associated with Kaula Shaivism. He is also one of the eighty-four mahasiddhas and considered the guru of Gorakshanath, another known figure in early hatha yoga. He is revered by both Hindus and Buddhists and is sometimes regarded as an incarnation of Avalokiteśvara.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yogini</span> Female practitioner of yoga

A yogini is a female master practitioner of tantra and yoga, as well as a formal term of respect for female Hindu or Buddhist spiritual teachers in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Greater Tibet. The term is the feminine Sanskrit word of the masculine yogi, while the term "yogin" IPA:[ˈjoːɡɪn] is used in neutral, masculine or feminine sense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gorakhnath</span> Hindu yogi and saint

Gorakhnath was a Hindu yogi, saint who was the founder of the Nath Hindu monastic movement in India. He is considered one of the two disciples of Matsyendranath. His followers are known as Jogi, Gorakhnathi, Darshani or Kanphata.

ALAKH NIRANJAN is a term used by Nath Yogis as a synonym for Creator, and to describe the characteristics of God and the Self, known as the Atman. ALAKH means "The one who can't be perceived" and NIRANJAN means "The one who is colourless".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akhara</span> Place of practice for Indian martial artists or in Hindu monastic orders

Akhara or Akhada is an Indian word for a place of practice with facilities for boarding, lodging and training, both in the context of Indian martial artists or a sampradaya monastery for religious renunciates in Guru–shishya tradition. For example, in the context of the Dashanami Sampradaya sect, the word denotes both martial arts and religious monastic aspects of the trident wielding martial regiment of the renunciating sadhus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navnath</span> Nine Hindu saints of the Navnath lineage

The Navnath, also spelt as Navnatha in vernacular languages, are the nine saints, Masters or Naths on whom the Navnath Sampradaya, the lineage of the nine gurus, is based. They are worshipped collectively as well as individually.

Hindu denominations, sampradayas, traditions, movements, and sects are traditions and sub-traditions within Hinduism centered on one or more gods or goddesses, such as Vishnu, Shiva, Shakti and so on. The term sampradaya is used for branches with a particular founder-guru with a particular philosophy.

David Gordon White is an American Indologist and author on the history of yoga and tantra. He won the CHOICE book selection in religion, and an honorable mention in the PROSE book awards, both for Sinister Yogis.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Constance Jones; James D. Ryan (2006). Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Infobase. p. 308. ISBN   978-0-8160-7564-5.
  2. ↑ M. N. Deshpande (1986). The Caves of Panhale-Kaji. New Delhi: Archaeological Survey of India, Government of India. OCLC   469489273.
  3. ↑ David N. Lorenzen (2006). Who Invented Hinduism: Essays on Religion in History. Yoda Press. pp. 51–54. ISBN   978-81-902272-6-1.
  4. 1 2 David Gordon White (2012). The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India. University of Chicago Press. pp. 94–97. ISBN   978-0-226-14934-9.
  5. ↑ David N. Lorenzen (2006). Who Invented Hinduism: Essays on Religion in History. pp. 51–63. ISBN   978-81-902272-6-1.
  6. ↑ David Gordon White (2011). Sinister Yogis. University of Chicago Press. pp. 198–207. ISBN   978-0-226-89514-7.
  7. ↑ William Pinch (2012). Warrior Ascetics and Indian Empires. Cambridge University Press. pp. 4–9, 28–34, 61–65, 150–151, 189–191, 194–207. ISBN   978-1-107-40637-7.
  8. ↑ David Gordon White (2012). The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India. University of Chicago Press. pp. 8–9. ISBN   978-0-226-14934-9.
  9. ↑ Shail Mayaram (2003). Against History, Against State. Columbia University Press. pp. 39–41. ISBN   978-0-231-12730-1.
  10. ↑ David N. Lorenzen; Adrián Muñoz (2012). Yogi Heroes and Poets: Histories and Legends of the Naths. SUNY Press. pp. x–xi. ISBN   978-1-4384-3890-0.
  11. ↑ David Gordon White (2012). The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India. University of Chicago Press. pp. 94–101, 104–105, 118. ISBN   978-0-226-14934-9.
  12. ↑ Nath, M. N. (1993). A Carnival of Parting: The Tales of King Bharthari and King Gopi Chand as Sung and Told by Madhu Natisar Nath of Ghatiyali, Rajasthan. United States: University of California Press. p. 51.
  13. ↑ "List of Other Backward Classes (O.B.C.) Recognized by Govt. of West Bengal" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-11-13.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.