Yoga and the Nāth Sampradāya

The success of this (Nātha) sect was partly due to the fact that its teachers did not recognise caste barriers, and their teachings were adopted by outcastes and kings alike.” – Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Yoga, Georg Feuerstein.

The heterodox Nātha tradition has many sub-sects but all honour Gorakhnāth and Matsyendranāth as their originators. Here you will find original material, translations and other works relating to this pan-Indian tradition. The figure on the left above is the Devī Hinglaj, outside the bounds of India but much visited by nāth sādhus, according to George Weston Brigg’s book, Gorakhnāth and the Kanphata Yogis.  This book is out of copyright but is available as a PDF on the interweb.

The Nāthas are believed to be the descendants of earlier cults including the Pashupatas, Kapalikas and Siddhas. They were also intimately connected with the alchemical tradition of Rasayana. There is much more information on this site about the Nāth tradition.

The Adinātha Tradition. Discover more about the Nāth sect of yogis and yoginis. HH Shri Mahendranātha Paramahamsha Dadaji claimed to be the 23rd Adiguru of this tradition. The Nāthas are still active to this day. See the eight lotus cakra system of the Kaulas.

Kaula Jnana Nirnaya. English translation of chapter three of this important tantra, attributed to Siddha Matsyendranāth.

Ecstasy, Equipoise and Eternity. Written by Mahendranāth (Dadaji), explores the origins of the Nāthas and their relationship to freedom.

Dattātreya. Written by Mahendranāth (Dadaji), covers the great guru of the Nāthas and includes valuable material on sama, samarasa and pratibha.

The Naked Saints of India. Written by Mahendranāth (Dadaji), and covers the ancient tradition of the naked Indian sadhus.

Dadaji Dhuniwala. Another article by Mahendranāth (Dadaji); a fascinating account of Indian sadhu life.

The Yoga Vishaya. Attributed to Minanāth (Matsyendranāth), this short work deals succinctly with guru, disciple, path, chakras and the Haṃsa 21,600 mantra.

The Gorakh Shataka. An ancient text of the Nātha tradition, written in the form of a dialogue between Gorakh (Gorakshanāth) and Macchendra (Matsyendranāth).

Analysis of the Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati by Gorakhnāth. This is an important work of the Nāthas. It covers the different parts of the psycho-physical organism, shows the relationship between the microcosm and the macrocosm, and the importance of the guru to the tradition. Also view here the remarkable story of the current Nepalese one rupee coin and how it connects to the Nāth tradition.

Artwork is © Jan Bailey, 1975-2022. Translations are © Mike Magee 1975-2022.Questions or comments to mike.magee@btinternet.com

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