Nath Parampara, or the lineage of Indian sages, has existed here since historic times. Historically, adherents of Sanatan Dharma have regarded this practise as fundamental.
All nine of the naathis in this parampara have been invaluable. A Navnath is a member of this group.
One of the most prominent naths in this tradition is the Guru Gorakhnath. In ancient India, he was honoured as a Maha Yogi and revered as an incarnation of Lord Shiva. The Nath Hindu monastic movement in India owes much of its success to his efforts. Many of his devoted followers can be found at Garbhagiri in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. His devotees are easily recognisable by the huge metal or bone ring they wear in their pierced earlobes; these individuals are referred to as Gorakhnaathis or Kanphata Yogis.
It was a strange beginning for him:
Guru Gorakhnath is popularly thought to have been fabricated from cow dung rather than born of a human mother. Once, Guru Matsyendranath went to a poor woman's house to give her some bheeksha. The wise man arrived to find her sobbing uncontrollably. The sight of Matsyendranath caused her to collapse at his feet sobbing. The Guru felt sorry for her and inquired as to the source of her tears. After several years of marriage, the woman replied that she still did not have any children. She pleaded with Baba to grant her wish and help her conceive a child.
Guru Matsyendranath began reciting magical mantras, then removed a bhasm, or magic powder, from his pouch and handed it to the woman, telling her to take it and her desire would come true.
The lady exhibited the bhasm to her amused pals. They didn't understand how a bhasm might result in a pregnancy. They told her the yogi was probably a fraud and that she should get rid of the powder. The woman listened to their advise and disposed of the bhasm by dumping it in a pile of cow dung.
The woman tried unsuccessfully to conceive for twelve years. Fortunately, one day Guru Matsyendranath happened to be strolling around the area. He approached the lady and greeted her, "Mother, how are you?" When was the last time you saw your son? It's safe to assume he's grown a lot since then.
The woman burst into tears at hearing him and recounted him the tragic ending to the bhasm's story. The sage assured her that it was a genuine bhasm, a magical substance. He had the woman drive him out to the cow manure pile. When they got there, he started yelling the boy's name, and, lo and behold! Twelve-year-old boy crawled out of the pile of faeces. Gorakhnath was the name the Yogi gave the boy after discovering him in the cow dung, and the boy went on the road with the Yogi.
A guru-disciple (or "shishya") connection, as between Matsyendranath and Gorakhnath
The headstrong Gargi, on the other hand, was aiming higher on the intellectual and spiritual fronts. A study of the Vedas and Puranas piqued her curiosity. Because of her exceptional IQ, she learned and mastered the in-depth teachings of all four Vedas.
She was so well-versed in this area that not even the most intellectually-inclined guys could catch up to her. The Rigveda, in the Griha Sutra, even makes reference to this woman, who is known as Rishi Gargi. She meditated on the Rigvedic mantras till they became clear to her. The Chandyog Upanishads make special note of her profound philosophical insights.
In time, Gorakhnath rose to prominence as an influential yogi in India. Among yogis, he is held in the highest regard. Lord Shiva himself, Yogi Matsyendranath was his teacher. Gorakhnath had an unwavering commitment to his spiritual leader. The guru realised that his disciple was acting less like a yogi and more like a soldier in his devotion to him. For this reason, the guru sends Gorakhnath to the Himalayas to engage in sadhana (self-discipline) for 14 years. However, the only reason Gorakhnath complies is out of devotion to his guru.
Gorakhnath spent 14 years engaged in sadhana, counting the seconds until he could be at one with his guru. After years of sadhana, he had acquired many abilities, but he chose to ignore them.
After the allotted fourteen years had passed, Gorakhnath set out on foot from the Himalayas and made his way across the country to the Deccan plateau, near the foothills of the Sahyadri Mountains. Meeting his guru was the only thing on his mind.
Another Yogi monitoring the cave entrance halted him as he made his way toward the cave where Matsyendranath was meditating. In a fit of rage, Gorakhnath pushed the sentry aside and stormed inside. However, when he entered the building, Matsyendranath was nowhere to be found. Where did he go, exactly, without his mentor?
He approached the yogi outside, inquiring about his guru's whereabouts. Even when he pushed the yogi and tried to force his way inside, he refused to tell him that he had done so. There's no way I'll give you the details you're after. So spoke the yogi.
The yogi's thoughts were then divined by Gorakhnath, using the occult powers he had developed during the course of his rigorous 14-year sadhana. He used this information to find Matsyendranath in his hiding place. When Gorakhnath finally arrived, however, his teacher had already left, leaving behind instructions for an assistant that Gorakhnath should continue his sadhana for another 14 years. This was because he had abused the abilities granted to him by his guru during his previous sadhana. A yogi must never invade the mental space of another.
Hearing this, Gorakhnath begged his teacher for mercy, asking him to shorten the duration of his sentence. Matsyendranath had stipulated that the time of his penance would be halved if he sat in an impossible posture. For years, Gorakhnath sat in the rectum, propped up on his left toe, his right heel supporting the rest of his body, just so he could be near his teacher again.
Gorakhnath asana is the modern name for this challenging yoga posture. Imagine, for the sake of his guru's devotion, he did all this!
Matsyendranath was aware of his disciple's potential and worked with him to control his feelings. The guru recognised Gorakhnath's potential and worked with him to tame his restless thoughts and instil a sense of steadiness.
After his teacher passed away, Gorakhnath traversed all of India to propagate his message. With Gorakhnath's leadership, the Nath traditionalist movement saw its greatest growth. Numerous works have been ascribed to him, suggesting he was prolific. Matsyendranath and Gorakhnath are claimed to have meditated in a number of caves across India, many of which now house sacred temples. Gorakh Math, a monastery for the Nath monastic cult, may be found in the city of Gorakhpur that bears his name.
People who worship the god Gorakhnath are known as Gorakhnathis, and they are easily distinguished from non-believers by the enormous bone or metal ring they wear in their ear, giving them the alternative name of Kanphadis. With a stick in one hand and a healthy black dog in the other, they make quite the pair. Because of their deep affection for canines, they forbid their children from making them trek hundreds of miles while carrying the animal.
Gorakhnath A long-lived group of sadhakas, Is continue to practise their ancient rituals and rites.
Hatha Yoga :
Hatha Yoga, a school of Indian philosophy that advocates control over one's body as a means to enlightenment, can be traced back to Gorakhnath Ji. He spread the practise of yoga across all of India. In addition, he changed Hatha yoga from the hedonistic and mystical practises that were common at the time into the disciplined and disciplined discipline that exists today.
Importance of Gorakhnath baba:
Even though Gorakhnath learned from Matsyendranath, Nath yogis consider him to be the first spiritual teacher in their lineage to assume a human body. The esoteric rites and rituals of Tantra underwent significant alterations in the hands of Gorakhnath. Gorakh Samhita is his Sanskrit work on alchemy and Hatha yoga.
Matsyendranath, Gorakhnath's devoted teacher, played a crucial role in developing his devotee's extraordinary abilities. This established Gorakhnath baba as one of India's most significant historical yogis.