By Mukuljit Singh
The Nath order is thought to have arisen in the 9th to 11th centuries CE. The founder of the Nath sampradaya was the Maha Yogi Matsyendranath (10th century). An ascetic with copious magical powers, he was a hatha yogi of great repute. Not only is he revered in Inda, but also in Nepal and Tibet. While his jeeva samadhi lies in a temple in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, his temples exist in Maharashtra, MP, Karnataka and various other states of India and in Nepal as well. The medieval saint Gorakshanath, also known as Gorakhnath, was a Maha yogi with great spiritual powers and a disciple of Matsyendranath. The 11th century saint was widely travelled and authored a number of texts. The Gorakhnath Temple was built in his honour at the spot where he did his sadhana. There are monasteries and temples dedicated to him throughout India. Gorakhnath is regarded as the founder of the Kanphata Yogis, an order of ascetics that stresses the physical and spiritual discipline of Hatha Yoga. In south India he is popularly known as Gorakkar.
The Nath were historically known as warrior sadhus. They would bestow grace and protection upon those who honoured them but were also known to curse those who were disrespectful. David Gordon White, the American author, aptly characterises the Nath as the supernatural power brokers of medieval India. In the early nineteenth century, Man Singh of Jodhpur, patronised the Naths who were headed by Jallandharnath. The Maharaja, who was crowned in 1804, owed his success to Jallandharnath. Man Singh, in order honour them, built a Nath temple in every district of Marwar. Subsequently, the Nath, during Man Singh’s regime and headed by Deonath, amassed huge wealth and wielded great magical powers.
The British, however, were extremely wary of the Nath because of their military prowess and their spiritual powers and made every effort to annihilate them. Man Singh eventually renounced his throne and became an ascetic with the Nath.
Even today, the Nath are found in abundance in rural Rajasthan. In Assam and Bengal, the Nath have been around for over a thousand years. Historically a great community of warrior saints, the Nath have been around for centuries and have played a vital role as ascetics and warriors. They are known to have fought the Mughals and their valour and bravery is well acknowledged.
(Mukuljit Singh of the Kapurthala family is a national shooter, a wildlife enthusiast and father of international shooter Samarjit Singh.)
