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Yoga / Hindu

Buddhist

10th Century

India
(Indian Subcontinent)

Gorakhnath

Timeline (10th Century)

Poems by Gorakhnath
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Gorakhnath, Gorakhnath poetry, Yoga / Hindu, Yoga / Hindu poetry, poetry, poetry, Buddhist poetry

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Gorakhnath (often called Goraksha, Gorakshanath, or simply Gorakh) is an elusive figure historically. He is many things to many people.

Gorakhnath is traditionally said to be the originator of Hatha Yoga, the yogic system of asanas (physical postures) that are part of the Tantric alchemical process of physical perfection and energetic awakening.

He is one the semi-divine Siddhas and is considered to be the founder of the Nath Siddha lineages, the supreme guru of the Gorakhnathi Jogis. For some Gorakhnath is no less than an incarnation of Shiva himself.

Gorakhnath is also a lineage bearer of Buddhist Tantra in Tibet.

Gorakhnath is said to be the author of the Goraksha Paddhati ("Track of Goraksha" -- also called the Goraksha Samhita, a foundational treatise on esoteric Hatha Yoga, translated in Georg Fuerstein's excellent book The Yoga Tradition), Goraksha Shataka ("Goraksha's 100 Verses") , and several other works.

A traditional story is told about the appearance of Gorakhnath. He was not born in the normal sense. A holy man named Matsyendranath used to go door-to-door to beg for food and, in exchange, offered blessings and wisdom. At one house, the woman asked if she would ever have a child. Matsyendranath gave her some holy ash and said if she swallowed it she would have a child. The woman told her neighbor who derided her naivete in believing such things, so she threw the ash away on a dung heap. Twelve years later, Matsyendranath returned and asked how the child was doing. The woman confessed what she had done with the ash. The holy man went to the dung heap and prayed, calling to the boy. A beautiful 12-year-old boy emerged. Matsyendranath took the boy with him. That boy was Gorakhnath.

The name Gorakh means "protected by the earth," since it was the earth, in the form of a dung heap, that nurtured him.

Poems by Gorakhnath

Gorakh Bani

Recommended Books

	The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India, by David Gordon White Amazon.com
	Gorakhnath and the Kanphata Yogis, by George Weston Briggs Amazon.com
	Philosophy of Gorakhnath (With Goraksha-Vacana-Sangraha), by Akshaya Kumar Banerjea Amazon.com
	The Yoga Tradition: Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice, by Georg Feuerstein Amazon.com

Related Links:

	Rudraksha - Gorakh Mantra http://www.rudraksham.com/Rudhraksha/gorakh.htm An English translation of the Gorakh Bani.
	Gorakh Bani Mantras http://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/gorakhbani_mantra.php Another source for the Gorakh Bani online.
	Gorakh Nath - Death is Divine, Living in the Heart http://www.energyenhancement.org/GorakhDeathisDivinech5.htm A jarringly bright web page, but includes translation of hard-to-find writings by Gorakhnath.
	Shri Amritnath Ashram http://www.amritnath.org/ Website for an ashram in the Nath lineage. some info on Gorakhnath.
	Gorakhnath http://members.rediff.com/gorakhtilla/GorakhNathWho.htm Story of the appearance of Gorakhnath
	Gorakhnath http://www.livewithyoga.net/gorakhnath.htm Brief article on Gorakhnath and an overview of the subtle anatomy within Yoga.
	Gorakhnathis http://philtar.ucsm.ac.uk/encyclopedia/hindu/devot/gorak.html Article on the history and practices of followers within the Nath tradition established by Gorakhnath.
	Sadhus - Gorakhnathis http://www.adolphus.nl/sadhus/shiva.html#gorakhnathis Brief note about Gorakhnathi Jogis within the larger sadhu culture.
	The Gorakhbodh http://www.religiousworlds.com/mandalam/gorakh.htm English translation of the Gorakhbodh, a Tantric Buddhist text of a dialog between Gorakh and his teacher Matsyendra

Please support the Poetry Chaikhana, as well as the authors and publishers of sacred poetry, by purchasing some of the recommended books through the links on this site. Thank you!

Poetry Chaikhana Sacred Poetry from Around the World

Gorakhnath

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