Who was Gorakhnath?

Gorakhnath was a leading exponent of the spiritual order of Yogis known as the Natha Yogis. In fact,
he is the main propagator and organizer of the order of Yogis that mainly practice Hatha Yoga. No one
has yet been able to exactly pin point his place of birth (origin) but stories about his birth in various
regions of India not only show his popularity but also demonstrate how his Light has made a home in
people’s hearts. Some sources suggest He was born in Nepal, some suggest He was born on the banks
of river Godavari, Bengal, Punjab, Nasik, Kutch, Odisha while some scholars mention that Gorakhnath
is born in every Yuga (eon) in different places.

Scholars have a slightly better idea about his time though, hence, Gorakhnath is said to have been
around during the 11th century A.D and was the primary disciple of Maha Yogi Matsyendranath. He is
said to be the incarnation of Lord Shiva. Because of his mystique, charm and spiritual prowess he is
traditionally known to be “Jyoti Swarup” or manifestation of “Divine Light” itself.

Even though the origins of Gorakhnath are shrouded in mystery the reference of his birth and work is
expressed extensively through stories and narratives in popular local literature like Nathaleelamrut,
Navnaath Bhaktisaar and Siddhacharitra of Shripatinath. His name and activities have also been
mentioned in the Puranic literature like Skandapurana, Naradapurana, in the Tibetan Tantric list of
Siddhas and in mainstream Shaiva Tantric literature like Kaulavalitantra, Shyamarahasya and
Sudhakarachandrika. Beyond the popular narratives, most academic scholars believe that Gorakhnath
was born in a pious Brahmin family. According to the scholar and researcher Mohan Singh,
Gorakhnath was an illegitimate child of Hindu woman. Gorakhnath is described as a handsome youth
with awe-inspiring radiance, who was intelligent, well versed in scriptures, creatively brilliant,
musically talented, super powerful, morally disciplined, purposefully focused, totally detached from
sense pleasures, devoted to his Guru and compassionate towards the wellbeing of others.

Gorakhnath’s work
Gorakhnath, through his wisdom, compassion and spiritual might managed to bring home the message
of inner divinity not just amongst sections of Yogi monks but also into the minds and hearts of the
laypeople. He was a powerful organizer and established monasteries and study centers across Indian
sub-continent. His reform work spanned across the length and breadth of India, Nepal stretching upto
the boundaries of regions that now fall in the vicinity of Afghanistan. His is a living tradition because
his teachings have been translated and disseminated through widely available literature, stories, poems,
prose, songs and a thriving saint tradition that has kept his message extant in the hearts and minds of
Indian people. Sadly enough, vast amount of literary works ascribed to Gorakhnath and his life that are
available in Sanskrit, Prakrit and other local Indian languages have hardly been translated in English
and that’s why the awareness of Gorakhnath and his work in the West, especially in the main stream
modern Yoga culture is minimal.

Gorakhnath through his writings exclaimed his philosophical premise in a well-defined manner. Some
of the books that he is said to have authored are, Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati, Mahartha Manjari, Yoga
Bija, Yoga Martanda, Goraksha Paddhati and Goraksha Samhita. Gorakhnath may not have actually
written these books himself but the books may have been ascribed to him by later authors. Whoever the
author may be, it is evident that the philosophical thread is common amongst all these scriptures and in
line with the core teachings of the Nathas, especially Gorakhnath himself. Even a brief glance through
scriptures like Mahartha Manjari and Amaraughashasana indicates Gorakhanth’s astute scholarship
based on personal experience of Self Realization.

Saint Dnyaneshwar, a great Yogi himself describes Gorakhnath with two adjectives,
“Yogabjinisarovar” and “Vishayvidhvansekveera”. A close look at these two adjectives can gives us
more detail on Gorkahnath’s spiritual work. [Source: Dnyaneshwari chapter 18]

By the 10-11th Century the influence of occult leftist Tantra on Indian spiritual systems reached its
helm. Even though this influence was percolating into the fabric of Indian spiritual thought since the
6th Century, by the 11th century it reached its peak. The spiritual fabric was being dominated by
diverse sects like Tantric Baudha, Shakta, Kapalika, especially the ones that advocated the Pancha-
Makara method of using and indulging in wine, fish, meat and sexual intercourse as a method of
spiritual liberation. Yogic principles based on realizing the True-Self by cleansing the mind, sense
control, detachment and devotion were replaced by perverse techniques that advocated overt body
cultivation, alchemy, black magic, sacrificial killings and sexually hedonistic practices that were far
away from the basic Yogic premise of transcending the senses and moving towards the inner Truth.
The purity of Vedic injunction was also under attack. One can say that the Indian society at that time
was torn between the dogmatic caste system dominated by Brahmins who kept spirituality only for the
chosen few and the free for all hedonistic, leftist Tantric cults that advocated sensual extremism and
outwardly indulgent practices. Apart from this the influence of Islam due to constant attacks from the
West by the Moughals since 9th century had started throwing the social fabric off balance. Bloody
wars, forceful conversion, attacks on pilgrimage places, fundamentalism and looting had become a
regular occurring.

Against such a background Gorakhnath took it on himself to purify and bring together best of both,
Yogic and Tantric systems by weeding out the influence of externally oriented, object-based practices
and re-establishing an inwardly directed, experience based spiritual path. This is why, Gorakhnath as a
revolutionary mystic is known as “Vishayavidhvansekveera” which means the courageous one who
destroyed objectification and “Yogabjiisarovar” means the original source stream of Yoga. Thus,
Gorakhnath and his lineage’s contribution to the Indian and global spiritual thought is no less than
revolutionary.