NAVNATH

NAVNATH

NAVNATH

Nathyogis worship nine Nathas and eighty-four Siddhas. Nathas are religious leaders, or gurus, or guides, who derive their names from Adinatha, or Siva. Siva himself is called a Natha. While the word natha is a synonym for Hindu Yogi,' and while it is a sect name of the Kanphatas still, in this connection it refers to the nine great or deified and immortal teachers of the sect, of whom Gorakhnath is sometimes called the chief. They now live far back in the holy Himalayas Their names vary from people to people.

1. Gorakhnatha (the chief natha), matsyendranatha, Carpatnatha, Mangalnatha, Ghugo­natha, Gopinatha, Prannatha, Suratnatha and Cambanatha. They are not related to the divisions of the orders.

1. In another list nine Nathas are named, each of whom is identified with a Hindu god. These are:1. Aumgkar Adinatha (Lord of Lords), Siva; 2. Shelnatha (Lord of the Arrow Shaft), Krisna or Rama Chandra; 3. Santoknatha (Lord of Gratification) 4. Acalacambhunatha (Lord of Wondrous Immortality), Hanuman or Laksman ; 5. Gajbali Gajkanthnatha (Lord of the Elephant's Strength and Neck)) Ganesa Gajikarna (Elephant-Eared); 6. Prajnatha, or Udainatha (Lord of the People), Parvati; 7. Mayarupi Macchendranatha (The Won­drous Form), Guru of Gorakhnatha; S. Gathepinde Ricaya­kari, or Naranthar, Sambhujaiti Guru Gorakhnatha; 9. Gyansarupe, or Purakh Siddh Cauranjwenatha, or Puran Bhagat.

1. Still another list is: Orhkarinath, Visnu; Samtokanath, Visnu; Gajboli, Gajana, Hanuman; Acalesvar, Ganpati; Udayanatha, Surya; Parvati Prem, Mahadeo; Santhanatha, Brahma; Gyaniji Siddhacewarafigi, Jaggannath; Mayarupi, Matsya. The Nathas are also the guardian spirits of the Himalayan peaks.

1. Another list is:- 1.Adinath 2. Udaynath Parvati 3.Satyanath Brahamaji 4.Santoshnath Vishnuji 5.Achabhenath Shesh 6.Kanthadnath Ganeshji 7.Chaurangi Chandrma 8.Matsyendranath 9.Gorakhnath.

1. Another list is:- Omkarnath, Udaynath, Santoshnath, Achalnath, Gajbalinath, Gyannath, Chauranginath, Matsyendranath, Gorakhnath.

1. Another list is :-Macchendranatha, Gorakhnath, Jalandhernath, Kanifnath, Charpatinath, Naagnath, Bhartrharinath, Gahininath, Ravendnath.

1. Another list is:- Shri Gorakhnath, Javaalendra nath, Kaarina nath, Gahini nath, Charpath nath, Revan nath, Naag nath, Bharthari Nath, Gopichand Nath.

The Siddhas are famous saints, of exceptional purity of life, who have attained to a semi-divine existence through the practice of Yoga. They are supposed to be living in the fastnesses of the Himalayas. In the Nanak sakhi an account is given of Nanak's visit to their retreat. There he finds, in the residence of Mahadeva, Gorakhnath, Bhartrhari and others in company with these perfect Yogis. At another time Nanak met, at Gorakhhatri, eighty-four Siddhas who per­formed miracles and wonders before him. One made a deer-skin fly in the air, another caused a stone to move about, a third gave forth fire and a fourth caused a wall to run about.6 Later, he and Gorakhnatha talked together there.' Siddhas are referred to in Macauliffe.

Besides the chief Siddhas there are others who are sup­posed to be still upon the earth.

It is a well-known belief that the Nathas and the Siddhas follow Gorakhnath in his wanderings, and that the path of this journey may be traced by the small trees bearing sugar candy which spring up wherever they go.