Gorakhnath
Key reformer and systematizer of the Nath monastic movement
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Gorakhnath, also called Gorakshanath, is a Hindu yogi, saint, and mahasiddha from around the early 11th century. He is a key reformer and systematizer of the Nath monastic movement in India and was one of two main disciples of Matsyendranath. His followers go by several names: Jogi, Gorakhnathi, Darshani, or Kanphata. In Hindu tradition, he is seen as a Maha-yogi—a great yogi—and one of nine saints, the Navnath, whose spiritual line begins with Shiva. Stories about him say he exists beyond normal time, appearing on earth in different ages.
Historians place him in the first half of the second millennium CE, though they disagree on the exact century. Estimates range from the 11th or 12th century (Briggs) to the 14th century (Grierson). Abbott points to 13th-century documents like Baba Farid's writings and the Jnanesvari. Grierson’s evidence from Gujarat suggests the 14th century. Gorakhnath appears in the poetry of Kabir and Sikhism’s Guru Nanak, where he is described as a powerful leader with many followers. He is consistently presented in established sources as a Hindu yogi from the start, championing Shiva and Yoga. His teachings are aligned with Nath yoga and tantra, focusing on Yogic interpretations of the Upanishads. He saw the medieval debate between dualism and nondualism as pointless in practice. According to Banerjea, Gorakhnath taught that a yogi could choose either path, and that spiritual discipline would lead to a fully illumined state of samadhi.
Hagiographies say Gorakhnath appeared on earth multiple times, with no fixed birth date or place, and treat him as superhuman. North Indian stories place his origins in the northwest (Punjab, sometimes Peshawar), while those from Bengal and Bihar say he came from Assam in the east. Accounts of his spiritual lineage vary: all name Adinath and Matsyendranath as his predecessors, but one version lists five gurus before Adinath, another lists six teachers between Matsyendranath and Gorakhnath. Current tradition puts Adinath as Shiva, who taught Matsyendranath, who then taught Gorakhnath.
The Nath tradition existed before Gorakhnath, but his writings are central to its heritage. He is said to have written the first books on Laya yoga. Many caves in India, often with temples built over them, are linked to his meditation. According to Bhagawan Nityananda, his samadhi shrine is at
- known_for
- Key reformer and systematizer of the Nath Hindu monastic movement; Maha-yogi; patron saint of Nepal
Lore & Background
Historians agree that Gorakhnath lived sometime during the first half of the 2nd millennium CE, but estimates vary from the 11th to 14th centuries. He is referenced in the poetry of Kabir and Guru Nanak. Established sources consistently present him as a Hindu yogi from the start, championing Shiva and Yoga. His teachings are aligned with Nath yoga and tantra, not directly with Kumarila's Mimamsa or Shankara's Advaita Vedanta. He considered the controversy between dualism and nondualism as useless from a practical point of view, emphasizing that spiritual discipline leads to samadhi regardless of path. Hagiographies do not provide a birth time or place, considering him superhuman; some suggest he originated from northwest India (Punjab, Peshawar), while others point to eastern regions (Assam). All accounts name Adinath and Matsyendranath as his teachers.
Reader's Guide
Gorakhnath's significance lies in founding the Nath monastic movement, which has had a lasting impact on rural India, with monasteries and temples dedicated to him in many states, especially Gorakhpur. In Nepal, he was worshipped as the patron saint and, until 2008, the official patron deity of the ruling kings. The Siddhar tradition of Tamil Nadu reveres him as one of 18 esteemed Siddhars. His teachings championed Yoga, spiritual discipline, and the guidance of an enlightened master. The Nath Sampradaya existed before him, but his writings are key to its heritage; he is purported to have written the first books on Laya yoga. Some scholars associate the origins of Hatha yoga with the Nath yogis, though this is disputed. The Gorakhnath Math in Gorakhpur serves as a cultural hub and publishes texts on his philosophy. His orders operated free community kitchens (langars) in Punjab before Sikhism's founding. The Gurkhas of Nepal take their name from him, and Gorkha district is named after him. In the Siddhar tradition, he is known as Korakkar, and his Jeeva Samadhi is in Tamil Nadu.
Did You Know?
- Gorakhnath is considered one of the two disciples of Matsyendranath.
- The Gurkhas of Nepal take their name from Gorakhnath.
- In the Siddhar tradition of Tamil Nadu, he is known as Korakkar and is one of 18 esteemed Siddhars.
- His followers are called Jogi, Gorakhnathi, Darshani, or Kanphata.
Philosophy of the Unbiased Seeker
Gorakhnath's spiritual teaching stood apart from the doctrinal debates that consumed medieval Indian thought. Rather than anchoring his followers to a single metaphysical framework or declaring one exclusive Truth, he held that the sincere, impartial pursuit of truth was itself a natural and worthy aim for every human being. His practical emphasis fell on three pillars: the discipline of Yoga, rigorous spiritual practice, and the indispensable guidance of an enlightened Guru. Together, these were the means by which a practitioner could reach samadhi, the state of complete spiritual liberation.
He operated within the intellectual currents of Kumarila Bhatta and Adi Shankara, drawing on the Yogic and Advaita Vedanta readings of the Upanishads. Yet he dismissed the heated medieval quarrel between dualism and nondualism as practically irrelevant. In his view, the choice of path belonged to the individual yogi, and disciplined practice along either route could culminate in what scholars describe as a perfectly illumined samadhi state of individual consciousness. Within the broader lineage of the Navnath—nine great masters tracing their spiritual descent back to Shiva himself—Gorakhnath occupied the position of Matsyendranath's principal disciple, carrying forward a tradition that valued lived experience over abstract argument.
The Enigma of a Saint Outside Time
Pinpointing Gorakhnath's historical moment remains a persistent puzzle. Scholars agree he lived in the first half of the second millennium CE, yet they diverge sharply on the exact century. Briggs places him in the eleventh or twelfth; Abbott, citing Baba Farid documents and Jnanesvari manuscripts, argues for the thirteenth; and Grierson, relying on material from Gujarat, pushes the date to the fourteenth. His name surfaces in the poetry of Kabir and in the writings of Guru Nanak, both portraying him as a commanding figure with a vast following.
Complicating matters, historical texts suggest he may have begun as a Buddhist in a Shaivite-influenced region before embracing Hinduism and championing Shiva and Yoga. Hagiographic traditions go further still, depicting him as a being who transcended ordinary time and appeared across multiple ages. No legend assigns a fixed birth date or location. North Indian accounts point to Punjab or Peshawar, while Bengal and Bihar traditions trace his origins to Assam. The guru lineages vary—one source lists five masters before Adinath, another inserts six teachers between Matsyendranath and Gorakhnath—making a single coherent biography nearly impossible to reconstruct.
A Living Institution Across the Subcontinent
Gorakhnath founded the Nath monastic movement, and his followers—known as Jogi, Gorakhnathi, Darshani, or Kanphata—carried his teachings into a vast network of monasteries, caves, and temples spread across India. The city of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh bears his name, and its Gorakhnath Math serves as a spiritual and cultural hub, publishing texts on his philosophy. The site's history is layered: an older shrine was converted into a mosque by Ala-ud-din Khilji, after which Nath followers erected a smaller shrine, with further additions made by devotees across the eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth centuries. Today the math sits in a Muslim-majority neighborhood and functions as a notable center of communal syncretism.
His geographic reach extends well beyond northern India. In Nepal, he is venerated as the patron saint of the country and, until the monarchy was abolished in 2008, the official patron deity of its kings. In Tamil Nadu, the Siddhar tradition counts him among eighteen esteemed Siddhars of antiquity. Caves in Maharashtra and Karnataka, the Kadri Temple at Mangalore where legends place him and Matsyendranath in penance, and temples in Odisha and Ahmednagar all attest to the breadth of his devotional footprint.
Echoes in Yoga, Community, and Identity
The question of Gorakhnath's role in the origins of Hatha yoga remains genuinely contested. Some scholars trace the practice directly to the Nath yogis, particularly Gorakhnath and his guru Matsyendranath, and Guy Beck, a professor of Religious Studies, has stated that the connections between Gorakhnath, the Kanphatas, and Hatha yoga are "beyond question." Yet British indologist James Mallinson disputes this association entirely, arguing instead that Hatha yoga's roots lie in the Dashanami Sampradaya of Advaita Vedanta, the mystical figure of Dattatreya, and the Ramanandis. Whatever the scholarly verdict, it is purported that Gorakhnath authored the first books on Laya yoga, a claim that underscores his centrality to yogic literary heritage.
Beyond the mat, his institutional legacy shaped communal life in ways that predate and parallel other traditions. According to Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair, Gorakhnath orders were operating free community kitchens—langars—in Punjab before Guru Nanak founded Sikhism, and Gorakhnath shrines continue to serve free meals to pilgrims today. His influence also embedded itself in national identity: the Gurkhas of Nepal take their name from Gorakhnath, and the historical district of Gorkha in Nepal is likewise named in his honor.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Gorakhnath?
Gorakhnath, also written as Gorakshanath, was a Hindu yogi and saint from roughly the early 11th century who is revered as a Maha-yogi. He is best remembered as the principal reformer and systematizer of the Nath monastic tradition in India.
Who was Gorakhnath's guru?
Gorakhnath was one of the two principal disciples of Matsyendranath, the foundational figure of the Nath lineage. That spiritual line traces back ultimately to Shiva himself.
What are Gorakhnath's followers called?
Practitioners in his tradition go by several names, including Jogi, Gorakhnathi, Darshani, and Kanphata. These labels identify members of the Nath monastic community he helped organize and formalize.
Why is Gorakhnath important in Hindu tradition?
He is counted among the Navnath, the nine great saints whose spiritual lineage descends from Shiva. Beyond that title, he is credited with structuring the Nath yogic path into a coherent, transmittable system for future generations.
What is Gorakhnath's connection to Nepal?
Gorakhnath is recognized as the patron saint of Nepal, a role that highlights his deep cultural and spiritual significance in that region. His legacy there is rooted in the broader Nath yogic tradition he helped establish.
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