Yogi Gorakhnath, also widely known as Gorakhnath or Gorakshanath, was a hermit Hindu Maha Yogi, saint, and disciple of Macchindranath. Matsyendranath was the direct disciple of Lord Shiva himself.
Gorakhnath introduced Nath traditions in India and Nepal. He is believed to have lived in his mortal body around the 11th to 12th centuries. He was among the most reputed nine saints called Navnath and widely admired in many states in India. The hagiographic description of Guru Gorakhnath states that he has appeared on earth several times in several places and even claimed to be divine.
One of the districts in Nepal, “Gorkha,” is named after Guru Gorakhnath. Nepalese royalty worships him as their main deity and speaks his name before starting any works. His impression can be seen in various places such as Nepal, Punjab, Afghanistan, Bengal, Uttarakhand, Assam, Maharastra, and Sri Lanka.
According to Nath tradition, its tradition existed before Gorakhnath but was at its peak during the Gorakhnath period. He has written numerous books and writings during his period, still considered the greatest in Nath tradition. Throughout the Indian sub-Continent, numerous temples dedicated to Gorakhnath have been erected in Nepal and India.
Philosophy of Guru Gorakhnath
His philosophy targets the achievement of human liberation and salvation. His yogic practices help concentrate and gain physical, mental, and spiritual perfection. The most significant foundation of Gorakhnath’s philosophy is his experiences gained after reaching the pinnacle state of Samadhi.
Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati, a Hatha Yoga text, is a remarkable philosophical work by MahaYogi himself. He speculates that the supreme spirit, primarily above time-space, exhibits itself as an Expanded Universe in the state of limitless orders of discrete bodies and the abiding soul. Several Yogic philosophical aspects are interpreted to illustrate how to bring the physical body into a spiritualized state to obtain Kaya Siddhi (longevity or Immortality).
Because of direct transcendent experiences in the peak level of Samadhi, Guru Gorakhnath explains topics like the concept of ultimate reality, the gradual evolving of shakti, self-manifestation of Shiva as cosmic Purusha, the development of the cosmic body of Shiva, the development of the world’s system in the cosmic body, the unfoldment of individual bodies in the cosmic bodies, the composition of the individual body, The obscure Aspects of the body, the cosmos within the individual body, and the individual souls, and finally, the most significant standard of life.
Like all other non-dual or Advaita gurus or masters, Gorakhnath’s teachings say the Ultimate Reality is Absolute Consciousness or Absolute Spirit, which has constant infinite energy for self-expressing in the form of an unlimited phenomenal cosmic order.
Gorakhnath claims that before any creation, forces exist in absolute formless and uniform states like the Unique Power of Shiva and that demolition or dissolution involves unifying all the diverse fundamental united energy (Shakti). The formation or beginning of the cosmic system is thus regarded as the slow development of Shiva’s immanent Shakti, which is fundamentally non-different (Abheda) from Shiva.
Shakti’s gradual self-unfoldment within the Absolute Spirit’s spiritual and divine nature, Siva, gives birth to the extraordinary divine soma (body) called Para Pinda. The origin of Para Pinda refers to the self-manifestation of the Absolute Spirit as the Supreme Individual” or Parama Purusha” with the full awareness of all imperishable, limitless, magnificent abilities and features. Gorakhnath explains the Para-Pinda of Siva as comprising of five spiritual consciousness forms: Divine consciousness, Aparamparam, Paramapadam, Sunyam, Niranjanam, Paramatma.
After briefing the essence of Para-Pinda, Gorakhnath then explained the development of the physical world-system originating from this Para-Pinda. Siva as Adya-Pinda, the Cosmic Purusha, unfold from within Himself, through the additional self-evolvement of His Sakti, a Physical Celestial Body, expanding in space and altering in time, making it a fundamental aspect of his all-comprehending and all-enjoying Self-Consciousness.
In Viveka Martanda, Guru Gorakhnath defines Samadhi as the state of a great consciousness. It is the ultimate realization of the complete association of the individual soul with the Universal Soul.
Works
Guru Gorakhnath has written various books and scriptures that incorporate Goraksha Samhita, Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati, Yoga Siddhanta Paddhati, Goraksha Gita, Yoga-Bija, Yoga Martanda, and Yoga Chintamani.
Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati is one of the oldest scripture based on Hatya Yoga, which enlightens seekers to find the supreme truth. This Sanskrit text by MahaYogi Gorakhnath is partitioned into six chapters, also known as Upadeshas or Lessons. It includes
- Origination of Pinda
- Discussion of Pinda
- Knowledge associating to Pinda IV. Basis of Pinda
- Union of Pinda with the Supreme Reality (Parampada)
- The nature of the Avadhoot
Another name for Parampinda is Anama, which means nameless, whereas Pinda represents Shakti, which means a ball or egg of cosmos. And this book describes it as having six forms, which are Para ( the supreme or absolute), Anadi (without beginning), Adi (beginning), Mahasakara (cosmic or celestial body), Prakriti (Natural or pure body), and Garbha (womb born).