Guru Gorakhnāth
c. 11th–12th century (uncertain) · North India & Nepal · Nāth tradition
Gorakhnāth (Gorakṣanātha), disciple of Matsyendranāth, is the great yogī of the Nāth tradition, honoured from Punjab and Rajasthan to Bengal, Maharashtra and Nepal. The Nāth yogīs, often called kānphaṭa for their large earrings, practise haṭha yoga and seek liberation in this body. Texts on haṭha yoga such as the Gorakṣa Śataka are attributed to him, and the Gorakh Bānī preserves sayings in early Hindi.
The Gorakhnāth temple at Gorakhpur is the chief seat of the order, and the name of Nepal’s Gurkhas is linked to him. His sayings influenced Kabīr and later saints.
A famous tradition tells that Matsyendranāth became entangled in worldly life in a kingdom of women. Gorakhnāth came disguised as a musician and awoke him with the cry “Jāg Machhindar, Gorakh āyā!” — “Wake up, Matsyendra, Gorakh has come!”
Nāth sampradāya · Haṭha yoga · Gorakhpur · Gorakh Bānī