Let us try to understand the legend of great yogi Gorakhnath.

Gorakhnath is famo
us as the principal mastermind, administrator, teacher and organiser of the whol
e Nath Yoga Tradition. He is indeed one of the greatest gurus in the field of yo
ga. The nath cult began with Shiva or AdiNath [ adi = primal ] followed by Matsy
endra Nath --> GorakhNath. From Gorakhnath, the tradition branched and sub-branc
hed into a multitude of Avadhoot Sadhus thoughout India for thousands of years.
This Nath Cult became most renouned and powerful in the Pala Era. [ 8th century
Ad to 12th century Ad] But this doesnt mean that the Naths began in the Pala era
. The Adept yogis of India ( who have realised God and are known as Sant) mentio
n the name of Gorakhnath with great respect. Yogi Gambhirnath says that the Asan
a ( seat) of Guru Gorakhnath was established in the Treta Yuga at the time of Lo
rd Rama on earth! That must be at least 3ooo years ago. Gorakhnath through his r
elentless yogic austerities became immortal like Shiva. He lives even today in a
place inaccessible to ordinary human beings. Whoever calls for his help or, ask
s for his bessings, gets it. Gorakhnath taught his fellow men to stop searching
for God in idols and look for Him in their own hearts. Turn your gaze inwards. G
orakhnath and his disciples cried out for God using these sacred words, Alakh Ni
ranjan . Alakh meaning invisible and Niranjan meaning unblemished, immaculate, p
urest. The Gorakhnathi Yogis consider the Guru to be equal to God. Gorakhnath ha
s showed the path of Laya Yoga to the world. Laya Yoga includes easily practicab
le meditations of Anahata Nada sound, the Atma-jyoti (light of the soul in the t
hird eye ) & so on.
Shankara Digvijaya is an ancient sanskrit manuscript that gives a detailed accou
nt of Adi Shankaracharya and his scholarly conquests. Shankara re-established Ve
dic culture in India and proved Nirguna Brahman ( the Absolute formless God as d
escribed in Vedanta ) to be the highest ideal of Spirituality. The separate scho
ols of philosophies that worshipped innumerable deities differing in philosophy,
appearance, rituals were subdued by Shankara in debates and yogic feats. All ph
ilosophers and ascetics of that time had to accept the Formless Brahman as the O
ne God, the highest one and the various deities as smaller aspects or facets of
his expression. Shankaracharya entered his last samadhi at a very young age of 3
2 about 2000 years ago. His disciples belong to the DasNama Cult. Most ochre rob
ed monks in India today belong to this cult. In Shankara Digvijaya, we find a co
nversation between Shankara and his disciple Padmapada. Here Padmapada mentions
the name of Gorakhnath as a "great yogi of ancient times" who rescued his master
MatsyendraNath from the illusion of royal pleasures. [Chapter 9, verse 79 - 88]
. If Gorakhnath is a yogi of yore for Shankaracharya himself, how ancient he mus
t be!
Gorakhnath taught the secrets of a different strain of practical yoga to a monk
of the Shankaracharya order. This disciple became a great yogi and attained the
status of "Yogindra". Under the guidance of Gorakhnath, he wrote a manuscript to
popularise this new form of yoga. This manuscript is now famous as the Hathayog
a Pradipika and it's author is known as Swami Swatmaram. Hatha Yoga is the easie
r practical application of Raja Yoga ( mental or, psychological path of yoga ),
through the physical and subtle bodies (nadi-chakra, channels of prana). Hatha m
eans the union of the sun and the moon that exist in the subtle body. Ha = Sun,
Tha = Moon. Please read the Khechari Mudra article to know more. Here:
http://patanjali-yoga-theory.blogspot.com/2010/03/khechari-mudra-complete-yoga.h
tml
A sanskrit song from far-off times states Gorakhnath as the Wisest of all Yogis.
Prathama Mani Omkara,
Devena Mani Mahadeva,
Gyanina Mani Goraksha,
Nadina Mani Ganga.
meaning: The Earliest and purest is Om. Mahadeva or Shiva is the highest among g
ods. Gorakhnath is the wisest of all. Ganga ( Ganges ) is the holiest among all
rivers. The Nath tradition included both commoners and royalty. The householders
 embraced this religion, as well as the ash smeared, loincloth clad Avadhoot mon
ks. The Nath monks endured untold hardship to gain the knowledge of God. Nine Im
mortal saints are considered to be the greatest among the Naths. They are, Matsy
endra-Nath, Gorakh-Nath, Jalandhari-Nath, Kanif-Nath (Kanipa), Charpati-Nath, Bh
artrihari-Nath, NaagNath, RevanNath, GahiniNath.
The works of Gorakhnath are as follows. Yoga Bija, Gorakhsa Samhita, Gorakhsa Sa
taka, Gorakh Bodh [in ancient Hindi ]. Many works have gone into oblivion, some
are destroyed by the ravages of time and vandals, a few almost unknown manuscrip
ts still exist in Buddhist Monasteries in the Himalayas and caves of yogis (in A
ssam near Kamakhya).
Sant Gyaneshwar, one of the most popular saints of Maharashtra, India, even cons
idered as an incarnation of Lord Krishna was born in 1271 AD. He was initiated i
nto the spiritual path by his elder brother NivrittiNath. When Nivritti was a sm
all child, he was snatched by a tiger from his family. The tiger, instead of eat
ing him, took him to a cave where great yogi Gorakhnath and his disciple GahiniN
ath were meditating. In this holy cave, Gahininath initiated the boy into Nath Y
oga secrets. This cave is now famous as Gorakhsa-Gumpha near the Jyotirlingam of
Trimbakeshwar (near Nasik, Maharashtra). Nivrittinath returned home and passed
on the hidden knowledge to his younger brother Gyaneshwar. Sant Gyaneshwar (also
known as Gyandev or, Dnyaneshwar ) performed numerous miracles and preached the
knowledge of Bhagvad Gita in layman's terms among the common people, much to th
e dislike of the uppercaste brahmins of that time. He also wrote his version of
the Gita in Marathi Prakrit, the vernacular language of that time. This Gita is
famous as Gyaneshwari. Sant Gyaneshwar entered alive samadhi in a secret undergr
ound cave in Alandi, Maharashtra.
In Guru Grantha Sahib, the principal holy book of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak has writ
ten the name of Gorakhnath with great reverence. Many aspects of Guru Nanak's tr
adition fall togather with Gorakhnath's tradition. In Japuji, song 5, he says,
Thapia na jai, kita na hoi, Apei ap Niranjanu soi... ...
Gurumuhi nadam, Gurumukni Vedam, Gurumukhi Rahia samai,
Guru Isharu, Guru Gorakhsu Brahma, Guru Parvati Mai.
meaning: God cannot be established like an idol at a particular place for he is
all pervading. God cannot be decorated by dress or flowers, for he is everything
. He exists always in his own glory. He is Niranjan ~ unblemished, formless. The
n Sant Guru Nanak praises the Guru to be equal to God. He uses the names of God
(Ishwara, Gorakhsa, Brahman, Parvati) as being the same as the Guru. He also say
s that one can only know the secrets of Nada, Veda, Yoga through the Guru. Japuj
i 9 : "Suniai Joga, Jugati, Tanabhed." Yoga, Union with the Omnipresent, Piercin
g of the Chakras can only be achieved by listening to the directions of the Guru
.
Japuji 29 states,
Bhugati Gyanu daia bhandari ghati ghati bajai Nada
Api Nathu Nathi Sabh Jaki Riddhi Sidhh Abara Sadha.
Sanjogu Bijogu Dui Kar Chalavahi Lekhe Abahi Bhag.
Adeshu tisai Adeshu.
Adi Anilu Anadi Anahati Jugu Jugu Eko Vesu.
Here Guru Nanak describes the value of Nada Yoga and describes God as the greate
st Nath or Master of Yoga. He puts aside minor siddhis or yogic miracles as triv
ias compared to God. Here also the Sikh Guru cries out to God for direction, jus
t as Guru Gorakhnath did uttering the word, Adesh. Guru Nanak lived from 1469 AD
to 1539 Ad. He is the greatest Holyman in the Sikh community, the most Sant in
Punjab, worshipped like God.