This volume contains the essence of the writings and teachings of Mahayogi Gorakhnath. It is well pointed out that while the ultimate object of the search is the same for a Yogi and a philosopher, their modes of approach are different, the latterês being intellectual and the formerês intuitive and spiritual. The task of a Yogi does not require any subtle intellectual speculation or the framing of hypotheses and theories. The quest of the Yogi is a direct spiritual experience of truth on a high plane of consciousness. The highest state of Samadhi attained by the Yogi is neither purely subjective nor objective. It transcends both categories and it is an integrated experience beyond formal description. Such a transcendent state of consciousness is alone called Samadhi. This book analyses in detail the nature of Samadhi Experience. The term –Experience” is perhaps inaccurate because, in this state of Samadhi, there is no relation between subject and object, the experiencer and the experienced. It is the fulfilment of life as described in the Yogasutras. The Yogi who comes back from Samadhi may not have attained Kaivalya or Moksha, but he is illuminated by his experience. If he assumes the role of a teacher or preacher, he gives expression to his experience in such forms as may be easily intelligible to the people at large. Gorakhnath was a Maha-Yogi. The cult of the Kanphata Yogis is a definite unite within Hinduism, and its study is essential for understanding this phase of the religious life of India. the book is divided into three sections. The first two sections comprising chapters 1 - 13 deal with the cult and history of this sec. the third section containing chapters 14 - 16 opens with the Sanskrit Text Goraksastaka and its English rendering and annotations. The book is fully documented. It has a preface, Glossary, Bibliography, Plates and General Index. This book is an attempt to present a systematic and consistent account of the philosophical background of the spiritual culture associated with the names of Yogi Gorakhnath and other adepts of the Natha school.

The cult of the Kanphata Yogis is a definite unite within Hinduism, and its study is essential for understanding this phase of the religious life of India. the book is divided into three sections. The first two sections comprising chapters 1 - 13 deal with the cult and history of this sec. the third section containing chapters 14 - 16 opens with the Sanskrit Text Goraksastaka and its English rendering and annotations. The book is fully documented. It has a preface, Glossary, Bibliography, Plates and General Index. This book is an attempt to present a systematic and consistent account of the philosophical background of the spiritual culture associated with the names of Yogi Gorakhnath and other adepts of the natha school.

The cult of the Kanphata Yogis is a definite unit within Hinduism, and its study is essential for understanding this phase of the religious life of India. In analysing the different aspects of this cult the author has drawn upon various sources, such as the legends, folk-lore and the formulated texts of this sect. The book is divided into three sections. The first two sections comprising chapters 1-13 deal with the cult and history of this sect. The third section containing chapters 14-16 opens with the Sanskrit Text Goraksasataka and its English rendering and annotations. It proceeds with the analysis of physiological concepts, chief aims and methods and then comes to conclusion. The subject matter of this study has been so arranged that the first two sections serve to illustrate the third. The book is fully documented. It has a Preface, Glossary, Bibliography, Plates and General Index.

While yoga is accessible to all, the path to becoming a true yogi is known only to a few. An esoteric practice, it requires years of learning, dedication, willpower and the thirst for a connection with the universal consciousness. This mystic science owes everything to two esoteric cults - the Siddhas and the Buddhas, to Hatha Yoga and Buddhist Tantra. The philosophies, paths and deities of these two cults are intimately connected. A blend of these two paths can escalate an individual's consciousness and help one realise one's true potential. There are striking differences and similarities between these two cults, bound together by the heterogeneous spiritual thread of Gorakhnath, who devoted himself to the prolific knowledge of yoga and emerged as the greatest yogi ever.The Gorakhnath Enlightenment seeks to explore the teachings and philosophy of Gorakhnath.

Sayings of Gorakhnath presents a translation of late-medieval texts in Old Hindi, traditionally attributed to one of the founders of the Order of Nath Yogis. The Naths are associated with the creation and development of hatha yoga, with important historical and ideological links to Hindu tantra and alchemy. The texts gathered in this collection on the one hand provide a criticism of religious authority based on external knowledge lacking personal experience, while on the other hand they celebrate the path of yoga and its methods of engagement with the subtle body and its centres of occult energy and miraculous powers. The ultimate goal of the style of yoga described in the Sayings of Gorakhnath concerns the attainment of immortality and divinization of its adepts. This is achieved by redirecting the trajectory of the seminal fluid, which in the process transforms into the elixir, the amrt. In order to accomplish that goal, a regime of yogic practices is suggested, consisting of the assumption of a steady posture, breathing exercises, mantra chanting, and meditation. Djudjevic and Singh's translations are preceded by an introduction and accompanied by notes, which contextualize and elucidate the subject matter.

On life and philosophy of Gorakhanātha, founder of Kānphatạs, subsect of Nātha sect.

This book provides a remarkable range of information on the history, religion, and folklore of the Nāth Yogis. A Hindu lineage prominent in North India since the eleventh century, Nāths are well-known as adepts of Hatha yoga and alchemical practices said to increase longevity. Long a heterogeneous group, some Nāths are ascetics and some are householders; some are dedicated to personified forms of Shiva, others to a formless god, still others to Vishnu. The essays in the first part of the book deal with the history and historiography of the Nāths, their literature, and their relationships with other religious movements in India. Essays in the second part discuss the legends and folklore of the Nāths and provide an exploration of their religious ideas. Contributors to the volume depict a variety of local areas where this lineage is prominent and highlight how the Nāths have been a link between religious, metaphysical, and even medical traditions in India.