Gorakhnath

Gorakhnath, also known as Gorakh Nath, is a semi-legendary figure revered in the Nath tradition of Hinduism. He is traditionally regarded as a key teacher who helped shape and propagate the Nath yogic lineage, and is associated with the spread of tantric and yogic practices within this movement. In many hagiographies, he is described as the disciple and successor of Matsyendranath, and in some legends as an incarnation of Lord Shiva.

Historical references to Gorakhnath are sparse, and scholars date his life to a broad range, often placing him in the medieval period of northern India. The available narratives blend devotion, myth, and regional memory, and there is no single definitive biographical account. The dates and details vary across regions and sources.

Gorakhnath is linked with the Gorakhnath Math in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, a major center of Nath monasticism that continues to be influential in the tradition. He and his followers are said to have systematized and disseminated yogic practices, emphasizing personal experience, guru–shishya transmission, and a non-dogmatic approach to devotion. The Nath movement as a whole is credited with shaping various forms of yoga, asceticism, and devotional culture across parts of northern India and nearby regions.

Texts are attributed to Gorakhnath in Nath literature, including works such as the Gorakhsha Shastra, though modern scholarship often treats these attributions as late or traditional rather than verifiable historical authorship. Regardless of historicity, Gorakhnath remains a central symbolic figure in the Nath tradition and in the broader history of yoga in South Asia.