44-449: The Shri Guru Charitra is a book based on the life of Shri Nrusimha Saraswati (a.k.a Narasimha Saraswati), written by the 15th-16th century poet Shri Saraswati Gangadhar . The book is based on the life of Shri Narshimha Saraswati, his philosophy and related stories. The language used is the 14-15th century Marathi . The book is written as a conversation between Siddha (who is a disciple of Shri Narasimha Saraswati) and Naamdharak who
88-548: A langar and provide a free meal to pilgrims who visit. The Gurkhas of Nepal take their name from Gorakhnath. Gorkha , a historical district of Nepal, is also named after him. A cave exists in Gorkha with his paduka (footprints) and an idol. Every year, on the day of Baisakh Purnima, a celebration known as Rot Mahotsav takes place in the cave; it has purportedly been celebrated for the last seven hundred years. According to William Northey and John Morris, legend states that
132-756: A brief account of Sreepaad Sreevallabh . A more comprehensive biography of Sreepaad Sreevallabh is presented in another 17th century text named ‘Sreepaad Sreevallabh Charitra Amrut’ From Chapter 11, Sree Nrusimha saraswati's life is described. Nrusimha Saraswati is born in Karanja in Washim district of Vidarbha in Maharashtra and at a very young, he adopted Sanyasi life style, travelling to holy places across India. At Kashi Nrusimha Saraswti accepted Krishna Saraswati as his guru and hence came to be known as Nrusimha Saraswati. Since chapter 13, Guru Charitra chronicles
176-414: A disciple of Machendra by name Gorakhnath once visited Nepal and retired to a small hill near Deo Patan. There, he meditated in an unmovable state for twelve years. The locals built a temple in his honour there. Dang valley of Nepal, located in the south-west of the country close to India, is regarded as one of the historically significant place for the disciples of Gorakhnath for over 1300 years. As per
220-568: A life as an exponent of ideas of Kumarila and Adi Shankara that championed the Yogic and Advaita Vedanta interpretation of the Upanishads. Gorakhnath considered the controversy between dualism and nondualism in medieval India as useless from a practical point of view. According to Banerjea, He emphasised that the choice is that of the yogi, and that spiritual discipline and practice by either path leads to "perfectly illumined samadhi state of
264-420: A poet and an extreme vanshaj of Sayamdev Sakhare one of the disciples from four favorite disciples of Shri Narasimha Saraswati. Shri Guru Charitra begins with the story of a character called Naamdharak, who is a personification of a common man, buried with mundane burdens. Naamdharak is troubled with the worldly pains and sets out in search of a Guru for some spiritual guidance. During his journey, he first sees
308-622: A professor of Religious Studies known for his studies on Yoga and music, "the connections between Goraknath, the Kanphatas and Hatha yoga are beyond question". According to Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair, a professor in Asian languages and cultures, the Gorakhnath orders were operating free community kitchens in Punjab before Guru Nanak founded Sikhism. Gorakhnath shrines have continued to operate
352-493: A story or an incident-miracle or biographical anecdotes from the life of a holy Datta incarnation. Shri Guru Charitra contains 53 chapters in total. Chapter 4 celebrates the birth of Lord Dattatreya . From this chapter on the biography of Datta avatars start. Chapter 5 to 10 has accounts of Sreepaad Sreevallabh , the first incarnation of Lord Dattatreya . These chapters describe Birth, travels and miracles performed by Sreepaad Sreevallabh. However, Sree Guru Charitra presents
396-469: A temple dedicated in Mahur by this tradition. This tradition follows from Shripad Shrivallabha and Shri Narasimha Saraswati . Two major Datta traditions were started by Shri Swami Samarth of Akkalkot and Shri Vasudevananda Saraswati alias Tembe Swami . another Hindu yogi group from western India with roots in the 10th-century and with ideas similar to Nath and Kanphata sampradaya, traces Dattatreya as
440-425: A yogi in his dream. He is wonderstuck to see the same yogi in real when he wakes up. The yogi introduces himself as Siddha, a disciple of Sree Nrusiha saraswati . This is the point where Naamdharam asks Siddha to narrate him the holy Guru Chartira. At the start of each chapter, Siddha and Naamdharak converse on a question, a thought or on an incident from the past chapter. This is how the chapters progress into either
484-572: Is a Hatha Yoga Sanskrit text attributed to Gorakhnath by the Nath tradition. According to Feuerstein (1991: p. 105), it is "one of the earliest hatha yoga scriptures, the Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati , contains many verses that describe the avadhuta " (liberated) yogi. The Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati text is based on an advaita (nonduality) framework, where the yogi sees "himself in all beings, and all in himself" including
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#1732788071185528-631: Is a Sanskrit name.) After becoming a Sanyasi, Narasimha Saraswati visited several holy places ( tirtha ) before returning to Karanja at the age 30 to meet his parents. He visited various places and stayed before settling in Ganagapura (Ganagapur) (now in the state of Karnataka ) for the last 20 years of his life. Towards the end of his life, Shri Narasimha Saraswati met with the Muslim king (Sultan) of Bidar , possibly 'Ala-ud-Din Ahmed Shah' of
572-673: Is a temple in Vadukku Poigainallur, Nagapattinam , Tamil Nadu which specifically houses his Jeeva Samadhi . According to one account, he spent much of his youth in the Velliangiri Mountains , Coimbatore . There are various other shrines honouring Korakkar , including ones located in Perur , Thiruchendur and Trincomalee . Korakkar Caves are found in both Sathuragiri and the Kolli Hills , where he
616-547: Is also a temple of Gorakhnath in the state of Odisha. The Gorakhnath Math is a monastery of the Nath monastic group named after the medieval saint, Gorakhnath (c. 11th century), of the Nath sampradaya. The math and town of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh is named after him. The monastery and the temple perform various cultural and social activities and serve as the cultural hub of the city. The monastery also publishes texts on
660-458: Is listening to Siddha . Guru Charitra is divided into 3 parts: Dnyan kaand (Knowledge), Karma kaand (Work) and Bhakti Kaand (Devotion). It has 53 Chapters in which, the 53rd chapter is also called as ′Gurucharitra Avatarnika′ which is the summary of the book. The book is assumed to be written in a village in Karnataka known as Kadaganchi . The writer was Saraswati Gangadhar who was
704-428: Is noted to have practised his sadhana. Like his colleagues, the 18 Siddhars , Korakkar wrote cryptic Tamil poetry pertaining to medicine , philosophy and alchemy . He was one of the first to use cannabis in his medicinal preparations for certain ailments; as a result, it gained the name Korakkar Mooligai (Korakkar's Herb). The Bengali Hindu community in the states of West Bengal , Tripura , and Assam , and
748-539: The Shri GuruCharitra , written by Saraswati Gangadhar . Saraswati's house where he was born is located in Karanja Lad . Although the house is no longer in the original shape, some parts remain and have been converted into a temple. Gorakshanath Gorakhnath (also known as Goraksanath (Sanskrit: Gorakṣanātha ), c. early 11th century) was a Hindu yogi , mahasiddha and saint who
792-500: The Bahmani Sultanate, who was ruling the area at that time. Since his karma for that avatar had completed, thus he decided to take samadhi . He left for the forest of Kardali (Kardali vana near Srisailam). Saraswati took Nijanandagamana (निजानंदगमन) type of samadhi in 1459 for 300 years. The main events of Sri Narasimha Saraswati's life are given below. Possible years and dates are given according to descriptions of
836-530: The Shri GuruCharitra . The extreme 24 characteristics of Shri Gurumurti Narsahimha saraswati swami maharaj. With time, many learned saints and seers have formed different traditions based on Datta Bhakti. These Traditions or Sampradayas are commonly known as Datta Sampradayas. The Nath yogis, that metamorphosed into a warrior ascetic group, consider Dattatreya as their theological founder. This group grew and became particularly prominent during
880-585: The Washim district , which is a part of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra , India . His father (Madhava) and his mother (Amba-Bhavani) initially named him Narahari or Shaligramadeva, with the surname Kale. Shri Narasimha Sarswati is considered to be the second incarnation of Dattatreya , the first Incarnation was Sripada Srivallabha , as per his blessings to Amba Bhavani, in her previous birth, Sripada Srivallabha had blessed her & he advised her to perform shiva pooja. Later he also told that he would be born to her in her next life as Narasimha Saraswathi to uphold
924-482: The 13th century. Grierson, relying on evidence discovered in Gujarat, suggests the 14th century. Gorakhnath is referenced in the poetry of Kabir and of Guru Nanak of Sikhism , which describe him as a very powerful leader with a large following. Historical texts imply that Gorakhnath was a Buddhist in a region influenced by Shaivism, but then converted to Hinduism, championing Shiva and Yoga . Gorakhnath led
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#1732788071185968-692: The Islamic invasions and Hindu-Muslim wars in South Asia, from about the 14th to 18th century, although the Dattatreya roots of the peaceful Nath yogis go back to about the 10th century. The group was most active in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Nepal. The tradition believes that the legendary Nath sampradaya yogi and Hatha Yoga innovator Gorakshanath was inspired and shaped by Dattatreya. Regional efforts and texts of
1012-506: The Mahanubhavas consider Dattatreya as their divine inspiration. The Mahanubhava sampradaya, propagated by Sri Chakradhar Swami, has five Krishnas as the incarnations of god, of which Dattatreya is one. The followers of Mahanubhava philosophy revered him as their Adi Guru (the original Guru), as well as the early teachers in their tradition (Chakradhara, Gundama and Changadeva). They worship Dattatreya as single headed with two arms. He has
1056-620: The Nath tradition such as Yogi sampradaya vishkriti discussed Dattatreya. The nine Narayanas of the Avadhuta sampradaya are attributed to Dattatreya, an idea also found in the Natha sampradaya. A panth started by Pantmaharaj Balekundrikar of Balekundri near Belgavi is related to this. Dattatreya is revered in Dasanami and goddess-oriented Shaktism traditions. Dattatetreya's theology emphasizing simple life, kindness to all, questioning
1100-596: The Sanatha Dharma in Kali Yuga . This instance has been well narrated from chapter 5 to Chapter 12 in the holy book Guru Charithra Shri Narasimha Saraswati/ Narhari was a quiet child, only speaks Aum ( Om Hinduism sacred word) since their birth. This led his parents to worry about his speech ability; however, Narahari showed through hand gestures that after his upanayana or munji (sacred thread ceremony), he would be able to speak. He started reciting
1144-554: The Vedas after his munja, which so impressed the Brahmins in the village that it was talked about, with senior learned Brahmins coming to him for learning. Shri Narasimha Saraswati left home in 1386 at a tender age of 7 all alone and went on a pilgrimage to Kashi on foot. He took Sanyasa at Kashi from Old Sage Shri Krishna Saraswati. The second part of his name came from this guru, who eventually named him Shri Narasimha Saraswati. (This
1188-500: The account of Sree Guru Nrusimha Saraswati ending his avatar. Chapter 53 is a summary of all the chapters, known as ‘Guru Charitra Avatarnika’ The chronology introduced in the Shri Guru Charitra of Shri Guru Narasimha Saraswati is as follows: The main events of Sri Narasimha Saraswati's life are given below. Possible years and dates are given according to descriptions of the lunar and stellar events calendar mentioned in
1232-453: The basis of their spiritual ideas. Around 1550 CE, Dattatreya Yogi taught the Dattatreya philosophy to his disciple Das Gosavi in Marathi . Das Gosavi then taught this philosophy to his two Telugu disciples Gopalbhatt and Sarvaved who studied and translated Das Gosavi's book of Vedantavyavaharsangraha into Telugu language. According to Prof. R. C. Dhere, Dattatreya Yogi and Das Gosavi are
1276-703: The country Bangladesh have a sizeable number of people belonging to the Nath Sampradaya , named as Nath or Yogi Nath , who have taken the name from Gorakhnath. They were marginalised in Medieval Bengal. Romola Butalia , an Indian writer of Yoga history, lists the works attributed to Gorakhnath as including the Gorakṣaśataka , Goraksha Samhita , Goraksha Gita , Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati , Yoga Martanda , Yoga Siddhanta Paddhati , Yogabīja , Yogacintamani . The Siddha Siddhanta Paddhati
1320-487: The first half of the 2nd millennium CE, but there is some disagreement about which century he lived. Estimates based on archaeological and textual evidence range from Briggs' estimate of the 11th to 12th century to Grierson's estimate of the 14th century. Gorakhnath is considered a Maha-yogi (or "great yogi") in Hindu tradition. He did not emphasise a specific metaphysical theory or a particular Truth , but emphasised that
1364-538: The individual phenomenal consciousness.". The hagiography on Gorakhnath describe his appearance on earth several times. The legends do not provide a birth time or place, and consider him to be superhuman. North Indian hagiographies suggest he originated from northwest India ( Punjab , with some mentioning Peshawar ). Other hagiographies in Bengal and Bihar suggest he originated from eastern region of India ( Assam ). Available hagiographies offer varying records of
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1408-516: The legend, the king of Dang named Ratnaparikshak was initiated by Gorakhnath in the valley's forest and later became a famed siddha called Ratnanath, and built a temple. Ratnanath travelled across the sub-continent to spread the teachings of Hatha yoga . In the Siddhar tradition of Tamil Nadu , Gorakhnath is one of the 18 esteemed Siddhars of yore, and is also known as Korakkar . Siddhar Agastya and Siddhar Bhogar were his gurus . There
1452-557: The life journey of Sree Nrusimha Saraswati. He performed countless miracles, taught the righteous path of dharma and karma. Chapter 23 describes an important event – establishment of Mutt at Ganagapur . In chapters 25, 26,27 the essence of Vedas is encapsulated very accurately. Chapter 31, 32 and 36 elaborate about code of conduct of a Woman, Widow and a Brahmin respectively. Stories connected to Rudraksh , Bhasma (holy ash), Ashvatt tree, Karma, sins and atonement Pryashchitta are also explained by Sree Guru himself. Chapter 51 narrates
1496-433: The lunar and stellar events calendar mentioned in the Shri GuruCharitra . Shree Narshimha Saraswati taught that the life of Brahmins was fully covered by the rules given in the old scriptures and the rules were to be strictly followed by the Brahmins in their daily lives in order to achieve happiness and, ultimately, moksha . He insisted that his disciples follow these routines. Many parts of Saraswati's life are told in
1540-464: The movement's expansion happened under the guidance and inspiration of Gorakhnath. He produced a number of writings and even today is considered the greatest of the Naths . It has been purported that Gorakhnath wrote the first books on Laya yoga . In India there are many caves, many with temples built over them, where it is said that Gorakhnath spent time in meditation. According to Bhagawan Nityananda ,
1584-765: The original gurus in the Telugu Dattatreya tradition. Prof. Rao states that Dattatreya Shatakamu was written by Paramanandateertha who is equally important in his contributions to the Telugu tradition of Dattatreya. He was a proponent of Advaita philosophy and dedicated his two epics, Anubhavadarpanamu and Shivadnyanamanjari to Shri Dattatreya. His famous Vivekachintamani book was translated into Kannada by Nijashivagunayogi and Lingayat saint Shanatalingaswami translated this into Marathi. Narasimha Saraswati Shree Narasimha Saraswati Swami or Shree Nrusimha Saraswati Swami ( श्रीनृसिंह सरस्वती , 1378−1459)
1628-571: The origins of Hatha yoga with the Nath yogis, in particular Gorakhnath and his guru Matsyendranath . According to British indologist James Mallinson , this association is false. In his view, the origins of hatha yoga should be associated with the Dashanami Sampradaya of Advaita Vedanta (Hinduism), the mystical figure of Dattatreya , and the Rāmānandīs . While the origins of Hatha yoga are disputed, according to Guy Beck,
1672-522: The philosophy of Gorakhnath. A shrine existed at the site from older times which was converted into a mosque by Ala-ud-din Khilji. A smaller shrine was built by Nath Sampraday's followers at a later time. Later additions were made in 18th, 19th and 20th century by devotees and yogis of the order. The math is situated in a Muslim majority area and is a centre of syncretism among devotees and visitors from diverse communal background. Some scholars associate
1716-563: The samadhi shrine (tomb) of Gorakhnath is at Nath Mandir near the Vajreshwari temple about one kilometre from Ganeshpuri, Maharashtra , India . Legends state that Gorakhnath and Matsyendranath did penance in Kadri Temple at Mangalore, Karnataka. They were also instrumental in laying Shivlingam at Kadri and Dharmasthala. The temple of Gorakhnath is situated on hill called Garbhagiri near Vambori, Tal Rahuri; Dist Ahmednagar. There
1760-600: The search for Truth and the spiritual life is a valuable and normal goal of man. Gorakhnath championed Yoga , spiritual discipline and an ethical life of self-determination as a means to reaching samadhi . Gorakhnath, his ideas, and his yogis have been popular in rural India, with monasteries and temples dedicated to him found in many states of India, particularly in the eponymous city of Gorakhpur . Historians disagree on when Gorakhnath lived. Briggs estimates 11th to 12th century, while Abbott argues that Baba Farid documents and Jnanesvari manuscripts place Gorakhnath in
1804-447: The spiritual descent of Gorakhnath. All name Adinath and Matsyendranath as two teachers preceding him, though one account lists five gurus preceding Adinath, and another lists six teachers between Matsyendranath and Gorakhnath. Current tradition has Adinath placed with Shiva as the direct teacher of Matsyendranath , who was himself the direct teacher of Gorakhnath. The Nath tradition states that it existed before Gorakhnath, but
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1848-555: The status quo, self pursuit of knowledge and seeking spiritual meaning of life appealed to Bhakti sant-poets of Hinduism such as Tukaram and Eknath, during an era of political and social upheaval caused by Islamic invasion in the Deccan region of India. They reverentially mentioned Dattatreya in their poems. The use of his symbolism was one of the many syncretic themes of this period where the ideas of Vaishnavism and Shaivism holistically fused in popular imagination. Along with Krishna ,
1892-491: Was an Indian guru of Dattatreya tradition(sampradaya). According to the Shri GuruCharitra , he is the second avatar of Dattatreya in Kali Yuga after Sripada Sri Vallabha . Traditional Shri Narasimha Saraswati (birth name - Shaligramadeva or Narhari) lived from 1378 to 1459 (Shaka 1300 to Shaka 1380). Saraswati was born into a Deshastha Brahmin family in Karanjapura, modern-day Lad-Karanja (Karanja) in
1936-565: Was the founder of the Nath Hindu monastic movement in India . He is considered one of the two disciples of Matsyendranath . His followers are known as Jogi , Gorakhnathi , Darshani or Kanphata . He was one of nine saints, or Navnath , and is known in Maharashtra, India. Hagiographies describe him to be a person outside the laws of time who appeared on earth during different ages. Historians agree that Gorakhnath lived sometime during
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