Yogi heroes and poets : histories and legends of the Nāths

__An exploration of the history, religion, and folklore of the Naμths, a Hindu lineage known for Hatha yoga practice.__ Part I Yogis In History -- 1 The Naths In Hindi Literature / Purushottam Agrawal Agrawal, Purushottam 3 -- 2 Religious Identity In Gorakhnath And Kabir: Hindus, Muslims, Yogis, And Sants / David N. Lorenzen Lorenzen, David N. 19 -- 3 Different Drums In Gwalior: Maharashtrian Nath Heritages In A North Indian City / Daniel Gold Gold, Daniel 51 -- 4 The Influence Of The Naths On Bhima Bhoi And Mahima Dharma / Ishita Banerjee-dube Banerjee-dube, Ishita 63 -- Part Ii Theology And Folklore -- 5 On The Magnitude Of The Yogic Body / David Gordon White White, David Gordon 79 -- 6 Awakening Generosity In Nath Tales From Rajasthan / Ann Grodzins Gold Gold, Ann Grodzins 91 -- 7 Matsyendra's Golden Legend: Yogi Tales And Nath Ideology / Adrian Munoz Munoz, Adrian 109 -- 8 What Should Minanath Do To Save His Life? / Lubomir Ondracka Ondracka, Lubomir 129 -- 9 The Matsyendrasamhita: A Yogini-centered Thirteenth-century Text From The South Indian Sambhava Cult / Csaba Kiss Kiss, Csaba 143. Edited By David N. Lorenzen And Adrián Muñoz. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. 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. Yogi Heroes and Poets 4 Contents 6 Preface 8 Introduction 10 Part 1. Yogis in History 20 1. The Naths in Hindi Literature 22 2. Religious Identity in Gorakhnath and Kabir 38 3. Different Drums in Gwalior 70 4. The Influence of the Naths on Bhima Bhoi and Mahima Dharma 82 Part 2. Theology and Folklore 96 5. On the Magnitude of the Yogic Body 98 6. Awakening Generosity in Nath Tales from Rajasthan 110 7. Matsyendra’s “Golden Legend” 128 8. What Should Mīnanāth Do to Save His Life? 148 9. The Matsyendrasamhitā 162 Notes 182 Bibliography 218 Contributors 238 Index 240 A 240 B 240 C 241 D 241 E 241 F 241 G 242 H 242 I 242 J 242 K 243 L 243 M 243 N 244 P 244 Q 245 R 245 S 245 T 246 U 246 V 246 W 246 Y 247 David N. Lorenzen is Professor of Asian and African Studies at the College of Mexico. He is the author or editor of several books, including Praises to a Formless Nirguni Texts from North India , also published by SUNY Press, and Who Invented Essays on Religion in History . Adrin Muoz is Associate Professor of Comparative Religion at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.