Nath
Nath, also called Natha, are a Shaiva sub-tradition within Hinduism in India and Nepal. A medieval movement, it combined ideas from Buddhism, Shaivism and Yoga traditions in India.Creator, and to describe the characteristics of God and the Self, known as the Atman. ''ALAKH'' means "The one who can't be perceived" and ''NIRANJAN'' means "The one who is colourless".
The original Sanskrit term ''Alakhshya'' means "one that can not be perceived"
Alakh Niranjan murmu in Yoga tradition
Alakh means A-Lakhshana which means beyond identifying features (lakhshana) or attributes. It refers to Attributeless God or
Nirguna
''Para Brahman'' ( sa, परब्रह्म, translit=parabrahma, translit-std=IAST) in Hindu philosophy is the "Supreme Brahman" that which is beyond all descriptions and conceptualisations. It is described as the formless (in the sense th ...
Brahman
In Hinduism, ''Brahman'' ( sa, ब्रह्मन्) connotes the highest universal principle, the ultimate reality in the universe.P. T. Raju (2006), ''Idealistic Thought of India'', Routledge, , page 426 and Conclusion chapter part X ...
in here. This idea comes from ancient Yoga traditions originating in Swetashwetara Upanishad. This particular
Upanishad
The Upanishads (; sa, उपनिषद् ) are late Vedic Sanskrit texts that supplied the basis of later Hindu philosophy.Wendy Doniger (1990), ''Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism'', 1st Edition, University of Chicago Press, , ...
deals with Yoga,
Vedantic
''Vedanta'' (; sa, वेदान्त, ), also ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six (''āstika'') schools of Hindu philosophy. Literally meaning "end of the Vedas", Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from, or were aligned with, t ...
Monotheism
Monotheism is the belief that there is only one deity, an all-supreme being that is universally referred to as God. Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A., eds. (1974). "Monotheism". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 ed.). Oxford: Oxfo ...
. It describes the Supreme Being as
Sat-Chit-Ananda
( sa, सच्चिदानन्द, IAST: ; also Sat-cit-ananda or ) is an epithet and description for the subjective experience of the ultimate unchanging reality, called Brahman,Devadutta Kali (2005), Devimahatmyam: In Praise of the Godd ...
.
–
Legend has it, that the slogan or elating cry for the Supreme Being was first coined by
Matsyendranath
Matsyendranātha, also known as Matsyendra, Macchindranāth, Mīnanātha and Minapa (early 10th century) was a saint and yogi in a number of Buddhist and Hindu traditions. He is traditionally considered the revivalist of hatha yoga as well ...
''. Matsyendra is popularly regarded as the 'second
Guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...
' of Nath Yoga Cult after Lord Shiva as Adinath. He first used the words "Alakh Niranjan murmu" to denote God as perceived by a Yoga adept in known history. His disciple is known as ''MahaYogi Gorakhnath'', also known as ''
Gorakshanath
Gorakhnath (also known as Goraksanath, c. early 11th century) was a Hindu yogi, saint who was the influential founder of the Nath Hindu monastic movement in India He is considered one of the two notable disciples of Matsyendranath. His follower ...
'', without whose mention, Nath Yoga becomes unimaginable. It is Gorakhnath and Matsyendranath who popularised Kaya Sadhana throughout known limits of India and beyond.
Gorakhnath actually organised and assimilated most Yogis of the Hatha Yoga and
Tantra
Tantra (; sa, तन्त्र, lit=loom, weave, warp) are the esoteric traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism that developed on the Indian subcontinent from the middle of the 1st millennium CE onwards. The term ''tantra'', in the Indian ...
Cult into the enormous Nath tradition. The city of
Gorakhpur
Gorakhpur is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, along the banks of the Rapti river in the Purvanchal region. It is situated 272 kilometers east of the state capital Lucknow. It is the administrative headquarters of Gorakhpur dis ...
in North India is named after the legendary Yogi. 'Alakh Niranjan' became a very popular name for God all over India during and after Gorakhnath's time. Later first
Sikh Guru
The Sikh gurus ( Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ) are the spiritual masters of Sikhism, who established this religion over the course of about two and a half centuries, beginning in 1469. The year 1469 marks the birth of Guru Nanak, the found ...
,
Nanak
Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also referred to as ('father Nānak'), was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated wor ...
used this holy name to denote God.
* Famous works by Guru Matsyendranath: ''Kaulayogini Tantra''.
* Guru Gorakhnath's celebrated works are '' Gorakhsha Samhita'', ''Yoga-Bija''.
* Guru Nanak's works include Japji Sahib.
ADESH ADESH –
Whenever Yogis or Nath-Yogis meet, they greet each other with the salutation “Adesh-Adesh!” Gorakshanath the Maha Yogi wrote:
:''Aatmetu paramaatmeti jiivatmeti vicaarane''
:''Trayaanaam aikya-samshutir asdes’s iti kiirtitah''
::''In our relative thought we distinguish between Atman, Paramatman, and Jiva.''
::''The Truth is that these three are one and a realization of it is called Adesha.''
Thus the yogi in his contact with others expressed only the simple truth in the words, “Adesh-Adesh!” It is a foundation stone on which all spiritual light and attainment must be erected. It is the first truth to attain the First Lord
Film adaptions
Alakh Niranjan was adapted into Indian films in 1940, 1950, and in 1975 by
Babubhai Mistry
Babubhai Mistry (5 September 1918 – 20 December 2010) was an Indian film director and special effects pioneer who is best known for his films based on Hindu mythology, such as ''Sampoorna Ramayana'' (1961), ''Mahabharat'' (1965), and ''Parasm ...
IMDb
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...