The Adinath Sampradaya was a

sadhu ''Sadhu'' ( sa, साधु, IAST: ' (male), ''sādhvī'' or ''sādhvīne'' (female)), also spelled ''saddhu'', is a religious ascetic, mendicant or any holy person in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism who has renounced the worldly life. ...

sub-sect of the greater

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.Sannyasa ''Sannyasa'' (Sanskrit: संन्यास; IAST: ), sometimes spelled Sanyasa (सन्न्यास) or Sanyasi (for the person), is life of renunciation and the fourth stage within the Hindu system of four life stages known as '' A ...

diksha Diksha ( Sanskrit: दीक्षा) also spelled diksa, deeksha or deeksa in common usage, translated as a "preparation or consecration for a religious ceremony", is giving of a mantra or an initiation by the guru (in Guru–shishya tradition) ...

, thus renouncing householder life, and thereafter lived as naked sadhus. Believing that sadhus should live alone until they had attained the goal, they lived in caves, huts, ruined buildings, or empty houses, and always away from towns and villages. Reference to the Adinath Sampradaya is pointed out by Rajmohan Nath (1964) who lists them among the twelve traditional sub-sects of the Nath Sampradaya.Bandyopadhyay, P. K. (1992). ''Natha Cult and Mahanad''. page 73, Delhi, India: B.R. Publishing Corporation. The Adinath Sampradaya is also listed among the sub-divisions of Nath sects in the Census Report, Punjab, 1891, p. 114.Briggs, G. W. (1973). ''Gorakhnath and the Kanphata Yogis''. page 75, (Chart A) Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. The last sadhu holding authentic

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 ...

status in the Adinath Sampradaya was Shri Gurudev Mahendranath, who died in 1991. Though he created, and gave

Diksha Diksha ( Sanskrit: दीक्षा) also spelled diksa, deeksha or deeksa in common usage, translated as a "preparation or consecration for a religious ceremony", is giving of a mantra or an initiation by the guru (in Guru–shishya tradition) ...

into, a western householder variant of the Nath Tradition, he intentionally terminated the Adinath Sampradaya by refusing to bestow sannyasa diksha, an initiation required for succession.Mahendranath, Shri Gurudev
From the Dark into Light
in ''The Open Door: Newsletter of the International Nath Order''. Retrieved Feb. 6 , 2007 The Sanskrit term ''Adi Nath'' means "first" or "original Lord," and is therefore a synonym for

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one o ...

and, beyond mental concepts, the "Supreme Reality" as originator of all things. G.W. Briggs noted, "although Adinath may have been a yogi preceding

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 ...

, he is now identified with Shiva, and the name is used to trace the origin of the (Nath) sect to the greatest of yogis, the god Shiva".Briggs, G. W. (1973). ''Gorakhnath and the Kanphata Yogis''. page 231, Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers.

References

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External links

Adityanath (2002). Nath FAQ.
Retrieved Oct. 20, 2004.
''The Open Door: Newsletter of the International Nath Order''
1985–present. Shaiva sects Hindu denominations Hindu religious orders