Sayings of Gorakhnath

Description

Sayings of Gorakhnath presents a translation of late-medieval texts in Old Hindi, traditionally attributed to one of the founders of the Order of Nath Yogis. The Naths are associated with the creation and development of hatha yoga, with important historical and ideological links to Hindu tantra and alchemy. The texts gathered in this collection on the one hand provide a criticism of religious authority based on external knowledge lacking personal experience, while on the other hand they celebrate the path of yoga and its methods of engagement with the subtle body and its centres of occult energy and miraculous powers. 

The ultimate goal of the style of yoga described in the Sayings of Gorakhnath concerns the attainment of immortality and divinization of its adepts. This is achieved by redirecting the trajectory of the seminal fluid, which in the process transforms into the elixir, the amrt. In order to accomplish that goal, a regime of yogic practices is suggested, consisting of the assumption of a steady posture, breathing exercises, mantra chanting, and meditation. Djudjevic and Singh's translations are preceded by an introduction and accompanied by notes, which contextualize and elucidate the subject matter.

About the Translators

Gordan Djurdjevic holds a PhD from the Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia. He is co-editor, with Henrik Bogdan, of the collection of critical essays Occultism in a Global Perspective; and the author of Masters of Magical Powers, and India and the Occult. 

Shukdev Singh taught Hindi language and literature at the Benares Hindu University in India. He collaborated on the translations of The Bijak of Kabir with Linda Hess and The Deeds of Prahlad with David Lorenzen.

Reviews

"Yogis and lay followers of the Nath yogi movement largely rely on vernacular songs and stories for religious instruction. Gordan Djurdjevic and Shukdeo Singh here translate the key anthology of early Hindi songs and verses by Gorakhnath into straightforward English. Djurdjevic gives an excellent introduction to the religious ideas of the text, including new insights into the yogic control of the yogis' vital fluid."--David N. Lorenzen, editor, with Adrian Muñoz, of Yogi Heroes and Poets

"Compact wonders of mystic poetry, the banis of Gorakhnath provide a unique window onto a medieval and early modern yoga tradition that was far more influential for its time than were the Yoga Sutras of Patañjali. Gordan Djurdjevic and Shukdev Singh are to be commended for their lucid translations of these cryptic and compelling verses."--David Gordon White, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, University of California, Santa Barbara

"Gorakhnath was one of India's greatest yogis and the founding guru of a lineage that thrives to this day. Djurdjevic and Singh have skilfully made these enigmatic verses attributed to him accessible to a wide audience for the first time, while keeping them faithful to the yogi tradition. This book will be of great interest to scholars and serious practitioners of yoga alike."--James Maillinson, Senior Lecturer in Sanskrit and Classical Indian Studies, SOAS University of London.

Table of contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction

Sayings of Gorakhnath
"Sabads"
"Pads"
"The Overview of Teaching"
"The String of Breaths"
"Instruction to a King"
"Self-Understanding"
"'Measure of Fearlessness' Yoga"
"Fifteen Days"
"Seven Days"
"Machindra's Instruction to Gorakh"
"A Line of Hair"
"The Ornament of Wisdom"
"The Five Measures"

Appendix: "The Victory of Goraksa"
Notes
Glossary
Bibliography
Index