Gorakhnath — Nath Rishi

Gorakhnath is one of the most influential figures in the history of Hatha Yoga and Tantric asceticism, revered as the chief disciple of Matsyendranath and the primary organizer of the Nath Sampradaya into a structured monastic and yogic order that continues today with monasteries (maths) across India and Nepal. He is traditionally credited with authoring or inspiring foundational Hatha Yoga texts such as the Gorakh Bodha, Goraksha Shataka, and Goraksha Paddhati, which systematized techniques of asana, pranayama, bandha, and mudra aimed at purifying and mastering the subtle body to achieve both spiritual liberation and, in Nath cosmology, an immortal, adamantine (vajra) body resistant to death and decay. Gorakhnath's teachings integrate elements of Shaivism, Tantra, and Buddhist Vajrayana practice, particularly the concept of the subtle body's chakras and nadis, and his followers, known as Kanphata ('split-eared') yogis for their distinctive large earrings inserted through split cartilage, remain a recognizable ascetic order across North India. He is venerated across sectarian lines, claimed as a guru figure by Hindu Naths, certain Sufi lineages in Punjab and Sindh, and Buddhist practitioners in Nepal and Tibet, reflecting the syncretic reach of his teachings. Numerous legends describe his miraculous powers, including reviving the dead, controlling natural elements, and outwitting death itself, cementing his reputation as a paradigmatic siddha whose mastery over body and mind exemplified the highest attainment achievable through rigorous Hatha Yoga discipline.