Nath Yogis
The Nath Yogis emerged in the 12th and 13th
centuries C.E. as a confederation of devotees of
Shaivite (see SHAIVISM) and SIDDHA practices. The
sect honors a legendary group of nine exemplars,
called the nine Naths, or “lords,” who give the
sect its name. The nine exemplars are listed
with a wide variety of names, but they usually
include Matsyendranath and GORAKHNATH (with
somewhat varying forms). These quasi-histori-
cal Naths are considered the original sources for
the various Nath lineages. The forerunners of
the Nath Yogis were probably the various radical
Shaivite groups that arose in the early centuries of
the Common Era.
The Nath Yogis were outsiders and very
unconventional. They often adopted outrageous
practices such as eating offal and public curs-
ing, in order to emphasize their lack of fealty
to any convention. They were extreme ascetics,
practicing under the umbrella of TANTRISM, which
sought above all to emphasize the dark and nega-
tive aspects of existence as the source of spiritual
power and transformation. However, the Naths
abstained from the sexual practices generally asso-
ciated with tantrism, as they generally avoided
women entirely.
Alchemy was an important element of Nath
Yogi practice. Usually, this included not only
changing base metals into gold via mercury, but
also changing the body by the use of oxides of
mercury to create an immortal body. This esoteric
practice is combined with HATHA YOGA and the
effort to raise the KUNDALINI at the base of the
spine to effect complete spiritual transformation.
Further reading: Akshaya Kumar Banerjea, Philoso-
phy of Gorakhnath with Goraksha Vacana Samgraha
(Delhi: Motilal Benarsidass, 1988); George W. Briggs,
Gorakhnath and the Kanphata Yogis (New Delhi: Moti-
lal Banarsidass, 1982); David Gordon White, The
Alchemical Body (Chicago: University of Chicago
Press, 1996).
Natya Shastra
Natya Shastra, “the authoritative scripture [shas-
tra] regarding drama [natya],” is often considered
the “fifth VEDA.” It was composed by the teacher
Bharata around the second century C.E. Made up
of over 5,000 verses, it delineates the art form
of dance-drama of its time. The revived BHARATA
NAT YA M dance-drama form of modern India still
follows the guidelines of this text.
The Natya Shastra claims that drama was
created by the creator god BRAHMA himself. The
text outlines every aspect of the drama, includ-
ing the dress of the actors, the music, the stage,
and the construction of the theater building.
Indian drama has always relied greatly on dance;
thus the steps, rhythms, and hand gestures or
MUDRAS are carefully detailed. The text also sug-
gests the most common themes that the drama
can present, such as the battle between the gods
and demons and the adventures of the individual
gods. From a philosophical standpoint the two
most important chapters are those that outline
the principles of aesthetics in dramatic presen-
tations. They present the distinctive theory of
RASAS, the emotional “essences” that are commu-
nicated via the drama.Further reading: The Natya Sastra of Bharatamuni
(Delhi: Sri Satguru, 2003); Vasanta Vedam, A Handbook
of Natya Sastra (Chennai: Vasanta Vedam, 2003).Navaratri
The Navaratri (Navaratra) or Nine Nights festival
is celebrated for nine days in the lunar month of
Ashvin (September–October). It is a pan-Indian
festival that takes different forms in different
regions.
In most Hindi-speaking areas of North India
Navaratri is celebrated as Rama Lila (the mysteri-
ous divine magic of Lord Rama), a commemo-
ration of the RAMAYANA epic. Each day features
readings from the medieval Hindi TULSIDAS Rama-
yana; in most places plays are presented depictingK 308 Nath Yogis