About
The Nath Tradition
The Naths are an ancient order founded by Shiv Mahadev who is also known as Adinath. The next teacher was the great Matsyendranath, who was the teacher of the famous Gorakhnath. The yogi called Balaknath in the Nath tradition, because he always appeared like a teenager, is none other than my Master Sriguru Babaji. The Naths were yogis par excellence. All the important works on yoga, like the Goraksha Shataka, the Gheranda Samhita, the Hathayoga Pradipika, and so on were written by Nath yogis. The asanas, pranayama, kriya yoga, bandhas, and mudras were practiced and perfected by them. They were usually itinerant yogis and were popularly called Kaanphatas or torn eared ones because they punctured the cartilage of their ears and wore large earrings as I (Maheshwarnath Babaji) do.
– An excerpt from Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master – A Yogi’s Autobiography by Sri M
Sriguru Babaji
Sriguru Babaji is none other than Adinath himself. Sadashiva Adinath is identified with Sriguru Babaji because he is the founder of all Nath teachings.
Sriguru Babaji is a legendary yogi, who it is believed, has maintained his physical body in a youthful condition for many hundreds of years, even to this day.
He is considered to be a manifestation of the Supreme Being and is revered by many across faiths, as a great Yogi who has taught Kriya Yoga as one of the paths to attain liberation.
He is also referred to as Mahaavtar Babaji by some. There is a strong link between the Tamil Siddhas, the Nath Pant, Kashmiri Shaivism and Sriguru Babaji, as explained by Sri M in his autobiography.
To all of us, he is Sriguru Babaji, and the mantra we use to invoke him is, ‘Sri Gurubhyo Namah.’ Anyone who chants that with attention and humility is immediately blessed by Sriguru Babaji.
Sri Maheshwarnath Babaji
Maheshwarnath Babaji was one of his earliest disciples of Sriguru Babaji. He had Kashmiri parents. When the great yogi Shyama Charan Lahiri first met Sriguru Babaji, He was the one who led him to Babaji’s seat inside the cave. Babaji’s lineage comes from the Gorakhnathi Nath panth belonging to the subdivision called Bairag, in which also come illustrious names like Bhartara Hari, the great king who became a yogi.
Remember, that one meditates and practices Kriya, not to meet Sriguru Babaji, but to attain the high level of consciousness that will lead you to understand and experience with certainty, what he stands for.
Sri M - Madhukarnath
Sri M – spiritual guide, social reformer, educationist, author and global speaker – was born Mumtaz Ali in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. At the age of nineteen, Sri M embarked on a journey to seek a true Master. Maheshwarnath Babaji – a senior disciple of Sriguru Babaji – took Sri M under his tutelage.
As instructed by his Guru, Sri M returned to the plains and established The Satsang Foundation more than twenty years ago. The Foundation actively conceptualizes, organises and executes activities and initiatives in the area of Education, Health, Skill Development, Environment and Service to Mankind.
To spread the message of Peace and Harmony, Sri M led the Walk of Hope in 2015-16 from Kanyakumari to Kashmir spanning 15 months and 7,500 kms across 11 states of India, touching more than 10 million lives.
Sri M’s autobiography, “Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master – A Yogi’s Autobiography” was published in 2011 and became an instant bestseller. A sequel, “The Journey Continues” was published in 2017. Sri M has also authored several texts on the Upanishads, on Meditation, and a novel “Shunya”. His book “On Meditation – Finding infinite bliss and power within,” was published by Penguin India. Two books were released in 2020 – “Homecoming and Other Short Stories”, a collection of short stories and a translation and commentary on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras – titled “Yoga also for the Godless”, published by Penguin Random House. His latest book with Lady Mohini Kent, “The Friend: Mind, Body and Soul, Well-Being” was published this year. His books have been translated into many Indian and foreign languages.
As a key-note speaker, Sri M has been invited to many institutions like the World Health Organization, United Nations Office in Switzerland, World Bank in the United States of America and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He has addressed corporates in India and overseas, including Google and Yahoo in the US, respected business and technical education institutes like the Indian Institute of Managements in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata and Mumbai, and Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, to name a few.
Sri M is also the Chancellor of Maulana Azad National Urdu University, a Central University and on the Faculty of Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
Among the many awards and honours he has received for his contribution to society, Sri M was conferred with the Padma Bhushan in January 2020, one of the highest civilian awards of India, for distinguished service of high order in spirituality.
Sri M’s Meeting with Sriguru Babaji
An excerpt from Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master – A Yogi’s Autobiography by Sri M
Maheshwarnath Babaji and I were walking in the forests surrounding the Neelkant hill.
A lovely scent filled the air.
From behind the tall teak trees, emerged a figure so beautiful, so transcendental, that my hair stood on end. I knew by instinct that it was Sriguru Babaji who had come to grant me darshan out of his love and compassion.
My beloved teacher fell prostrate at his blessed feet, and I followed suit.
I could not take my eyes off from the golden complexioned being standing before me, bare-bodied, except for a shining white loin cloth that barely reached the knees, and flowing brown hair that fell to his shoulders. He looked divine. The lovely scent that emanated from him entered my soul. He turned to me, and as I gazed into those compassion filled eyes, my mind went back to my past lives and my connection with him.
“Come here,” he said and put his arms around my shoulders. Then he touched my chin tenderly and said, “Madhu, my boy, you needed to go through this life to further your evolution. However, you’ll come back to me after doing your work. Mahesh is so kind. He is your special guide.” Tears streamed down my face and my whole being pulsated with bliss that I had never experienced before.
Then he turned to my teacher and said, “I am grateful that you have taken this young fellow under your wings. Mahesh, there is an important matter I would like to talk to you about. Meet me Thursday night in the subtle body.”
He raised his hands in blessing. We once again prostrated at his feet. When we raised our faces from the ground, he was already gone. Only the fragrant scent lingered. We walked back quietly to the cave. My heart was still full of Sriguru Babaji.
My connection with Sriguru Babaji, who was then playing the role of a great Nath yogi, went back to the time when I was a fiery warrior belonging to the lunar race (Yadu Vamsa) claiming descent from Sri Krishna, and engaged in setting up the desert kingdom of Jaisalmer. He was my Guru then, for the first time.