Yogi heroes and poets : histories and legends of the Naths / edited by David N. Lorenzen and Adrián Muñoz.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Lorenzen, David N.

Muñoz, Adrián.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Nātha sect.

Yoga.

Physical Description:

xviii, 228 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Other Title:

Histories and legends of the Naths

Place of Publication:

Albany : State University of New York Press, [2011]

Summary:

This book provides a remarkable range of information on the history, religion, and folklore of the Nath Yogis. A Hindu lineage prominent in North India since the eleventh century, Naths are well-known as adepts of Hatha yoga and alchemical practices said to increase longevity. Long a heterogeneous group, some Naths are ascetics and some are householders; some are dedicated to personified forms of Shiva, others to a formless god, still others to Vishnu.

The essays in the first part of the book deal with the history and historiography of the Naths, their literature, and their relationships with other religious movements in India. Essays in the second part discuss the legends and folklore of the Naths and provide an exploration of their religious ideas. Contributors to the volume depict a variety of local areas where this lineage is prominent and highlight how the Naths have been a link between religious, metaphysical, and even medical traditions in India. Book jacket.

Contents:

Part I Yogis in History

1 The Naths in Hindi Literature / Purushottam Agrawal Agrawal, Purushottam 3

2 Religious Identity in Gorakhnath and Kabir: Hindus, Muslims, Yogis, and Sants / David N. Lorenzen Lorenzen, David N. 19

3 Different Drums in Gwalior: Maharashtrian Nath Heritages in a North Indian City / Daniel Gold Gold, Daniel 51

4 The Influence of the Naths on Bhima Bhoi and Mahima Dharma / Ishita Banerjee-Dube Banerjee-Dube, Ishita 63

Part II Theology and Folklore

5 On the Magnitude of the Yogic Body / David Gordon White White, David Gordon 79

6 Awakening Generosity in Nath Tales from Rajasthan / Ann Grodzins Gold Gold, Ann Grodzins 91

7 Matsyendra's "Golden Legend": Yogi Tales and Nath Ideology / Adrian Munoz Munoz, Adrian 109

8 What Should Minanath Do to Save His Life? / Lubomir Ondracka Ondracka, Lubomir 129

9 The Matsyendrasamhita: A Yogini-centered Thirteenth-century Text from the South Indian Sambhava Cult / Csaba Kiss Kiss, Csaba 143.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781438438917

1438438915

OCLC:

701493762