Who Is Shiv Goraksha Babaji? The Deathless Founder of the Nath Tradition
Shiv Goraksha Babaji — also known as Baba Gorakhnath — is one of the most important figures in the history of yoga. As the founder of the Nath Sampradaya, the lineage from which modern Kriya Yoga descends, Gorakhnath is…
The Historical Gorakhnath
Gorakhnath lived approximately in the 9th–12th century CE, though accounts of his life vary widely. He is said to have been the foremost disciple of Matsyendranath, the first of the Nath siddhas. Through intense practice, Gorakhnath attained complete mastery over the body and mind, achieving the state of a jivanmukta — one who is liberated while still living in a body.
His Contributions to Yoga
The Lineage Connection
The Nath Sampradaya, founded by Gorakhnath, is the primary lineage through which Kriya Yoga has been transmitted to the modern world. From Gorakhnath, the teachings passed through generations of siddhas, eventually reaching Mahavatar Babaji, who in turn transmitted them to Lahiri Mahasaya, initiating the modern revival of Kriya Yoga.
The Siddha Tradition
The Naths were not monks in the conventional sense. They were siddhas — perfected beings who had attained mastery over body, mind, and nature. They wandered freely, taught openly, and demonstrated their attainment through miraculous acts that were merely side effects of their spiritual realisation.
A Living Presence
Like Mahavatar Babaji, Gorakhnath is said to be immortal — not in the physical body, but as a presence available to sincere practitioners. Many seekers in the Nath tradition report his guidance in dreams, meditation, and moments of crisis.
The Foundation of Kriya
Every Kriya practitioner owes a debt of gratitude to Gorakhnath. Without his systematic codification of the yogic sciences, the practices that transform our lives might have been lost to time. His legacy lives in every round of Kriya, every moment of inner silence, every step toward Self-realisation.
