An exploration of the history, religion, and folklore of the Nāths, a Hindu lineage known for Hatha yoga practice. This book provides a remarkable range of information on the history, religion, and folklore of the Nāth Yogis. A Hindu lineage prominent in North India since the eleventh century, Nāths are well-known as adepts of Hatha yoga and alchemical practices said to increase longevity. Long a heterogeneous group, some Nāths 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 Nāths, their literature, and their relationships with other religious movements in India. Essays in the second part discuss the legends and folklore of the Nāths 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 Nāths have been a link between religious, metaphysical, and even medical traditions in India.

David N. Lorenzen is Professor of Asian and African Studies at the College of Mexico. He is the author or editor of several books, including Praises to a Formless God: Nirguni Texts from North India, and Who Invented Hinduism: Essays on Religion in History. Adrián Muñoz is Associate Professor of Comparative Religion at the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

“There is no book on the market now that can compete directly with this volume. It brings out new data for a fresh understanding of the religious landscape of medieval India.” — Pashaura Singh, author of Life and Work of Guru Arjan.

“Yogi Heroes and Poets expands our knowledge of historical, textual, and ethnographic issues related to the Nāth Yogis. These essays provide a strong sense of the context that helped them emerge, as well as their later evolution.” — Gurinder Singh Mann, author of The Making of Sikh Scripture.