Chaurasi-siddhas

Chaurasi-siddhas

("сaurāsī" translates as 84)

In the Natha Sampradaya, Nava-nathas (9 Nathas) and Chaurasi Siddhas (84 saints), which are also found in the Vajrayana, are especially famous and revered. They are the patrons of spiritual practice, kaya-sadhana, and are mentioned in the "Goraksha Upanishad". It is believed that there are 84 lakh living beings, each lakh ruled by one of the Naths. But each tradition has its own lists of these siddhas; they have changed over time, even within the same tradition. There are many different lists of Chaurasi Siddhas in different texts. In the Natha Sampradaya, the main list of Chaurasi Siddhas is given here.

Some of the Chaurasi Siddhas were also famous deities or rishis in Hinduism, such as Markandeya (Markandeyanath), Bhagiratha (Ganganath), Vishnu (Santoshnath), Ganapati (Gajakantharnath), Hanuman (Birabanknath), Skanda (Balaknath), Chandra (Chauranginath) and etc. Nathas believe that within all beings there is a nature of siddha, it is realized through sadhana. According to legend, Gorakshanath transmitted the mantra and instructions to the Nava-naths and Chaurasi-siddhas near the city of Triambakeshvar, on Mount Anupan Shila:

To the Supreme Being – Adesh! Adesh Guruji! Om Guruji! Sitting on Mount Anupan Shila near the Ganga Godavari, Gorakhnath said: "Here is a group of Siddhas who are on the path of fearlessness, from whom come countless lineages (branches): …"

Chaurasi Siddha Gayatri

The Naths have various upasanas associated with the veneration of Chaurasi Siddhas. Some of them are special prayer texts (doha, gayatri, stavanas, etc.), compiled in sandha-bhasha, which contain the extract of centuries-old experience of yogis. Reading such texts and meditating on their meaning is an act of veneration of the great Masters of the tradition and contributes to the regulation of practice at the energetic level, by activating the energy of the spiritual experience of the Siddhas.