Satya-panth

Satya-panth

The first of the 12 panths, it comes fr om Shiva.

Ancient names: "pankh" (paṅkh; used to this day), "pankhi" (paṅkhi).

Alternative names: "satyanathas", "satnathas".

The main math is located in Bhubaneshvar, Odisha (Orissa).

According to legend, panth was founded by Satyanath, the great alchemist, Brahma’s incarnation. It is believed that the founder of Satyanath was a historical figure: a yogi contemporary of Goraksha.

Satyanathas have always been considered the most intelligent panth. Traditionally, only brahmins by birth became its members, and in the Sampradaya they performed the functions of professional priests. All important Nathas rituals are still performed by Satyanathas, they usually know mantras and rituals better than others.

"Pankh" is not only the ancient name of the panth, but also the name of two positions to which Satnathas were appointed. First pankh position carried news and correspondence between mathas, thanks to them the connection was kept. Second pankhas worked at general meetings: standing all the time, with a chari-wand in their hands, they read out important messages, and during arati and other ceremonies they loudly recited mantras.

G.V. Briggs in his book “Gorakhnath and Kanphata Yogis”, described the mahant of the Satnath monastery in Puri, whom he saw in 1924:

"The mahant's attire is a cape and headdress made of rags, which, as he says, are a distinctive feature of the panth. He carries a straw baton (sudarshan) covered with cloth. There are bracelets on his wrists and arms above the elbow, copper ones from Kedarnath, iron ones from Badrinath. His copper earrings are cylindrical in shape."

In the 14th – 18th centuries, the Satya-panth position was strong in the Garhval state (now Garhval region in Uttarakhand), wh ere the panth was patronized by the local ruling dynasty. Raja Ajaya Pal (XIV century) is mentioned in the Sanvari Granth among 84 mahasiddhas (the list is purely local).

Raja’s Guru was called Satyanath, and his samadhi and mandir are located in Devalgarh. The mandir has murtis of Kalabhairava, Bhuvaneshvari, and other goddesses, as well as yantra Raja-Rajeshvari –  Ajaya Pal’s kula-devata. In his time, Devalgarh – Nath center of Garhval – was its capital for 6 years.