Yogi Heroes and Poets

An exploration of the history, religion, and folklore of the N ths, a Hindu lineage known for Hatha yoga practice.

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

“This book has three merits: it fosters the interest in N ths, it provides a summative evaluation of previous studies and it presents on-going research … The many approaches … used in this book may give the impression of an intimidating and somehow discordant pluralism of interpretations. This reviewer, however, found such richness fitting the multifaceted essence of N thism itself.” — Fabrizio M. Ferrari, Religions of South Asia

“Several of the contributions cast new and important light on specific aspects of the N ths and will be of great interest to scholars and students of a variety of Indian religious traditions.” — Religious Studies Review

“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 N th 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