19
The Philosophical Doctrines of the sect and Successive
steps of their Sadhana
The Natha Yogis who call themselves Siva-gotra1 i.e., originating from Siva, worship Siva in his inactive form - yet Shakti is powerless without Siva. This philosophy is based on the Advaitavad (monotheism ) of the early Saiva School, but the conception of 'Natha' was beyond the Dvaita Advaita (dual and non-dual state ) and also beyond Sakar and Nirakar i. e., the form and the formless. These conceptions of 'Natha ' and Shiva-Shakti are well depicted in the orks of Nathism, in Sanskrit as well as in Bengali. Siva is pure consciousness and perfect rest while Shakti is the aspect of change and evolution.
Beyond the sphere of virtue and vice, of pleasure and pain, is Siva, representing Eternity in the midst of all changes. Sir John Woodroffe has justly described it as "the changeless principle of all our changing experience."
The Natha Yogi strives to attain the state where pleasure or pain, virtue or vice, friend or foe does not affect him. To him fragrant sandal paste is of the same value as mud. This state is described as the Avadhuta state, i. e., the liberated state or when one has got rid of all the changes.
सर्वान् प्रकृतिविकारानवधुनोतीत्यावधूतः
Goraksa Siddhanta Sangraha. p. 1.
As the yogis state that the human body is the epitome of the universe, the life process is also divided into the two aspects of the Siva and Shakti. It is Shakti which leads to change and decay through Bhog (enjoyment), which is in the region below the naval. The region of Siva is above the naval, and is the domain of rest or Tyag (renunciation).
( १ ) शिवस्याभ्यन्तरे शक्तिः शक्तेरभ्यन्तेर शिवः
Siddha Siddhanta Sangraha P. 26
Saraswati Bhavan Texts, Banaras.
भ्रमरं भामते शक्तिः संकेचं भामते शिव
Vide Saraswati Bhavana Texts, Banaras.
No 13. Sidha Siddhanta Samgraha p. 36
No 18. Goraksa Siddhanta Sangraha
The same idea is contained in the Bengali book Goraksa Vijaya p.3 re: Adya and Anadya.
