Matsyendranatha, Matsyendra-natha, Matsyendranath, Matsyendranātha: 6 definitions

Introduction
Image gallery
In Hinduism
1. Shaivism
2. Shaktism
India history
See also
Buy products

Introduction:

Matsyendranatha means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, the history of ancient India. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

Images (photo gallery)

In Hinduism

Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram (shaivism)

1) Matsyendranātha (मत्स्येन्द्रनाथ) is worshipped as the teacher of this Age along with three other teachers and their consorts who brought the Kaula Tantra into the world in the previous three Ages. These four Lords of the Ages (yuganātha) are highly revered in the Kālīkrama and came to be considered to be embodiments of the basic states of consciousness. According to the Mahānayaprakāśa by Arṇasiṃha, they are projected into the cycle of persistence (sthiticakra) as they generally are in the Kālīkrama.

Matsyendranātha has a variety of cognate names (Cf. Dyczkowski 1988: 163 n23).—Bagchi lists the following names found in the sources he edited: Macchagnapāda, Macchendrapāda, Matsyendrapāda, Mīnapāda, Mīnanātha, Macchendapāda, Matsyendra, and Macchindranāthapāda. He notes (1934: 6) that: ‘the forms Macchendra, Macchenda and Macchindra are all colloquial variants of the name Matsyendra’.

Consort of Matsyendra: According to the Kulakrīḍāvatāra-tantra and Ciñcinīmatasārasamuccaya: Kuṅkunāmbā; according to the Devīpañcaśatikā: Koṃkaṇāmbā.

Disciples of Matsyendra: According to the Kulakrīḍāvatāra-tantra and Ciñcinīmatasārasamuccaya: Twelve Princes

2) Matsyendranātha (मत्स्येन्द्रनाथ) or Macchanda is the name of a deity, according to the Tantrāloka verse 1.7.—Accordingly, “May he, the pervasive Lord Macchanda (the Fisherman) be pleased with me, he who has cast along the outer path the net (of Māyā) which, spreads and extends (in all directions) and red with attachment, strewn with knots and holes, is made of many parts”.

Source: DSpace at Pondicherry: Siddha Cult in Tamilnadu (shaivism)

Matsyendranātha (मत्स्येन्द्रनाथ) or Mīnanātha refers to the third representation of the nine navanātha reliefs in the Ulsūr Someśvara temple. Matsyendranātha is believed to have lived in 9^th- 10^thcenturies C.E. According to legends, he is the first incarnāte teacher of the Nātha-yogi movement and the reputed founder of the Haṭha-yoga system, along with his disciple Gorakṣanātha. He composed an important Tāntric work Kaulajnanirnaya, and also found one of the Kaula schools called Yogini-Kaula

According to Skanda Purāna, Matsyendranātha was born as Lokeśvarā on an inauspicious day, so his family threw him into the sea, where he was swallowed by a fish and overheard the secret, conversation about yoga between Śiva and Pārvati, on the shore of an island. Pārvati had fallen asleep but Lokeśvarā heard everything. In this version of the legend, Śiva is pleased and, as Lokeśvarā comes out of the fish, he gives him the name Matsyendranātha, “Lord of the Fishes”. Later versions of the legend say that Pārvati became angry with Lokeśvarā and banished him to Kadali, the Kingdom of Women, to forget the secrets of yoga.

Source: Nirvāṇa Sundarī: A Note on Kula and Kaula Tantra

Matsyendranātha (मत्स्येन्द्रनाथ) is the name of the Kula-tantra Guru in the kaliyuga.—Abhinavagupta describes four Gurus for Kula Tantra based on the Yuga. Khagendranātha in satyayuga, Kūrmanātha in tretāyuga, Meṣanātha in dvāparayuga and Matsyendranātha for kaliyuga. During the Gurumaṇḍala Krama, one worships Khagendranātha and Vijjāmbā in East, Kūrmanātha and Maṅgalāmbā in the South, Meṣanātha and Kāmamaṅgalāmbā in West and Matsyendranātha and Koṅkaṇāmbā in the North.

Matsyendranātha had six sons who were also his disciples and they propagated his teachings:

Amaranātha,
Varadeva,
Citranātha,
Alinātha,
Vindhyanātha
and Guṭikānātha.

Through these six sons authorized by Matsyendranātha, the Kula santati is known to have propagated. The word ‘kula’ or ‘clan’ thus originally refers to the clan of Matsyendranātha.

context information

Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.

Shaktism (Shakta philosophy)

Source: Google Books: Manthanabhairavatantram

1) Matsyendranātha (मत्स्येन्द्रनाथ) (or simply Matsyendra) is another name of Gauḍīśadeva: one of the Nine Nāthas according to the Kubjikānityāhnikatilaka: a derative text drawing from Tantras and other sources such as the Ṣaṭsāhasrasaṃhitā.—The Nine Nāthas propagated the Western Transmission noted in the Kubjikā Tantras. Although each Siddha has a consort with which he shares some part of his spiritual discipline, she is not considered to be his wife. Thus, from the perspective of his identity as an initiate, he is not a householder.—Viṣṇuśarmā is the name at birth (i.e., the original names of the Siddhas) of Gauḍīśadeva. His [other] famed names are: Vīrānanda, Indrānanda, Matsyendranātha. A Nātha may have more than one such ‘famed name’ (kīrtināma), according to the number of extraordinary events especially associated with him.

The Kubjikānityāhnikatilaka describes the extraordinary events that inspired his “famed names”: Viṣṇuśarmā was called Indrānandadeva because he graced Indra. He was called Matsyendranātha because he was dragged up in the Markaṭa river.

2) Matsyendranātha (मत्स्येन्द्रनाथ) (or Mīna) is the name of a deity, according to the second recension of the Yogakhaṇḍa of the Manthānabhairavatantra, a vast sprawling work that belongs to a corpus of Tantric texts concerned with the worship of the goddess Kubjikā.—Accordingly, as Śrīnātha (i.e., Bhairava) said to the Goddess: “[...] Once the scripture of (that) mountain (śilāgama) [i.e., the mountain (śilā) (of the Triangle)] , Kula and Kaula was worshipped there with devotion, the great goddess was worshipped and lauded by men and the rest. The one called Mīna (i.e. Matsyendranātha) was present there. He became fully accomplished (siddha) there in that House”.

context information

Shakta (शाक्त, śākta) or Shaktism (śāktism) represents a tradition of Hinduism where the Goddess (Devi) is revered and worshipped. Shakta literature includes a range of scriptures, including various Agamas and Tantras, although its roots may be traced back to the Vedas.

India history and geography

Source: Wisdom Library: Teachers, Saints and Sages

1) Matsyendranath (or Machindranath) refers to one of the “nine saints” (Navnath) according to the translator of Nisargadatta Maharaj's converstaions and Suamitra Mullarpattan.—These nine saints form the basis of the Navnath Sampradaya (the lineage of the nine Gurus). They are worshipped collectively as well as individually. [...] The nine teachers [e.g., Matsyendranath] are considered representative of great teachers in this tradition or Parampara tradition—a succession of Teachers (Gurus) and Disciples (Shishyasa) in Indian-origin religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism.

Matsyendranath is also mentioned as one of the “nine saints” (Navnath) by:—(1) Jogendra Nath Bhattacharya in his Hindu Castes and Sects and G. W. Briggs in his Gorakhnath and the Kanphata Yogis; (2) The Mahārṇava-tantra. (3) Matsyendranātha is supposed to be the incarnation of Kavinārāyaṇa—one of the “nine Nārāyaṇas” (Navanārāyaṇa); (4) The Sudhākaracandrikā (a work dealing with Nātha-sampradāya).

2) Matsyendra-natha is another name for Mina-natha—one of the Nava Nāthas in Gourana’s Nava Natha Charitra (Telugu).—Cf. Chandramouli, N., Tantric Symbols in the Art of Srisailam, paper presented in National Seminar on Tantrism, Osmania University, Hyderabad, 2002.

3) Matsyēndranātha (मत्स्येन्द्रनाथ) is another name for Maccēntiranātar—one of the Navanātha Siddhas mentioned by the Lexicon of Tamil Literature.—Cf. Kamil V. Zvelebil, Lexicon of Tamil Literature, E.J. Brill, Leiden, 1995, pp. 165-66.

Source: Google Books: Routledge Handbook of South Asian Religions

Matsyendranātha (मत्स्येन्द्रनाथ) refers to one of the Nine Nāthas which is part of a tradition called the Navanātha Sampradāya.—Cf. the list provided by Dasgupta (1995: 207): Matsyendra [Matsyendranātha], Gorakṣa, Gahinī, Jvālendra, Kāriṇapa (Kaṇerī?), Carpaṭa, Revaṇa, Bhartṛ, and Gopīcandra. Note that Revaṇa is also mentioned by the NSCar.

context information

The history of India traces the identification of countries, villages, towns and other regions of India, as well as mythology, zoology, royal dynasties, rulers, tribes, local festivities and traditions and regional languages. Ancient India enjoyed religious freedom and encourages the path of Dharma, a concept common to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism.

Relevant text

Search found 20 books and stories containing Matsyendranatha, Matsyendra-nath, Matsyendra-nāth, Matsyendra-nātha, Matsyendra-natha, Matsyendranath, Matsyendranāth, Matsyendranātha; (plurals include: Matsyendranathas, naths, nāths, nāthas, nathas, Matsyendranaths, Matsyendranāths, Matsyendranāthas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

22.7: The boy Gorakshanath comes out of dunghill < [Chapter 22 - Matsyendranath, Gorakhnath and Changdev]

22.4: Matsyendranath’s begging tours < [Chapter 22 - Matsyendranath, Gorakhnath and Changdev]

22.6: Matsyendra again at the Merchant’s door < [Chapter 22 - Matsyendranath, Gorakhnath and Changdev]

+ 4 more chapters / show preview

Chapter 263 - Origin of Matsyendranātha (Matsyendra-nātha) < [Section 1 - Tīrtha-māhātmya]

show preview

Part 30 - Bharatiya Sahityache Nirmate, Gorakshanath < [Chapter 2 - Literature Review]

show preview

Goraksanatha and Natha Sampradaya < [Chapter 2 - Spread and Transition]

Bibligraphy

show preview

55a. Date of the Hathayogapradipika of Svatmarama Muni < [Volume 1 (1945)]