Matsyendra-nātha — guru of Gorakhnāth, founder of Kaula-yoga
Matsyendra-nātha (9th–10th c. CE), also known as Mīna-nātha ("fish-lord"), was the guru of Gorakhnāth and founder of the Kaula stream of tantric yoga. Legend: he learned the tantric teachings by eavesdropping on Shiva teaching Parvati while hidden inside a fish. The Kadri Manjunātha temple at Mangalore is one of the principal Matsyendra sites in South India — still ruled by a succession of Nātha gurus who receive the title "rāja" from local communities. The bronze icons here include a rare 10th c. Matsyendra and his disciples.
Oṁ Manju-nāthāya Namaḥ
Every tradition in India — textual, oral, tribal, regional, syncretic — deserves first-person recognition. This entry honours Hindu on its own terms.
