Nath

Nath is an Indian Garhwali Brahmin clan, with the same surname, found in Uttarakhand Tehri Garhwal village Dhung Mandar in northern India. The original village of the Nath clan is "Dhung Mandaar" situated near Ghansaali Garhwal, the ancient capital of Garhwal. The Kuldevta (Clan deity) of Nath " Khetrpaal Devta. The main temple of the Goddess is situated in Dhung Mandar, which is visible. Many Nath migrated from Rajasthan And different parts of Garhwal and even to Kumaon. Today, there are many more villages inhabited by Nath clan. Nath are Garhwali Brahmins of Bharadwaj gotra and are classified as Brahmins in Uttarakhand.

The Sanskrit word नाथ literally means "lord, protector, refuge". The related Sanskrit term Adi Natha means first or original Lord, and is therefore a synonym for Shiva, the founder of the Nāthas. Initiation into the Nātha sampradaya includes receiving a name ending in -nath.

The Nath tradition has many sub-sects, but all honor Matsyendranath and Gorakshanath as the founders of the tradition.

The Natha Sampradaya (Devanagari:नाथ संप्रदाय), is a development of the earlier Siddha or Avadhuta Sampradaya, an ancient lineage of spiritual masters.

Its founding is traditionally ascribed as an ideal reflected by the life and spiritual attainments of the guru Dattatreya, the avatar of Brahma, Vishnu & Shiva all in one and born as the son of Rishi Atri and Anusuya Mata.

The Navnath are the nine saints, Masters or Naths on whom the Navnath Sampradaya, the lineage of the nine gurus is based. They are worshipped collectively as well as individually.

The nine teachers, collectively known as Navnaths, are considered representative of great teachers in this tradition or parampara:

The lineage starts with Rishi Dattatreya, mythological deity-founder.

The establishment of the Naths as a distinct historical sect purportedly began around the 8th or 9th century with a simple fisherman, Matsyendranath (sometimes called Minanath, who may be identified with or called the father of Matsyendranath in some sources).

One story of the origin of the Nath teachings is that Matsyendranath was swallowed by a fish and while inside the fish overheard the teachings given by Shiva to his wife Parvati. According to legend, the reason behind Shiva imparting a teaching at the bottom of the ocean was in order to avoid being overheard by others. In the form of a fish, Matsyendranath exerted his hearing in the manner required to overhear and absorb the teachings of Shiva. After being rescued from the fish by another fisherman, Matsyendranath took initiation as a sannyasin from Siddha Carpati. It was Matsyendranath who became known as the founder of the specific stream of yogis known as the Nath Sampradaya.

...
Wikipedia