Gorakhnath and the Kanphata Yogis c8.68

c8.68

(4) Aghorī (Ghorī). It is possible that there are some Aghorīs among the Yogīs. There are none at Ṭilla, but the Yogīs of that place said that sometimes the recently-buried corpse of a child might be dug up and eaten by Yogīs of this group. It is acknowledged that an occasional Kānphaṭa belongs to this panth. It was reported repeatedly by Yogīs and at different places, that an occasional Āughar becomes an Aghorī.² (5) Nīmnāth and Pārasnāth. These two persons were sons of Matsyendranāth, begat, according to one tradition, in Ceylon. They were slain and afterwards restored to life by Gorakhnāth. Later, they were initiated by their father and then founded new sects. They are Jains.¹ However, there are groups under both names that are included in Yogī panths. The Nīmnāthīs who are distinct from the Pārasnāthīs, are also called Gaphāin (Gaphlāni) or Khiskāi. The Sartoras, Nīmnāthīs, always wear a cloth over the mouth and take the utmost precautions against the destruction of life. They are wanderers and receive food cooked by others. They use a cilam, not a huqqa. The Pārasnāth Pūj sub-division are celibates, but they live in houses. The interesting legend concerning these two persons is as follows. After Matsyendranāth left the queen in Ceylon taking with him his two sons, because Gorakhnāth had called him to his senses, they fell under the anger of the latter, and he put them to death and hung their skins on a tree. Later, for the sake of their father, he restored them to life. Some time afterwards, the boys were sent to a village to beg. They were ordered by a man to drag