Bhartrinath

Bhartrinath is one of the nine masters of the Navnath Sampradaya. Popular tradition identifies him with the legendary grammarian-king Bhartrihari, who in that legend renounced his throne after discovering his wife’s fickleness — a story told across medieval Indian literature.

Tradition/Life

The Nath accounts count Bhartrinath among Matsyendranath’s circle and tell of his detachment following the renunciation legend. The identification with the author of the Vakyapadiya? — a philosopher of language — belongs to folklore rather than to scholarly history; the tradition itself presents him as a yogi of the Nath order.

Teachings/Works

No works are attributed to him within the Nath lists. In the broader legend, the couplets on dispassion (the Sringara-shataka? and Vairagya-shataka attributed to Bhartrihari) are associated with his name.

Legacy

His image appears in Navnath sets; shrines associated with Bhartrihari (notably at Ujjain, and in legend at Prabhas) are visited by Nath devotees.

Verification notes

• The Navnath material is hagiographic; the Bhartrihari identification is legendary.
• Audited against Wikipedia (September 2026).