Shiva, the Adiyogi or the first yogi and his 18 disciples

Shiva - the Adiyogi or the first yogi, and also the Adi Guru, the first Guru, who is the basis of what we know as the yogic science today.

So “Shiva” refers to both “that which is not,” and Adiyogi, because in many ways, they are synonymous. This being, who is a yogi, and that non-being, which is the basis of the existence, are the same, because to call someone a yogi means he has experienced the existence as himself. If you have to contain the existence within you even for a moment as an experience, you have to be that nothingness. Only nothingness can hold everything. Something can never hold everything. A vessel cannot hold an ocean. This planet can hold an ocean, but it cannot hold the solar system. The solar system can hold these few planets and the sun, but it cannot hold the rest of the galaxy. If you go progressively like this, ultimately you will see it is only nothingness that can hold everything. The word “yoga” means “union.” A yogi is one who has experienced the union. That means, at least for one moment, he has been absolute nothingness.

When we talk about Shiva as “that which is not,” and Shiva as a yogi, in a way they are synonymous, yet they are two different aspects. Because India is a dialectical culture, we shift from this to that and that to this effortlessly. One moment we talk about Shiva as the ultimate, the next moment we talk about Shiva as the man who gave us this whole process of yoga.

1.AGASTIYAR

Name of Siddha : Agastiyar.
Place of Samathi : Anandasayana.
Duration of Life : 4 – Yugas, 48 Days.
Guru : Shiva.
Disciples : Bhogar, Babaji, Thiruvalluvar, Machamuni.
Contributions : Medicine, Kayakalpa, Tamil Grammar, Yoga.

Agastiyar is one of the 18 yoga siddhas who have initiated many siddhas including our kriya guru Babaji. He was initiated directly by Lord Shiva himself and his works include medicine, kaya kalpa, Tamil grammar and yoga. Some of his disciples are Boganathar, Babaji, Thiruvalluvar, Macchamuni. He has attained samadhi at Ananthasayana.

2. NANDI DEVAR

Name of Siddha : Nandi Devar.
Place of Samathi : Kasi (Benares).
Duration of Life : 700 Years, 32 Days.
Guru : Shiva.
Disciples : Thirumoolar, Pathanjali, Dakshinamoorthy, Romarishi, Sattaimuni.
Contributions : Medicine, Kayakalpa, Yoga, Alchemy, Natural Sciences, Philosophy.

Nandi Devar is one of the 18 yoga siddhas. He has been directly initiated by Lord Shiva himself and some of his contributions include medicine, kaya kalpa and Alchemy. Some of his eminent disciples are Thirumoolar, Patanjali, Dakshinamoorthy, Romarishi and Sattamuni.

3. THIRUMOOLAR

Name of Siddha : Thirumoolar.
Place of Samathi : Chidambaram.
Duration of Life : 3000 Years, 13 Days.
Guru : Nandi Devar.
Contributions : Yoga, Alchemy, Philosophy.

Thirumoolar is one of the 18 yoga siddhas. He has been initiated by Nandi Devar and his contributions include Yoga, Philosophy. His “Thirumandiram” work is very popular among his works. He has attained samadhi in Chidambaram.

4. BHOGAR

Name of Siddha : Bhogar.
Place of Samathi : Palani.
Duration of Life : 300 Years, 18 Days.
Guru : Agastiyar, Kalanginathar.
Disciples : Bodhidharma, Konkanavar, Karuvoorar and Idai Kadar.
Contributions : Yoga, Kaya kalpa, Medicine, Alchemy, Natural Sciences, Philosophy, Bhogar 7000.

Bognathar who is also known as the Palani Malai Siddhar is one among the 18 yoga siddhas. He was initiated by Kalanginathar and Agastyar. He is a great alchemist of all times. His contributions include yoga, kaya kalpa, medicine, alchemy, natural sciences, philosophy etc. He is the one who has created and installed the idol of Lord Muruga in Palani malai temple. Till now even after ages, the composition of the idol has been a mystery to all scientists around the world. His disciples include Babaji, Konkanavar, Karuvoorar and Idia Kadar.

5. KONKANAVAR

Name of Siddha : Konkanavar.
Place of Samathi : Tirupathi.
Duration of Life : 800 Years, 16 Days.
Guru : Bhogar.
Disciples : 557 – Disciples.
Contributions : 25 Known works in medicine, Yoga, Philosophy and religion.

Konkanavar is one of the 18 yoga siddhas initiated by Boganathar. His contributions include 25 known works in medicine, yoga, philosophy, religion etc. He has over 557 disciples. He has attained samadhi at Tirupati.

6. MACCHAMUNI

Name of Siddha : Macchamuni.
Place of Samathi : Tirupparankundram.
Duration of Life : 300 Years, 62 Days.
Guru : Agastiyar, Punnakeesar, Pasundar.
Disciples : Gorakkar.
Contributions : 10 Known works in Hatha Yoga, Tantric Yoga practices.

Macchamuni who is also known as Matysendranath is one of the 18 yoga siddhas. He has been initiated by Agastyar, Punnakeesar and Pasundar. Some of his contributions include 10 known works on Hatha yoga, Tantric yoga practices etc. Goraknath is one of his eminent disciples. He has attained samadhi at Thiruparrunkundram.

7. GORAKNATH

Name of Siddha : Goraknath (Gorakkar).
Place of Samathi : Poyur (Girnar).
Duration of Life : 880 Years, 32 Days.
Guru : Dattatreya (Vishnu), Macchamuni.
Disciples : Nagarjuna
Contributions : “Avadhuta Gita” and 13 works, order of ascetics, medicine, alchemy, Hatha Yoga, Pradipika classic.

Goraknath is one of the 18 yoga siddhas in the ‘nath’ tradition. He was initiated by Dattatreya (Vishnu), Macchamuni, Allama Prabu. Some of his contributions include “Avadhutta Gita” and 13 other works, order of ascetics, medicine, alchemy, Hatha yoga pradipika classic etc. He has attained samadhi at Poyur (Girnar).

8. SATTAIMUNI

Name of Siddha : Sattaimuni.
Place of Samathi : Srirangam.
Duration of Life : 880 Years, 14 Days.
Guru : Nandi, Dakshinamoorthy.
Disciples : Sundaranandar, Paambatti.
Contributions : 46 Known works, Medicine, alchemy.

Sattamuni is one of the 18 yoga siddhas initiated by Nandi Devar and Dakshinamoorthy. His contributions include 46 known works, medicine, alchemy and etc. His disciples include Sundaranandar, Paambatti. He has attained at Srirangam.

9. SUNDARANANDAR

Name of Siddha : Sundaranandar.
Place of Samathi : Madurai.
Duration of Life : 880 Years, 28 Days.
Guru : Sattaimuni, Konkanavar.
Contributions : 24 Known works, Medicine, Philosophy.

Sundaranandar is one of the 18 yoga siddhas. He was initiated by Sattamuni and Konkanavar. Some of his contributions include 24 known works: medicine, philosophy etc. He has attained samadhi at Kudal (Madurai).

10. RAMADEVAR (Yacop)

Name of Siddha : Ramadevar (yacop).
Place of Samathi : Alagar Malai.
Guru : Pulastiyar, Karuvoorar.
Disciples : Sattaimuni, Konkanavar.
Contributions : 24 Known works, Medicine, Mantra sastra.

Ramdevar is one of the 18 yogas siddhas. He was initiated by Pulastiyar and Karuvoorar. He is also known as the mandira siddhar. Some of his works include 24 known works: mantra shastra, medicine etc. He has attained samadhi at Alagar Malai.

11. KUDAMBAI SIDDHAR

Name of Siddha : Kudambai.
Place of Samathi : Mayavaram.
Guru : Alukkani Siddha (Disciple of Idaikadar).
Contributions : Siddha Philosophy.

Kudambai is one of the 18 yoga siddhas, initiated by Alukkani Siddha (disciple of Idai Kadar). Kudamabi siddhar’s contributions included siddha philosophy. His place of samadhi has been Mayavaram.

12. KARUVOORAR SIDDHAR

Name of Siddha : Karuvoorar.
Place of Samathi : Karuvai (Karur).
Duration of Life : 300 Years, 42 days.
Guru : Bhogar.
Disciples : Idaikadar.
Contributions : Construction of Tanjavur Temple, medicine.

Karuvoorar is one of the 18 yoga siddhas. He was one of the eminent disciples of Boganathar after being initiated by him. He is popular for his contribution in constructing the Tanjore temple and other medicinal works. Idai Kadar is one of his eminent disciples. He has attained samadhi at Karuvai (Karur).

13. IDAIKADAR

Name of Siddha : Idaikadar.
Place of Samathi : Thiruvannamalai.
Duration of Life : 600 Years, 18 days.
Guru : Bhogar, Karuvoorar.
Disciples : Kudambai, Alukkani.
Contributions : Two known works: Kaya Kalpa.

Idai Kadar is one of the 18 yoga siddhas. He was initiated by both Boganathar and Karuvoorar. His contributions include two known works: Kaya kalpa. He attained samadhi at Thiruvannamalai. Some of his disciples are Kudumbai and Alukkani.

14. KAMALAMUNI

Name of Siddha : Kamalamuni.
Place of Samathi : Aarur (Tiruvarum).
Duration of Life : 4000 Years, 48 days.
Contributions : Two known works: Medicine and Philosophy.

Kamalamuni is one of the 18 yoga siddhas. He attained samadhi at Aarur (Tiruvarum). His contributions include two known works on medicine and philosophy.

15. VALMIKI

Name of Siddha : Valmiki.
Place of Samathi : Ettikudi.
Duration of Life : 700 Years, 32 days.
Guru : Naradar.
Contributions : Recorded the epic work: The Ramayana.

Valmiki is one of the 18 yoga siddhas. He was initiated by the great sage Narada. He is very much known for recording the epic work ‘The Ramayana’. He has attained samadhi at Ettikudi.

16. PATHANJALI

Name of Siddha : Pathanjali.
Place of Samathi : Rameshwaram.
Duration of Life : 05 Yugas, 07 days.
Guru : Nandi.
Contributions : Ashtanga Yoga Sutra .

Pathanjali is one of the 18 yoga siddhas. He was initiated by Nandi Devar. He is known for his works on yoga sutras classic. He has attained samadhi at Rameswaram. He is also known as father of yoga .

17. DHANVANTHIRI

Name of Siddha : Dhanvanthri.
Place of Samathi : Vaideeshwaram.
Duration of Life : 800 Years, 32 days.
Contributions : Medicine, Alchemy, Kaya Kalpa, 22 known works.

Dhanvanthri is one of the 18 yoga siddhas. He is known for his contributions on medicine, alchemy, kaya kalpa, 22 known works. He has attained samadhi at Vaideeswaran Kovil.

18. PAAMBATTI SIDDHAR

Name of Siddha : Paambatti.
Place of Samathi : Harisankaran Koil.
Duration of Life : 123 Years, 32 days.
Guru : Sattimuni.
Contributions : Siddha Philosophy.

Paambatti is one of the 18 yoga siddhas. He was initiated by Sattamuni. His contributions include siddha philosophy. He has attained samadhi at Harsankaran kovil. He was originally a snake charmer before he met his guru Sattamuni. Later after being initiated by his guru, due to his intense sadhana he has become a siddha.