Charpatinath, also known through various legends as Siddha Charpaṭ-nāth, Karpaṭī-nāth, Pacarīpā and Charbaripa, the Nath Yogi Charpatinath is traditionally recognized as one amongst most distinguished Siddhas of the Nath Sampraday. It is uncertain if his name is derived from the Sanskrit word carpaṭa, which can be translated either as ‘the ‘ears lying flat to the head’ or the ‘open palm of the hand‘ or carpaṭī- ‘thin biscuit of flour’. In accordance with some lists, he is counted not only as being one from the Eighthly Four Great Siddhas, but also as one of the Nine Nathas. Siddha Spirituality of Swami Hardas Life System also accepts and believes the theory and principles of Nath Sampraday.

Incarnation of Charpatinath

Vishnu’s command – Seeing his daughter Parvati at Daksha’s house during the wedding ceremony, Brahma became very lustful and felt very ashamed when his semen fell, so he squeezed the semen with his feet. Sixty thousand Valkhilya sages were formed in half. The other half fell into the Bhagirathi River with dust and flowed to the island of Kush. It’s still there. Then Pippalayan Narayan should enter there and become famous as ‘Charpatinath’.

The birth story of Charpatinath

The story of the birth of Charpatinath is similar to others. The semen that fell into the river Bhagirathi along with dust flowed to the island of Kush. And stuck in the grass. Pippalayan Narayan entered it. After 9 months, the baby appeared. And then a man named Satyashrava found the child and at Narada’s request he took it home and named it ‘Charpati’.

Charpat became Charpatinath

Later, at the age of 12, Charpati ran away from home after a quarrel with his father. And at Badrikashram he met Dattatreya and Machhindranath. And at the behest of Lord Shiva, Dattatreya decided to give theology to Charpati. He put his hand on Charpati’s head and at that moment all the world seemed full of consciousness to him. And from then on Charpat became Charpatinath and was included in the Nath sect.

The book that contains these stories is Navnath Bhaktisar / Kathasar. Many other stories of these Nine Nathas are also told in detail in this book. This book is the biography of these Navnath. If the reader wants to know more about these Nine Nathas and the yogic powers they possess, or if they are interested in reading their other wonderful miraculous stories, then they should read this book.

Interesting stories of Charpatinath

Story – 1: Lord Brahma and Charpatinath

Vyanastra Mantra

Charpatinath did all the pilgrimages on earth and went to Badrikashram. He chanted the Vyanastra Mantra with the wish to go to Heaven. First, he went to Satyalok* and met Lord Brahma whose son he was. With love, he asked Charpatinath to stay over with the sage Narada.

One day when Narada had been to Lord Indra, he said mockingly, “Come, you stirrer! Narada, Come! What is going to be your next instigative plot?” Narada was fuming inside but smiled superficially and said, “Only when I instigate you, will I feel like being the real stirrer, Narada.”

Siddhi to move in the Trikhand

Narada gave Charpatinath the Siddhi to move in the Trikhand. They left to see Nandanvan where they ate the best fruits to their heart’s content. They also got a lot of fresh flowers from there and bestowed them upon Lord Brahma. He became very happy to see their love but he didn’t know that those flowers were brought from Nandanvan.

Vatakarshan Mantra

Every day Narada and Charpatinath started going to Nandanvan to eat fruits. When the guards of the jungle noticed it they came running. Narada escaped and Charpatinath bothered the guards with the Vatakarshan Mantra. A few other guards saw that and complained to Lord Indra, “A sage has forcefully entered Nandanvan and has almost killed many guards.” Lord Indra sent an army of thousand guards on him. Seeing them raging Charpatinath chanted the Vatakarshan mantra and made them unconscious. Hearing the entire scene, Lord Indra himself went to Kailasa on his Airavat. He told everything that had happened to Lord Shiva and asked for his support. Lord Shiva told his messenger, “Ask Lord Vishnu to come prepared for a battle. This enemy seems extremely valiant.” As soon as Lord Vishnu got the message he headed towards Nandanvan with his group of crore soldiers.

Mohiniastra

Charpatinath saw the two armies; LORD Shiva’s army and Vishnu’s army coming from two sides of Nandanvan. So first he used the Mohiniastra on the Sudarshan Chakra and made it sluggish and immediately used the Vatakarshan Mantra collectively to make lORD Vishnu’s army completely exhausted. Charpatinath took Lord Vishnu’s necklace, his Gada, and his Chakra and gave it respectfully to Lord Brahma. He had also made Lord Shiva exhausted and motionless using the Vatakarshan mantra.

Lord Vishnu’s weapons and ornaments

Lord Brahma asked, “From where did you get all this?” Charpatinath replied with attitude, “When I had been to Nandanvan to get flowers for you, there came the guards of the jungle and of Gods. Also, Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva came along with their guards but I made all of them unconscious with help of the power of mantras. I have got these weapons of Lord Vishnu for you.”

Sanjeevani Mantra

“What have you done? If Lord Vishnu and Lord Shiva do not do their work the whole world will pause. And if you spell a mantra on me the Universe will come to a standstill. Come to Nandanvan with me right now!” saying this the Creator took Charpatinath to Nandanvan and asked him to resume the consciousness of Lord Indra, Lord Shiva, Lord Vishnu, and all the guards. When he did so using the Sanjeevani Mantra, Lord Brahma apologized to them for Charpatinath’s wrongdoing and made him apologize to them by touching their feet. 

Result of mocking Narada

At the same time, Narada arrived and asked Lord Indra, “Oh, King of Gods! What happened to you? Hope you didn’t come across any other Narada, a stirrer!” Lord Indra understood that this was the result of mocking Narada and so he apologized to him.

Later for a year along with Narada, Charpatinath stayed near Lord Brahma. He then went to Hades and accepted the welcome from King Bali. Thus, he saw all places in Heaven, on Earth, and in Hades.

Story – 2: Charpatinath and Narad

Lord Brahma

Like all other Nath’s even Pippalayan Rishi incarnated in an extraordinary manner. The illumination of Lord Brahma had fallen on earth in which Rishi Pippalayan entered and took the form of a baby. He lay there crying on the grass. A Brahmin named Satyashrava came there to pick Darbha. He saw the baby and flowers start showering on him from the sky.

The Brahmin found all that very spooky. Narada, the Vedic sage, came there in a sadhu’s attire and told him, “Take this child home! Name this child Charpati.” He instructed! The Brahmin took him home when he came to know that the child is an incarnated Rishi. The child grew up studying at the house of the Brahmin till he turned twelve years old. Narada saw that and went to Badrikashram to ask Lord Dattatrey, “It’s been twelve years after Rishi Pippalayan took birth as Charpati. When are you going to give him Brahmavidya and complete Siddhi?” Lord Datta replied, “No Brahmavidya without contrition. There is still time for all of that.”

Narada to the Brahmin’s house

Narada was very concerned about Charpati! He took the form of a poor child and went to the Brahmin’s house. He pleaded, “Can I stay at your place for studies? I will do all the household work.” The Brahmin agreed to take him home. Narada had changed his name to Kulamba and had taken the form of a boy of the same age as Charpati. The Brahmin thought to himself, “The boy is good to do all the work and will also learn to solicit alms with Charpati.” And soon all that he had thought came into reality. Narada was continuously in search of an idea due to which Charpati will get angry with his family and will leave the house. And in a few days, it happened.

Charpati got into an argument

One day the Brahmin Satyashrava was called for at a gentleman’s place for some religious ceremony. And since he didn’t have the time he sent Charpati. The man gave him lesser Dakshina than usual. Charpati got into an argument with him but the man was not ready to listen. Seeing them argue Kulamba came home and told Satyashrava. By then even he had got free from his work.

“Come, let me see!” he said and took Kulamba along to that man’s house. Charpati was still arguing. His father slapped him, gave him a piece of his mind, and sent him home. “Please don’t pay any attention to what my son said. By that time Kulamba had left from there. Now there were clashes between the son and his father proving an opportunity for Narada.

Charpati went to a temple

Instead of coming home, Charpati went to a temple on the outskirts of the village and sat there crying. Kulamba went to the Goddess temple and said things which would infuriate him, “We will not go home now! We are basically righteous and anyone can teach us the Vidya” saying this he managed to persuade Charpati and they both left the village and went on a pilgrimage.

Charpati, open your eyes

Sometime later they went to the Kedarnath temple and sat there in meditation. While doing so Narada thought to himself, “This is the right time to show Charpati my original self.” He was sitting as Kulamba when he invited Macchindranath with his Yoga power and said, “Charpati, open your eyes and see!” When Charpati opened his eyes he saw the huge and glorious Macchindranath.

Also standing next to him was Narada having the Veena in his hand. He recognized Narada as he had read of him in books. Narada said, “I had taken the form of Kulamba and he is Macchindranath” and Lord Datta gave Charpati his Divine vision and compassionately gave him Diksha. Lord Shiva also emerged in front of him. He asked Lord Dattatrey, “Give him all the Vidyas and make him an accomplished sage.” Lord Datta did accordingly and instructed Charpati to go on a pilgrimage.

What do legends say about Charpatinath?

Enlightened Siddha Yogi

There exist numerous legends about him, although many of them more resembling the fairy tales, than the reliable historical testimonies. Out of some accounts mentioning him and from the analysis of his works, it appears clearly, that as the historical personality, he was the realized Yogi of the Nath Panth, who has attained the State of the enlightened Siddha Yogi. His guru was either Gorakshanath or Macchindranath, the different sources disagree at this point, but the tendency is to show him as the direct disciple of the Guru Gorakshanath, rather than his Guru Bhai (while Tara Nath mentioned him as the guru of Macchindranath and Mina Nath, which can’t be true). 

Sidh Gosṭi – The part of Shri Guru Granth Sahab

Charpatinath himself revered the Guru Gorakshanath as his guru: ‘śrīgorakṣaṁ natvā devaṁ’. He also mentioned along with some other Great Siddhas in Sidh Gosṭi, the book forming the part of Shri Guru Granth Sahab, as having the conversation with the Sikh Guru Nanak Dev. However, even in the sight of this obvious high status of the Siddha Charpatinath amongst the Natha Yogis, amongst the Twelve Sub sects of the Nath Sampraday, there is not exist any pant in his name. 

Charpatinath acquired immortality

In accordance with some legends and other written sources, he has acquired immortality by the means of Rasayana (the Indian name for Alchemy) and was able to transform the different materials into others. For example, the work Rasaratnakara attributed to the authorship of the Siddha Nityanath has mentioned Charpatinath amongst the other famous Indian alchemists.

In accordance with the account of the Lama Tara Nath, Nagarjuna has learned Rasayana from Vyalipa, who in his turn was the disciple of Charpatinath. Also in verse 151 of the same work, Charpatinath addresses Luipa as his disciple:

Carpaṭ kahai sunau re Loī. The Lama Tara Nath also has mentioned the Siddha Kakkuti or Kakkuṭipa (who is probably lived at the same time as Luipa) as the disciple of Charpatinath.

Bengali book called ‘Mīna-cetan’

In accordance with the legend found in the Bengali book called ‘Mīna-cetan,’ (Mīna-cetan or the Awakening of Mina’, composed by Shyama-das, and other ‘Gorakh Vijaya‘ or the ‘Victory of Gorakṣa’, composed by Faijulla), Devī Parvati being pleased by Gorakshanath, blessed him, by granting him the bonus of obtaining the most beautiful woman ever existed. To fulfill her bonus, Lord Śhiva by his yogic power, created a young woman, who determinedly has accepted Gorakshanath as her husband since the moment she came into existence.

After coming into her house, Gorakshanath turned himself into the six-month-old child and started annoyingly crying demanding milk from her breast. After a short time, when the girl has become greatly absent by this situation, Gorakshanath told her that it is impossible for him to be affected by the sensual desire, but if she would wash his kaupīn or karpaṭī (loincloth) and drink water remain after it, she would get a child. She did in accordance with his advice, washed his karpaṭī, and drank water left after it. 

The guru of the Raja of Chamba

In the ‘Ananta Vakya‘ attributed to Charpatinath, he is called a ‘Raja‘, that is, a prince of royal heritage. In the ‘Maha Santa Vakya,’ Mayanamati calls him her brother. (from the article Some Aspects of the History and Doctrines of the Nathas by Gopinath Kaviraj published in the Princess of Wales Sarasvati Bhavan Series, Vol VI, 1927). 

The ancient mountain kingdom of Chamba

His name has a strong connection with the ancient mountain kingdom of Chamba, where he was kept in high esteem as the Raj Guru or the spiritual preceptor of the king. The different legends and the historic records mention him as the guru of the Raja of Chamba Sāhilladeva or Sahila Varma. Besides the obvious conclusion that the Siddha Charpatinath was contemporary with the Guru Gorakshanath, who was his guru, the time period of Sahiladeva’s rule is another reliable testimony about the time of his life. 

Charpatinath’s Literature

Charpat Shataka

Reference:

• https://spiritualcave.com/stories-of-navnath-9-yogis/
• https://sites.google.com/site/nathasiddhas/charpat-nath
• https://navnath.net/Chapter_eng_38.html
• https://navnath.net/Chapter_eng_39.html