Once the four siblings — Nivrutti, Dnyaneshwar, Sopan and Muktabai — travelled to Trimbakeshwar for pilgrimage. While walking across the Brahmagiri mountains, they suddenly saw a wild tiger charging toward them with loud roars. Terrified, the children scattered in different directions. Nivrutti ran until he became exhausted, and when he finally stopped, the tiger reached him. But instead of attacking, the tiger calmly sat before him and gently placed its jaw upon Nivrutti’s feet, bowing as if in reverence. Seeing this unusual behaviour, Nivrutti realised that the tiger had not come to harm him but to guide him.
A divine, melodious sound suddenly filled the air. Drawn toward it, the tiger walked ahead and Nivrutti followed. Eventually the tiger stopped at the entrance of a cave and again touched its jaw to Nivrutti’s feet, signalling that this was the source of the divine sound. As Nivrutti stepped inside, the tiger leapt into the valley below and vanished. A celestial voice echoed “Alakh Niranjan!” revealing that this was no ordinary tiger — it was Gorakhnath Himself in tiger form, fulfilling a divine plan.
The cave door closed automatically behind Nivrutti. Inside, dim light revealed a majestic yogi with matted hair seated on a stone throne, with lamps burning on either side and a resonant chant of “Om Shri Dattatreyaya Namah” filling the cave.
The yogi asked Nivrutti his name. Hearing it, his face brightened. He said, “My Guru, the great Gahininath, once told me: *‘A boy named Nivrutti will come to you. Give him all your knowledge and all the power of the Nath tradition. Do not leave this cave until he arrives.’* I have waited for many years. Now that you are here, I may take samadhi.”
This yogi was Gahininath, who had been performing deep tapas for generations, awaiting the arrival of Nivruttinath — the one destined to carry the Nath lineage into the household tradition of Kali Yuga.
For eight days Nivrutti stayed with Gahininath. During this time, Gahininath initiated him completely into the Nath Sampradaya, granting him:
Everything Gahininath had earned through countless ages of austerity was transferred to Nivruttinath, exactly as instructed by Guru Gorakhnath.
Having completed his mission, Gahininath rose into the air, floated out of the cave, and ascended toward the higher realms while chanting: “Alakh Niranjan! Jai Gorakhnath!” He then dissolved into divine light, ending his earthly incarnation.
Thus, the full authority, power, scriptures, disciplines, and divine protection of the Nath Sampradaya passed from the ancient, non-born (ayonija) yogic lineage of the Nine Nathas to Nivruttinath, who was an incarnation of Lord Shiva. This marked a historic transition in Nath history: from the immortal yogic masters of ancient ages to the household-born Nath Gurus of Kali Yuga, while the tradition itself remained unchanged in potency, sanctity, and divine guidance under Guru Dattatreya.