According to the Nath tradition, *Jnananath*—a form of Lord Vishnu—entrusted *Satyamalnath* with the responsibility of continuing the Nath lineage in this present age. Through the unbroken Guru–disciple tradition, great yogis such as Satyamalnath, Guptanath, Paramhansaji, Brahmanand, Paramanand, Kashinath, Vitthalnath, Vishwanath and, later, Vyankatanath carried forward the sacred work of the Nath Sampradaya until the Mahashivaratri of 1993. A remarkable feature of this lineage is that Satyamalnath, Guptanath, Paramhansaji, Brahmanand, Paramanand, Kashinath, Vitthalnath and Vishwanath—all performed their spiritual work from Chitrakoot.
When one thinks of Chitrakoot, one remembers *Treta Yuga*, when Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshman and Hanuman lived here during their exile. More than 1.328 million years are said to have passed since then. Many generations rose and fell, eras changed and worlds transformed, yet the names of Rama and Krishna have remained eternally alive. Even after such a vast span of time, their presence continues to inspire the hearts of millions. In this sacred land, yogis of the Nath tradition once heard the Vedic hymns of the rising Sun resonating through the morning stillness. The purity of the atmosphere, the serenity of dawn and the chanting of *Surya Sukta* created a divine spiritual environment. The Sun has always been the main deity (Ārādhya Devata) of the Nath Panth, from the era of Machhindranath onward. The same Sun that shone in Satya, Treta and Dvapara Yugas shines upon us in Kali Yuga; it is only the environment and human tendencies that have changed with time.
The future roadmap of the Nath Panth was prepared by Lord Vishnu in the form of Jnananath. After him, the tradition continued through Satyamalnath, Guptanath, Paramhansaji, Brahmanand, Paramanand, Kashinath, Vitthalnath and Vishwanath—each faithfully obeying the command of their Guru. Chitrakoot is home to the samadhi of Guptanath, the seventh Nath from Machhindranath. Although Guptanath was a woman, she concealed her true form and carried out her spiritual mission from this very land. The Gurus who followed—Paramhansaji, Brahmanand, Paramanand, Kashinath, Vitthalnath and Vishwanath—also carried forward the spiritual work from the same sacred seat.
A unique feature of the Nath Panth is the direct involvement of divine forces. Just as Shiva and Vishnu incarnated as Nivruttinath and Jnananath in earlier times, Lord Balaji (Vishnu) personally appeared before Vitthalnath during his 36 years of austerities in the Balaji forests. Balaji instructed him: *“Go to Chitrakoot. From there you shall continue the work of the Nath Panth. I will manifest there.”* Obeying this divine command, Vitthalnath came to the site of Guptanath’s samadhi and continued the spiritual mission from that sacred seat. He expanded the area, built temples and strengthened the Nath presence in Chitrakoot.
Another aspect unique to the Nath tradition is that the Guru determines the course of events through spiritual will and mastery over the five elements, yet everything unfolds in harmony with time (Kāl) and the divine plan. When Mathurabai—the mother of the future Madhavanath—visited Vitthalnath, he joyfully declared: *“From her womb my own spiritual essence will take birth.”* This was not biological lineage but the transmission of *inner spiritual power*. Vitthalnath already knew who would carry the lineage forward. However, following the discipline of the Panth and recognising that Madhavanath was still too young, he appointed Vishwanath as his successor. Vitthalnath attained samadhi in Shaka 1786, giving Vishwanath the responsibility of leading the Panth. Vishwanath had been married before taking the gaddi; his wife was Thakubai. Even as a householder, he practiced Nath discipline. After ascending the seat, he carried out the Panth’s mission but for only five years—after which he too chose samadhi. For nearly one full year after Vishwanath, the seat remained physically unoccupied, though the spiritual work continued uninterrupted. This was part of the pre-determined divine plan within the Nath Panth. How this plan unfolded is described in the succeeding chapter.