“Naga” is very old; the word is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Nag’, which means ‘mountain’. People living on it are called ‘hill’ or ‘Naga’. ‘Naga’ means ‘naked’. There is also a very old history of Nagavans and Naga castes in India. Many Shaivite sects have been recognized as the beginning of many saints’ culture and tradition.
Since ancient times in India, people of Nagvanshi, S Naga caste, and Dasamani sects have come. A community of North India “Nath Sect” also belongs to the Dasamani sect. “Naga” is referred to as ‘Ek Bahadur Fighter’, as we know- the foundation of the present form of Sanatan Dharma is the divine Shankaracharya had kept.
Shankaracharya was born in the middle of the 8th century. At that time India was very prosperous, but it started to oppose religion. All the attackers were coming here to loot India’s wealth. Some took treasure back with them, and then some were fascinated by the divine aura of India that settled here.
But overall the general peace-order was disrupted. God, religion, theology had to face all kind of challenges, logic, weapon, and science. In this way, Adi Shankaracharya took many major steps for the restoration of Santan Dharma, one of which was to construct four peaks (four dhams) on four corners of the country.
Adiguru Adi Shankaracharya felt that it was not enough to counter these challenges only with spiritual power. For this, there is a need for religious people to fight with unrighteous people. Then he emphasized that by exercising the young monk, strengthening his body and acquiring skill in the weapon.
For this, he built some monasteries which used to exercise and practice various types of weaponry; such monasteries are used for the arena.
Shankaracharya suggested to the akharas- use the power on the need to protect monasteries, temples, and pilgrims. In this way, during this period of foreign and heterosexual invasions, these akharas provided protection to One India. In the event of foreign invasion, Naga warrior sages participated in many wars.
Even before the arrival of the army during the first attack of Mohammed Gauri in the time of Prithviraj Chauhan, Naga Sadhus had surrounded Gauri army in Kurukshetra, when the Gauri army was trying to disperse the temples of Kurukshetra and Pehove. After that, the army of Prithvi Raj had cut Gauri’s army in Tarain (Tarawadi).
In the Kumbha after this war, to give respect to Naga warriors, Prithviraj Chauhan had given the right to take bath first in Kumbh. Since then, this tradition has come that the first bath of the Kumbh will celebrate Naga. These Naga religion warriors not only fought one but also fought against foreign invaders in many wars.
After the robbery of Delhi, the “Taimur Lang”, which came out of Haridwar’s demolition, was killed by the Nagas in the battle of Jwalapur near Haridwar. At the time of the attack Timur, most of the King was hiding in fear. Along with Jograj Singh Gurjar, Harveer Jat, Ram Puri, Dhulaldari, etc., Naga Warriors forced Timur Lang to escape from India.
Similarly, during the attack of Khaliji, warrior sadhus of Nath sect fought hard. During the invasion of Ahmed Shah Abdali, when the kings of North India suppressed the nota and the Maratha army was defeated in Panipat, 40,000 Naga warriors had fought against Abdali to protect Mathura-Vrindavan-Gokul.
When Peshwa Madhavrao invaded Afghanistan for revenge of Panipat’s defeat, then Naga warriors had killed local helpers of Abdali. In this way, you may have understood now that the protector of Naga Sadhu Sanatan Dharma is a warrior. Staying away from worldly pleasures, they only live for Dharma.