(“lord”) Shiva's
epithet, based on his supremacy as the supreme lord.
After final ascetic initiation, "Nath" is appended
to the end of one's name as a mark of membership among the Nathpanthis, a
renunciant ascetic group whose members are Shiva worshipers (bhakta).
This practice seems to trace back to the Nathpanthis' early
days, since they were formed by the sage Gorakhnath, according to legend.
