32 verses
The Supreme Lord said: The siddhis of yoga are acquired by a yogī who has conquered his senses, steadied his mind, conquered the breathing process and fixed his mind on me.
Uddhava said: O Acyuta! By what type of concentration can siddhi be achieved, and what is the nature of such siddhi? How many siddhis are there? You, who bestow of all mystic perfections, should explain this to me.
Svit indicates a question or doubt.
The Supreme Lord said: The masters of the yoga system have declared that there are eighteen types of siddhi and meditation, of which eight are primary, having their shelter in me, and ten are secondary, appearing from the material mode of goodness.
There are eighteen types of meditation and siddhis. I am naturally the shelter of the eight siddhis (mat-pradhānāḥ). They are perfect in me, arising from my svarūpa-śakti. They are not material. In others, by sādhana, those manifest to lesser degree and are material. The other ten siddhis, such as being undisturbed by material conditions, are caused by the guṇas like sattva.
guṇeṣv asaḍgo vaśitā yat-kāmas tad avasyati etā me siddhayaḥ saumya aṣṭāv autpattikā matāḥ
Among the eight primary siddhis, the three by which one transforms ones own body are aṇimā, becoming smaller than the smallest; mahimā, becoming greater than the greatest; and laghimā, becoming lighter than the lightest. Through the perfection of prāpti one acquires whatever one desires by ones senses, and through prākāmya-siddhi one experiences any enjoyable object, seen or unseen. Through iśitā-siddhi one can spread ones powers to other jīvas, and through the controlling potency called vaśitā-siddhi one is unattached to material enjoyment. One who has acquired kāmāvasāyitā-siddhi can obtain anything from anywhere, to the highest possible limit. O gentle Uddhava! These eight mystic perfections of mine are considered to be natural and unexcelled.
Among the eight, aṇimā, mahimā and laghimā are powers concerning the body. Prāpti means to attain all desired objects by using all ones senses. Prākāmya means the ability to see and enjoy all objects hidden in the earth which may have been seen or not seen. Īśitā means spreading ones powers to other jīvas. Vaśitā means not being attached to material enjoyment. Kāmāvasāyitā means that one obtains the highest limit of whatever one desires. Autpattikāḥ means they are natural and unexcelled in me.
svacchanda-mṛtyur devānāṁ saha-krīòānudarśanam yathā-saḍkalpa-saṁsiddhir ājñāpratihatā gatiḥ
The ten siddhis arising from the modes of nature are the powers of freeing oneself from hunger and thirst and other bodily disturbances, hearing and seeing things far away, moving the body at the speed of the mind, assuming any form one desires, entering the bodies of others, dying when one desires, witnessing the pastimes between the devatās and Apsarās, attaining what one desires, and having ones commands or goals unimpeded.
The siddhis related to the guṇas are described. Anūrmitmattvam means to be free from the six disturbances like hunger and thirst. One can also hear distant things or see distant objects. These are actually two siddhis, considered as one. The others are single siddhis. Mano-javaḥ means that ones body can move with the speed of the mind. Kāma-rūpam means one can take any form one desires. One can see the pastimes of the devatās with the Apsarās. One can attain objects one desires (saḍkalpa-saṁsiddhi). This depends on the efforts of ones body. Kāmāvasāyitā however is different, without effort. Some say that to have no obstacles to ones orders or destination is one siddhi. Another opinion is that these are two siddhis: having no obstacles to ones orders and having no obstacles to ones travels.
etāś coddeśataḥ proktā yoga-dhāraṇa-siddhayaḥ yayā dhāraṇayā yā syād yathā vā syān nibodha me
The power to know past, present and future; tolerance of heat, cold and other dualities; knowing the minds of others; checking the influence of fire, sun, water, poison, and so on; and remaining unconquered by othersthese constitute five lower siddhis. I am simply listing these here according to their names and characteristics. Now please learn from me how specific siddhis arise from specific meditations and also of the particular processes involved.
Five inferior siddhis are described. Advandvam means to be unaffected by cold or heat. One can check the influence of fire, the sun, water or poison (paristambhanam).
The worshipper of tan-mātras should concentrate the mind, the form of the tan-mātras, on me who represent the tan-mātras. He will attain me in the form of the smallest particle by which he will also attain a small nature.
One should concentrate the mind, the form of the tan-mātras, on me, represented by the tan-mātras. The worshipper of the tan-mātras obtains my siddhi of having the smallest form (aṇimānam) by which one can enter even stones.
|| 11.15.11` ||
mahat-tattvātmani mayi
yathā-saṁsthaṁ mano dadhat
mahimānam avāpnoti
bhūtānāṁ ca pṛthak pṛthak
One who absorbs his mind of mahat-tattva in me, the form of the mahat-tattva attains my form as the largest object by which he is able to pervade everywhere. By concentration on each element one can attain those elements.
One who concentrates the mind, the form of mahat-tattva, on me, represented by mahat-tattva, my jñāna-śakti, attains me as the greatest form, by which he can pervade everywhere. If one concentrates the mind on me as the elements starting with ether, he attains those great forms.
By attaching his mind to me as the atoms of matter, the yogī may achieve the perfection called laghimā, a form which is as light as the smallest portion of time.
Concentrating the mind on me in the form of the atoms of elements like air, the yogī attains a form which is as light as the smallest portion of time (kāla-sūkṣma arthatām). It is said:
sa kālaḥ paramāṇur vai yo bhuḍkte paramāṇutām
sato viśeṣa-bhug yas tu sa kālaḥ paramo mahān
The time expended for the sun to pass over a paramāṇu is called a paramāṇu of time and the time expended from one dissolution to the next is called parama-mahān time. SB 3.11.4
:
Fixing his mind with concentration on me represented by ahaḍkāra in sattva, the yogī obtains the power of prāpti, by which he becomes the proprietor of the senses of all living entities, because he is absorbed in me.
Concentrating his mind with full attention on me, represented by ahaḍkāra in sattva, the yogī obtains prāpti because of concentrating on me (man-manaḥ). He attains this power because of the power obtained by concentrating his mind on me. There is no other reason. Later it is said mad-yoga-balam āśrayaḥ: the cause is the power arising from concentrating on me. (SB 11.15.23)
One who concentrates all mental activities in me represented by sūtra of the mahat-tattva obtains prākāmya, my excellence known as sūtra which arises from prakṛti.
One who concentrates the mind on me representing sūtra, which is mahat-tattva predominated by kriya-śakti (rather than jñāna-śakti), attains the power of prākāmya. What is that? It belongs to the supreme (pārameṣṭhyam), coming from me, sūtra, which arises from prakṛti (avyakta).
One who concentrates his mind on Viṣṇu, the lord of the external energy consisting of three modes, in the form of time, obtains īśitā, having power of the jīvas and their subtle bodies.
One who concentrates his mind on me in the form of time, the regulator of the three guṇas of māyā attains īśitā. Kāla means that which incites or observes. This power is described. It is the inspiration for the jīvas (kṣetra-jña) and the coverings of the jīva (kṣetra). It means spreading ones powers in the jīvas and their subtle bodies.
The yogī who concentrates his mind on my form of Nārāyaṇa, known as the fourth factor, Bhagavān, obtains the mystic perfection called vaśitānot influenced by the guṇas, since he possesses my qualities.
The word tūrīya is explained:
virāò hiraṇyagarbhaś ca kāraṇaṁ cety upādhayaḥ |
īśasya yantribhir hīnaṁ tat turīyaṁ pracakṣate ||
The Lords universal form, his Hiraṇyagarbha form and māyā are all coverings, but because the Lord is not covered by these three, intelligent authorities call him Turīya, the fourth.
He is the Lord, Nārāyaṇa, Bhagavān, full of six great qualities . The meaning is this. The Lord does not have coverings or upādhis of the gross universal form or the subtle Hiraṇyagarbha form, effects of māyā. He does not have a covering of their cause, māyā (kāraṇam). He has a form which is eterntiy, knowledge and bliss. What is he called? He is called Bhagavān. Vaśitā means to be unaffected by the guṇas.
One who fixes his pure mind on me as the impersonal Brahman obtains the greatest happiness, wherein all his desires are completely fulfilled.
He attains supreme bliss in which all desires are attained. This supreme bliss is merging in Brahman according to Jīva Gosvāmī.
Now the secondary siddhis are discussed. He attains purity (śvetatām). This is the siddhi called absence of waves.
The purified living entity who fixes his mind on sound occurring within me who represent the ether and the total life air is then able to perceive within the sky the speaking of all living entities.
He who thinks by the mind the nāda in me, who represent the universal and individual forms of ākāśa and prāṇa, hears the manifested words of other beings at a distance since he is purified (haṁsaḥ).
Merging ones sight into the sun planet and then the sun planet into ones eyes, one should meditate on me as the two combined; thus one acquires the power to see any distant thing.
Merging the eye in the sun and the sun in the eye, one should meditate me as the two combined. One sees all things which are at a distance.
When the yogī merges his mind in me and his body in the air which accompanies the mind which is within me, by the power of that mediation on me, his body goes wherever his mind goes.
By the power of that meditation which is performed by merging the mind in me, and merging the body with wind which accompanies the mind in me, the gross body goes wherever the mind goes. This is called mano-javaḥ.
When the yogī, makings his mind the cause, desires to assume a particular form, that very form in his mind immediately appears. The cause is the power arising from concentrating on me.
When, making the mind the material cause (upādāna), one desires a particular form such that of a devatā, that form desired by the mind appears. The cause (āśrayaḥ) is the power arising from concentrating on me (mat-yoga-balam). This siddhi is called kāma-rūpa, taking any form one desires.
When a perfect yogī desires to enter anothers body, he should meditate upon himself within the other body, and then, giving up his own gross body, he should enter the others body by identifying with his subtle body and using the external air, just as a bee leaves one flower and flies into another.
One should meditate on being in another body. Giving up the gross body (piṇòam), identifying with the subtle body, one enters another body by means of external air, just as a bee goes from one flower and enters another. This takes place by the power of concentrating on me. This statement of the previous verse should be added. This siddhi is called para-kāya-praveṣa.
The yogī who has achieved the mystic perfection called svacchanda-mṛtyu blocks the anus with the heel of the foot and then lifts the soul from the heart to the chest, to the neck and finally to the head. Through the brahma-randhra, the yogī attains Brahman and gives up his material body.
Blocking the anus with the heel, one brings the ātmā (prāṇa) and attaining either impersonal Brahman or the Lord by the brahma-randhra at the top of the head, one gives up the body. This is the siddhi called svacchanda-mṛtu, dying at ones will.
The yogī who desires to enjoy in the pleasure gardens of the devatās should meditate on sattva in the heart, where I reside, and then the heavenly women, generated from sattva, will approach him in airplanes.
The yogī should meditate on his sattva antaḥkaraṇa, where I am situated. The wives of the devatās, functions of sattva, come to him and serve him. This siddhi is called deva-krīòā-prāpti.
A yogī who has faith in me, absorbing his mind in me, fulfiller of all desires, will achieve his desired object by that very means.
Whatever one desires in season or out of season (yadā vā), one attains by absorbing the mind in me, who fulfills all desires (satye). Another version has yathā vā. Then the meaning is Whatever one desires, by whatever means one surrenders to me (mat-paraḥ), absorbing the mind in me, fulfiller of desires, one attains the desired object by that means. This siddhi is called saḍkalpa-siddhi,
A person who attains power to control or rule from me, the supreme ruler and controller, never has his orders disobeyed by any means.
He who attains a condition of control or ruling from me (mad-bhāvan), the controller and ruler of all, can never have his orders disobeyed. This is called apratihatājñatvam.
A yogī who has purified his existence by devotion to me and who knows the process of meditation for such powers obtains knowledge of events of past, present and future, which increase concerns for birth and death.
The lesser siddhis are now described. Dhāraṇā-vidaḥ means one who knows the meditation for acquiring knowledge of past, present and future. Traikālikī means concerning subjects of the past, present and future. This knowledge increases rather decreases concerns about birth and death.
Just as the bodies of aquatics cannot be injured by water, similarly, the body of a yogī whose consciousness is pacified by devotion to me and who is fully developed in yoga cannot be injured by fire, sun, water, poison, and so forth.
The Lord is without any influence of fire, sun, water or poison. The body of the sage whose mind is peaceful by meditating on such a Lord, the body which has reached maturity by yoga, is not injured by fire, the sun, water or poison, just as water does not injure fish.
The yogī becomes unconquerable and becomes endowed with imperial paraphernalia such as flags, ornamental umbrellas and fans by meditating on my incarnations, which are decorated with Śrīvatsa and various weapons.
Mad-vibhūtīḥ means my avatāras. He becomes unconquerable and equipped with flags, umbrellas and fans.
A sage who worships me through yoga meditation certainly obtains in all respects the siddhis that I have described.
This summarizes the topic.
For a sage who has conquered his senses, his mind, his breathing and his nature, and who is always absorbed in meditation on me, what mystic perfection could possibly be difficult to achieve?
Dāntasya means of a person who has controlled the mind. Jita-śvāsātmanaḥ means of the person who has controlled the breath and his customary nature.
Learned experts state that the siddhis of yoga are actually impediments. For one who is practicing the supreme yoga, who is absorbed in attaining me, the siddhis are a waste of time.
These siddhis are amazing for the ignorant, but not for the wise. For a person who is absorbed in attaining me (māyā), the siddhis are causes of wasting time. Day by day, the wealth in the form of attaining me decreases. Therefore one should spend time on yoga, but not on the siddhis the result from it.
Whatever siddhis can be achieved by good birth, herbs, austerities and mantras can all be achieved by yoga as described above. One cannot achieve liberation by any other means.
Some siddhis arise from birth. For instance, the devatās have powers by being born as devatās, or fish are not affected by water by their birth in that body. Similarly birds by their birth can fly in the air. Ghosts can enter others bodies and disappear. The Yoga-sūtra says janmauṣadhi-tapo-mantra-yoga-jāḥ siddhayaḥ: siddhis are from birth, medicine, austerity, mantra and yoga. All of these siddhis are also attained by yoga. One cannot attain liberation such as attaining my planet by other means.
I am the cause, the maintainer and the master of all siddhis, of the yoga system, of jñāna, of niṣkāma-karma, and of the searchers for Brahman.
Since all siddhis are achieved by meditation on me, I alone am the cause of those siddhis. Not only am I the cause of the siddhis, I am the maintainer of those siddhis, and the master of them as well. I am the cause, maintainer and master not only of the siddhis, because I am the cause of yoga in which there is meditation upon me. I am also the cause of jñāna (sāḍkhyasya), and the cause of niṣkāma-karma (dharma), which produces jñāna.
Just as the same material elements exist inside and outside of all material bodies, similarly, I, who cannot be enclosed by anything else, exist within everything as the antaryāmī and also pervade everywhere outside.
I am the object of meditation for the yogīs and jñānīs. I am the antaryāmī. If you are within everything are you divided up into pieces? No, I am also spread everywhere outside, because I cannot be enclosed. An example is given. Just as the five gross elements exist inside and outside of the four types of living entities, I exist inside and outside of every being.
Thus ends the commentary on Fifteenth Chapter of the Eleventh Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
The eight major siddhis, ten secondary siddhis arising from contemplation, and obstacles to yoga, are described in the Fifteenth Chapter. These siddhis which appear with the yogī who concentrates the mind are generally obstacles. These siddhis are described in order to say that one should reject them and concentrate on the Supreme Lord. Yuktasya means steadying the mind.