Ashta Siddhis (अष्टसिद्धयः)

Siddhi (Sanskrit: सिद्धिः) refers to the supranormal yogic powers accomplished by a yogi or a sadhaka during his progress towards spiritual upliftment. While there are many siddhis, Ashtasiddhis or eight siddhis are mentioned which are used as per the wish of the Yogi. However, Yoga Darshana decries attainment of these siddhis or powers because they may mislead the aspirant away from the path of yoga, if the aspirant gets entrapped with their results.

Introduction

The word 'सिद्धिः।Siddhi' generally refers to those transcendental and spiritual powers which are attained through tapas and spiritual sadhana. There are many types of siddhis described in Darshana and Tantric texts, out of which eight siddhis are more famous which are called 'Ashtasiddhi' or Ashta Aishvaryas are described in the Amarakosha as below.

अणिमा १ लघिमा २ प्राप्तिः ३ प्राकाम्यम् ४ महिमा ५ ईशित्वम् ६ वशित्वम् ७ कामावशायिता ८ । इत्यमरः ॥

aṇimā 1 laghimā 2 prāptiḥ 3 prākāmyam 4 mahimā 5 īśitvam 6 vaśitvam 7 kāmāvaśāyitā 8 | ityamaraḥ ||

Sankhyatattva Pradipa describes the eight siddhis as follows.

अणिमा महिमा चैव गरिमा लघिमा तथा । प्राप्तिः प्राकाम्यमीशित्वं वशित्वं चाष्टसिद्धयः ॥ इति । aṇimā mahimā caiva garimā laghimā tathā | prāptiḥ prākāmyamīśitvaṃ vaśitvaṃ cāṣṭasiddhayaḥ || iti |

The eight Siddhis are those Siddhis, by attaining which a person can reside in any form and body. It can cross the limits of subtlety and grossness to become as tiny as it wants and as huge as it wants.

Ashtasiddhis in Literature

The concept of siddhi is associated with physiological and psychical powers which are beyond normal physical and mental powers. They are well discussed in the darshana shastras and their concepts are represented in the Puranas themselves. Apart from the eight important siddhis mentioned above, Brahmavaivarta Purana mentions twenty-two types of siddhis as follows.

अणिमा लघिमा प्राप्तिः प्राकाम्यं महिमा तथा ।। ३३ ।।

ईशित्वं च वशित्वं च तथा कामावसायिता । दूरश्रवणमेवेति परकायप्रवेशनम् ।। ३४ ।।

मनोयायित्वमेवेति सर्वज्ञत्वमभीप्सितम् । वह्निस्तम्भं जलस्तम्भं चिरंजीवित्वमेव च ।। ३५ ।।

वायुस्तम्भं क्षुत्पिपासानिद्रास्तम्भनमेव च । कायव्यूहं च वाक्सिद्धिं मृतानयनमौप्सितम् ।। ३६ ।।

सृष्टीनां करणं चैव प्राणाकर्षणमेव च ।

aṇimā laghimā prāptiḥ prākāmyaṃ mahimā tathā || 33 ||

īśitvaṃ ca vaśitvaṃ ca tathā kāmāvasāyitā | dūraśravaṇameveti parakāyapraveśanam || 34 ||

manoyāyitvameveti sarvajñatvamabhīpsitam | vahnistambhaṃ jalastambhaṃ ciraṃjīvitvameva ca || 35 ||

vāyustambhaṃ kṣutpipāsānidrāstambhanameva ca | kāyavyūhaṃ ca vāksiddhiṃ mṛtānayanamaupsitam || 36 ||

sṛṣṭīnāṃ karaṇaṃ caiva prāṇākarṣaṇameva ca |

O! Nanda, hear from me and receive the siddhamantra. The names of the siddhis are Anima Laghima, prapti, Prakamya, Mahima, Isitva, Vasitva, Kamavasayita, Dura-sravana (दूरश्रवणम्), Parakaya-pravesa (परकायप्रवेशनम्), Manoyayitva (मनोयायित्वम्), Sarvajnatva (सर्वज्ञत्वम्), Agnistambhana (वह्निस्तम्भं), Jalastambhana (जलस्तम्भं), Chiranjivitva (चिरंजीवित्वम्), Vayustambha (वायुस्तम्भं), controlling of hunger, thirst and sleep (क्षुत्पिपासानिद्रास्तम्भन), Vaksiddhi (वाक्सिद्धि), bringing alive the dead (मृतानयनम्), Srishti the creation (सृष्टीनां करणं),

Eight Siddhis

According to Yoga philosophy, the Yogis attain various siddhis by the practice of the path of Yoga. These powers are mainly of eight types and hence called Ashtasiddhi or Ashta Aisvarya:

1. अणिमा ॥ aṇimā- This is the power of a yogi to become small like atom and so to disappear.
2. महिमा ॥ mahimā-This is the ability to make the size of the body extremely large like mountains.
3. गरिमा ॥ garimā- Ability to make the body extremely heavy.
4. लघिमा ॥ laghimā- This is the power to become light as cotton and drift away.
5. प्राप्तिः ॥ prāptiḥ- This is the power to secure or reach or touch the most distant things.
6. प्राकाम्यम् ॥ prākāmyam-This is the power by which all the impediments in the will removed and by which all the living beings can be conquered.
7. ईशित्वम् ॥ īśitvam- This is the power by which one attains absolute mastery/authority on all creatures and physical objects.
8. वशित्वम् ॥ vaśitvam- This is the power by which all the desires are fulfilled, one has control over the elements and beings; have the ability to create, rearrange or dissolve them.

The above mentioned eight siddhis can be used according to the wish of the Yogi. But in the Yoga philosophy the pursuance of the path of the Yoga for the attainment of these powers has been vehemently decried because that results in misleading the aspirant from the path of Yoga. The ultimate end of the Yoga is not the attainment of these powers, but the realisation of Moksa. Thus, Yoga is a combination of practical physical development and discipline with a mystical objective which is its ultimate purpose. This co-ordination of a system of thought with a program of daily life exercises is based on physiological psychology as well as religious philosophy.

अणिमा ॥ Aṇimā

The first siddhi among the eight siddhis is Anima, which means the power to make one's body as subtle as an atom. Just as we cannot see an atom with our naked eyes, similarly, after attaining Anima siddhi, no person can see the one who has attained the siddhi. The practitioner is capable of assuming a subtle body equal to an atom whenever he wants.

महिमा ॥ Mahimā

Mahima is the siddhi just opposite to Anima. The practitioner is capable of making his body unlimitedly huge whenever he wants. He can stretch his body to any extent.

गरिमा ॥ Garimā

After attaining this siddhi, the practitioner can increase the weight of his body in an unlimited manner. The size of the practitioner remains limited, but the weight of his body increases so much that no power can move him.

लघिमा ॥ Laghimā

The practitioner's body can become so light that he can fly faster than the wind. The weight of his body becomes almost negligible. Levitation practiced by some tantric yogis is a form of this siddhi.

प्राप्तिः ॥ Prāptiḥ

A practitioner can go anywhere, to any place without any hindrance. As per wish, by becoming invisible in front of other people, one can reach whichever place one wants without anyone seeing them.

प्राकाम्यम् ॥ Prākāmyam

A practitioner can understand what is in someone's mind or thoughts very easily, whether the person in front expresses his mind or not.

ईशित्वम् ॥ Iśitvam

It is the ability to have complete authority over every object and creature.