On Astha Mahasiddhis🔗

O Devi, the aspirant (who has become efficient in any one of the dhāraṇa), gains freedom from old age and mortality, and becomes endowed with Aṇima and other powers². He becomes dear to the Yoginis and the master of all Melāpakas³. He is liberated even while carrying on all the life activities, he is unaffected by them.

Note 1: Here ‘any of the dhāraṇa’ implies the 112 dhāraṇas revealed by Bhagavān Bhairava to Devi in the Vijñāna Bhairava Tantra. Note 2 : Aṇimā and other powers are the following, called the Aṣṭamahā Śaktis or Siddhis.

Note 3: Melāpaka means - uniting, the one who has rise above all distinctions of the knower and known, and thus attains to the nature of Bhairava.

In the Srimad Bhagavatam, the great Purāṇa, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa describes the different powers and their manifestations to His disciple, devotee Śrī Uddhava in the section called 'Uddhava Gītā.'

Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa said to Uddhava: The Masters of the Yoga system have declared that there are eighteen (18) main types of Cosmic powers and meditation, of which eight (8) are primary, having their shelter in Me, and ten (10) are secondary, appearing from the attribute of goodness.

Among the eight primary great powers, the three by which one transforms one’s 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, and through Prākāmya, one experiences any enjoyable object, either in this world or the next. Through Īśitā, one can manipulate and lord over the māyā, and through the controlling power called Vaśitā, one is unimpeded by the three modes of nature. One who has acquired Kāmāvasāyitā power can obtain anything from anywhere, to the highest possible limit. My dear gentle Uddhava, these eight cosmic great powers are considered naturally existing and unexcelled within this whole world.

The ten secondary cosmic powers arising from the elementary nature are the powers of freeing oneself from hunger and thirst and other bodily disturbances - anūrmimattvaṁ dehe asmin, hearing and seeing things far away - dūra-śravaṇa-darśanam, moving the body at the speed of the mind - mano-javaḥ, assuming any form one desires - kāma-rūpaṁ, entering the bodies of others - parakāya praveśanam, leaving the body when one desires - svacchanda mṛtyur, having the vision of the pastimes of the gods and the celestial beings - devānāṁ saha-krīḍānudarśanam, completely executing one's determination - yathā-saṅkalpa-saṁsiddhir and giving orders whose fulfillment is unimpeded - ājñāpratihatā gatiḥ.

The power to know past, present and future - trikāla jñatvam; tolerance of heat, cold and other dualities, advandvaṁ; knowing the minds of others - para-cittādi-abhijñatā; checking the influence of fire, sun, water, poison, and so on - agny-arkāmbu-viṣādīnāṁ pratiṣṭambhaḥ; and remaining unconquered by others - aparājayaḥ — these constitute five powers of the process of yoga and powers. I am listing these here as per their names and characteristics. Now learn from Me how specific cosmic powers arise from specific meditations and also of their particular processes involved.

One who worships Me in My atomic form pervading all subtle elements, fixing his mind on that alone, obtains the great power called Aṇimā.

One who absorbs his mind in the particular form of the mahat-tattva and thus meditates upon Me as the Supreme Self of the total cosmic existence achieves the cosmic power called Mahimā. By further absorbing the mind in the situation of each individual element such as the sky, air, fire, and so on, one progressively acquires the greatness of each material element.

I exist within everything, and I am therefore the essence of the atomic constituents of material elements (paramāṇu). By attaching his mind to Me in this form, the yogī achieve the power called Laghimā, by which he realizes the subtle atomic substance of time.

Fixing his mind completely in Me within the element of ‘ego or aham’ generated from the mode of goodness, the yogī obtains the power of mystic acquisition, by which he becomes the proprietor of the senses of all living entities. He obtains such power, Prāpti, because his mind is absorbed in Oneness with Me.

One who concentrates all mental activities in Me as the Cosmic Self of that phase of the mahat-tattva which manifests the chain of fruitive activities obtains from Me, whose appearance is unmanifest, beyond material perception, the most excellent power called Prākāmya.

3. Mahimā - the power of increasing in size and magnitude. a. This power was used by Hanuman to increase the size of his form to a huge one, to cross the ocean to reach Lanka.

4. Prāpti - the power of obtaining anything, everything one wants. Also, the power of wandering anywhere one wants.

In the ‘Ellam valla siththarana padalam’, part of the Thiruvilaiyadal Purāna, narrating the 64 great happening of Lord Śiva – Śiva appears in all four directions. That Śakti is Prāpti.

5. Prākāmya - the power of fulfilling one’s desire without any resistance, just with the will.

6. Vaśitva - the power of bringing all the elements and material objects into one’s subjection.

This power was used by the great Tamil Saint and devotee of Lord Śiva, Tirunavukkarsar (Appar) to stop a fierce provoked elephant when it tried to him at the order of the king’s men. The elephant circumambulated him, saluted him instead of hurting him. It turned back with an uncontrollable fury and tramped the king’s men. 7. Īśitva - The power of absolute Lordship, supreme leadership. The power of producing and destroying the natural elements and material objects. The power of being the lord the 5 cosmic acts – manifestation, protection or maintenance, destruction or rejuvenation, concealment and liberating grace. This power of Īśitva was used by the great child incarnation, Tirujnana Sambandar to give life to Poompavai (a young girl) from her ashes in a pot.

8. Kāmāvāsāyitva - The power of fulfilling all resolves that one seeks.