Chapter 15 - The Super-normal Powers Attained by Yoga

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The glorious Lord continued:

1. Super-normal powers (Siddhis) attend upon a yogin who has subdued his senses, is devoted to me, has attained breath-control and has concentrated his mind on me.

Uddhava said:

2. By what (type of) concentration and by what methodology, what kind of super-normal power can be mastered? How many such mystic powers are there, O Acyuta? You are the bestower of such powers to Yogins (and You alone know it).

The Lord explained:

3. Eighteen kinds of super-normal powers and (the same number of corresponding modes of) concentrations (for attaining these Siddhis) have been proclaimed by those who are thoroughly proficient in Yoga. Out of them, eight are found in their perfection in me^[1] (and are found to a lesser extent in those who have attained similarity of form to me) while the remaining ten are acquired by the increasing dominance of sattva-guṇa.

4. Atomization, levitation and magnification are the three super-normal powers pertaining to the physical body of the Yogin. The power called prāpii means the ability to act through the senses of others by establishing contacts with deities presiding over those senses (and thus a Yogi can control all beings); Prākāmya is the power to enjoy all things (in the heaven) described in the śāstras and those hidden under the earth as well as objects in the visible world. Īśitā ‘Ruling capacity’ is the ability to use Māyā (and other lower powers) for attaining one’s desire.

5. Vaśitā (self-control) is non-attachment to objects of sensuous enjoyment^[2] and the eighth super normal power is the ability to enjoy fully whatever pleasure one wishes (and hence it is called Kāmāvasāyitā). O gentle Uddhava, these eight powers are considered to be inherent in me^[3] (to the highest degree).

6. Immunity from changes of this body (such as hunger, thirst, grief, delusion, old age and death), ability to see and hear from any distance, power of reaching bodily to one’s desired destination with the speed of the mind, ability to assume any form (at will), capacity to enter the body of any other person (leaving one’s own body in a secure place).

7. (Ability) to cast off one’s body at will, (capacity) to see (and participate) in the sports of gods with celestial nymphs, the accomplishment of one’s desired objects and ability to exercise authority without any obstruction or insubordinate.

(These ten are the minor mystical powers).

8. Ability to know the past, present and the future, mastery over and capacity to remain unaffected by the pairs of opposites (like heat and cold, pleasure and pain, etc.), capacity to read the minds of others, the power to neutralise the effects of the fire, the water, the poison and such other things and to suffer no defeat (in any undertaking).

9. These super-normal powers which are accomplished through specific Yogic concentrations have been specially mentioned by me. Now learn from me what type of mystic power is attained by which type of concentration and its procedure.

10. He who concentrates his mind (which also is subtle like an atom) on me as abiding in the subtle form of elements (tanmātrās) and adores me as a subtle element attains the power of atomizing his body.

11. Focusing his mind on me and contemplating me, the all-pervading Supreme Soul as ensouling the principle called Mahat and extending the mind to that dimension, attains the super-normal power of ‘magnification’ and concentrating the mind on me as abiding in any of the bhūtas (gross elements) he possesses the all-pervasiveness of that particular element.

12.^[4] Having (concentratedly) devoted his mind on me as abiding in the atoms of the gross elements, (and meditating upon me as the subtlest of subtle division of Time) the Yogin attains the power of subtleness.

13. Having thoroughly concentrated his mind on me wholly as abiding in the Sāttvika type of Ego (Ahaṃkāra) and regarding me as the indwelling Soul of all the sense-organs, the yogin attains the mystic power called Prāpti (enabling him to function through the senses of others).

14. He who establishes his mind on me as abiding in the Sūtra (in its all-contacting aspect)^[5] attains the mystic power of the highest order called Prākāśya^[6] possessed by me as ensouling me in the Mahat tattva which is born of the Avyakta.

15. He who concentrates his mind on me as Viṣṇu (the pervaḍer of universe), the Controller of the Māyā consisting of three guṇas and the Inḍwcller of Time attains the mystic power of impelling all bodies and the individual souls.

16. The Yogin who focuses his mind on me as Nārāyaṇa, the Fourth Principle,^[7] one specifically designated by the term ‘Bhagavān’^[8] attains the same characteristics as mine and becomes the master of power called Vaśitā (absolute non-attachment to everything though he controls them all).

17. The Yogī who concentrates his pure mind on me as the attributeless Brahman, attains Supreme Spiritual joy and bliss when all desires cease altogether (Hence it is called Kāmāvasāyitā).

18. He who fixes his mind on me, the Lord of Śveta- dvīpa, who am absolutely pure (uninfluenced by Rajas, and Tamas), and the very Dharma incarnate, attains whiteness (i.e. absolute purity untainted by guṇas), and becomes free from the six waves or changes (viz. hunger and thirst, old age and death, delusion and grief which affect all beings).

19. This swan (i.e. the individual soul) who mentally meditates on the (ever-abiding “unstruck” spiritual) sound in me who am the Soul of the sky (and the cosmic vital breath as well), attains the supernormal power of hearing (from any distance), the sounds of all beings (as all words or utterances repose in the sky.)

20. With his eye-sight united with the Sun and the Sun with eye and meditating on me in the solar-ocular union becomes endowed with a subtle vision and can view everything in the universe (This is the dūra-darśana siddhi).

21.^[9] When the mind and the body along with the vital breath, are properly established in me, (one attains the miraculous power called mano-java and) due to the efficacy of this method of meditation. The body is transported (with the speed of the mind) wherever the mind goes (This is the “dūragamana-siddhi”—potency to go anywhere at will).

22. When a Yogī utilises his mind as the material cause and desires to assume whatever form he likes, he can transform himself that way at his sweet will, as he depends on the power of contemplating on me (who am of inconceivable potency and of innumerable forms).

23. If a person accomplished in the power of entering another person’s body has perfectly controlled his vital airs and senses desires to enter the body of another person, he should contemplate that he has occupied that body. Leaving his own (previous) body (along with the chief vital air—prāṇa and the astral body he should enter the external cosmic air and thus enter in the form of air (through the nostrils of that body) into the new body as a six-legged black-bee does (from one flower to another). (This power is known as para-kāyā- praveśa (entrance into another person’s body).

24. (Controlling the downward movement of the vital breath) by blocking the rectum with one’s heels and pushing up (by slow degrees), the vital air (through suṣumnā nāḍī) through the heart, chest, throat and the crown of the head, he should then propel it through the aperture in the crown of the head (which is called Brahmarandhra) directing it to its destination—The parabrahman (or any other state he wishes to have)—and cast off his physical body.

25. If a Yogi is desirous to enjoy sportive life in heaven, he should contemplate on the pure Sattva in me. And celestial damsels of sātlvika nature attend upon him with their celestial cars.

26. A person who establishes his mind in me who am reality and is absolutely devoted to me, attains and enjoys the objects of his desires to have al a particular time and in the specific manner, according to his will.

27.^[10] He who is established in my state who am the ordainer of all and quite independent, shall never meet reverses anywhere and his order will be like my commandment (which can never be thwarted). (This is the potency of inviolable commandment—apratihatājñā.

28. The yogin whose mind has become (absolutely) pure by devotion to me and who is conversant with the way of concentrating his mind on me (who am the creator, protector and destroyer of the Universe), attains the knowledge of the past, present and future along with that of the birth and the death (of himself and the world as well as the mind of others).

29. The sage whose mind reposes in contemplation on me (who am above the pair of opposites like heat and cold), gets his physical body seasoned with yoga and is not adversely affected by fire and other (troubles from water, wind, cold, arms, etc.), just as aquatic animals are not affected by water. (This power is called advandvatā or ‘transcendence over opposites’ which leads to avaṣṭambha siddhi or power of neutralisation of the harmful forces).

30. He who meditates (with a concentrated mind) on the various forms and incarnations of mine (exhibiting various powers and) adorned with the śrī-vatsa mark and my missiles (like Sudarśana, etc.) and accompanied with my banner (with the emblem of Garuḍa), umbrella and chowries, would never be vanquished.

31. All the supernormal powers detailed above attend upon the sage who propitiates me according to the appropriate methods of concentration (described in the above-mentioned verses).

32. What super-normal power can be difficult to accomplish in the case of a sage who, having controlled his senses, subdued his mind and mastered breath-control, firmly concentrates his mind on me?

33. But in the case of persons who practise the excellent course of yoga in order to realize me through my grace, the wise call these siddhis as impediments, as they involve waste of time (in God-realization).

34. Whatever super-normal powers are accomplished through birth (e.g. power of aviation to birds or gods), medicinal plants, penance, and utterance of mantras,^[11] are all obtained through yoga, but one cannot attain the highest fruit of yoga (viz. emancipation from saṃsāra) through these other means.

35. Being the source and the Lord of all these supernormal powers, I am their controller. Equally I am the master of yoga (paths of union with God), of Sāṅkhya (the path of knowledge leading God-realization), of Dharma (righteous duties as ordained by the Vedas), and even of the exponents of Brahma (or the Veda).

36. I am the Soul of all embodied beings, their Inner Controller who pervades them (even externally), though I myself am unenclosed. Just as the (five) elements permeate living beings in the world from inside and outside, so I pervade them all and still retain my independent existence.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Bhāgavata Candrikā: They are useful in attaining to me. while the other ten arc conducive to the enjoyment of objects in this world and lead to saṃsāra again.

EK.: They are attainable in their perfection only to those who have established themselves in me but they, being absorbed in me and unaware even of their body, are indifferent to them. The remaining ten manifest and present themselves to a person full of pure sattva.—EB. 15. 38-41.

[2]:

Whereby one attains my characteristics—EK.

[3]:

It is only one of these super-normal powers, that the aspirant after me can hope to get after utmost efforts—EK.

[4]:

Padaratnāvalī Attaching his heart on me as the pervader of the most subtle division of time and the subtle-most atoms of the elements the login attains the power of subtleness.

[5]:

Bhāgavata Candrikā explains that although the Mahat is mentioned in the previous verse (No. 11) there the emphasis is on its physical aspects while here the Sūtra aspect of the Mahat connecting it with all things, is implied. Padaratnāvalī interprets that the Sūtra is the chief vital breath (mukhya prāṇa) which pervades the Mahat.

[6]:

According to Padaratnāvalī Prākāśya is the supreme capacity to know the Vedas and everything else (sarva-vedādi-jñāna-śraiṣṭhyāpādakam prākāśyam) and it is obtained through the favour of Prāṇa, Bhāratī and Mahāviṣṇu:

sarve guṇās tu prāṇasya paramātma-prasādataḥ /
prāṇa-viṣṇoḥ prasādena bhāratyāḥ samprakīrtitāḥ //

EK. states that with this Supernormal power (when gifted by the Lord) the yogi is capable of creating crores of Brahmāṇḍas (EB. 15.85-86) But Bhāvāratha Dīpikā specifically asserts that the yogi never gets the power of creating the universe:

na tu viśva-sṛṣtyādi-kartṛtva-lakṣaṇam /

[7]:

There have been different opinions about the previous three stages transcended before attaining the fourth: The following are the 1st three stages:

Bhāvāratha Dīpikā: (1) Virāṭ (2) Hiraṇyagarbha and (3) Kāraṇa

EK.: (1) Jīva (2) Śiva and (3) Prakṛti.

(2) Wakefulness (jāgratī), dream state (svapna) and deep sleep (Suṣupti)

[8]:

Bhāvāratha Dīpikā quotes the famous verse which enumerates the six excellences of the Lord, viz. absolute mastery over the universe, perfect righteousness, highest glory, afluence, perfect knowledge and complete dispassion.

aiśvaryasya samagrasya, dharmasya, yaśasaḥ śrīyaḥ /
jñāna-vairāgyayoścaiva ṣaṇṇāṃ bhaga itīraṇā //

[9]:

When, in contemplation, die mind and vital breath along with the body arc correctly established in me—Bhāgavata Candrikā

[10]:

He who has devoutly and with firm faith meditated upon me as the Supreme Commander and Ruler of all, will never have his order thwarted from any quarter.

[11]:

janmauṣadhimantra-tapaḥ-samādhijāḥ siddhayaḥ.—PYS.4.1.