Chapter Fifteen
Yoga Siddhis
|| 11.15.1 ||
çré-bhagavän uväca
jitendriyasya yuktasya
jita-çväsasya yoginaù
mayi dhärayataç ceta
upatiñöhanti siddhayaù
The Supreme Lord said: The siddhis of yoga are acquired by a
yogé who has conquered his senses, steadied his mind,
conquered the breathing process and fixed his mind on me.
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 yogé 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.”
|| 11.15.2 ||
çré-uddhava uväca
kayä dhäraëayä kä svit
kathaà vä siddhir acyuta
kati vä siddhayo brühi
yoginäà siddhi-do bhavän
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.
|| 11.15.3 ||
çré-bhagavän uväca
siddhayo ’ñöädaça proktä
dhäraëä yoga-pära-gaiù
täsäm añöau mat-pradhänä
daçaiva guëa-hetavaù
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-pradhänäù). They are perfect in me,
arising from my svarüpa-çakti. They are not material. In others, by
sädhana, those manifest to lesser degree and are material. The other
ten siddhis, such as being undisturbed by material conditions, are
caused by the guëas like sattva.
|| 11.15.4-5 ||
aëimä mahimä mürter
laghimä präptir indriyaiù
präkämyaà çruta-dåñöeñu
çakti-preraëam éçitä
guëeñv asaìgo vaçitä
yat-kämas tad avasyati
etä me siddhayaù saumya
añöäv autpattikä matäù
Among the eight primary siddhis, the three by which one
transforms one’s own body are aëimä, becoming smaller than
the smallest; mahimä, becoming greater than the greatest;
and laghimä, becoming lighter than the lightest. Through the
perfection of präpti one acquires whatever one desires by
one’s senses, and through präkämya-siddhi one experiences
any enjoyable object, seen or unseen. Through içitä-siddhi one
can spread ones powers to other jévas, and through the
controlling potency called vaçitä-siddhi one is unattached to
material enjoyment. One who has acquired kämävasäyitä-
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, aëimä, mahimä and laghimä are powers concerning
the body. Präpti means to attain all desired objects by using all one’s
senses. Präkämya means the ability to see and enjoy all objects
hidden in the earth which may have been seen or not seen. Éçitä
means spreading one’s powers to other jévas. Vaçitä means not being
attached to material enjoyment. Kämävasäyitä means that one
obtains the highest limit of whatever one desires. Autpattikäù means
they are natural and unexcelled in me.
|| 11.15.6-7 ||
anürmimattvaà dehe ’smin
düra-çravaëa-darçanam
mano-javaù käma-rüpaà
para-käya-praveçanam
svacchanda-måtyur devänäà
saha-kréòänudarçanam
yathä-saìkalpa-saàsiddhir
äjïäpratihatä gatiù
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 devatäs and
Apsaräs, attaining what one desires, and having one’s
commands or goals unimpeded.
The siddhis related to the guëas are described. Anürmitmattvam
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-
javaù means that one’s body can move with the speed of the mind.
Käma-rüpam means one can take any form one desires. One can see
the pastimes of the devatäs with the Apsaräs. One can attain objects
one desires (saìkalpa-saàsiddhi). This depends on the efforts of one’s
body. Kämävasäyitä however is different, without effort. Some say
that to have no obstacles to one’s orders or destination is one siddhi.
Another opinion is that these are two siddhis: having no obstacles to
one’s orders and having no obstacles to one’s travels.
|| 11.15.8-9 ||
tri-käla-jïatvam advandvaà
para-cittädy-abhijïatä
agny-arkämbu-viñädénäà
pratiñöambho ’paräjayaù
etäç coddeçataù proktä
yoga-dhäraëa-siddhayaù
yayä dhäraëayä yä syäd
yathä vä syän 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 others—these 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).
|| 11.15.10 ||
bhüta-sükñmätmani mayi
tan-mätraà dhärayen manaù
aëimänam aväpnoti
tan-mätropäsako mama
The worshipper of tan-mätras should concentrate the mind,
the form of the tan-mätras, on me who represent the tan-
mätras. 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-mätras, on me,
represented by the tan-mätras. The worshipper of the tan-mätras
obtains my siddhi of having the smallest form (aëimänam) by which
one can enter even stones.
|| 11.15.11` ||
mahat-tattvätmani mayi
yathä-saàsthaà mano dadhat
mahimänam aväpnoti
bhütänäà ca påthak påthak
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 jïäna-çakti, 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.
|| 11.15.12 ||
paramäëu-maye cittaà
bhütänäà mayi raïjayan
käla-sükñmärthatäà yogé
laghimänam aväpnuyät
By attaching his mind to me as the atoms of matter, the yogé
may achieve the perfection called laghimä, 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 yogé attains a form which is as light as the smallest portion
of time (käla-sükñma arthatäm). It is said:
sa kälaù paramäëur vai yo bhuìkte paramäëutäm
sato ’viçeña-bhug yas tu sa kälaù paramo mahän
The time expended for the sun to pass over a paramäëu is called a
paramäëu of time and the time expended from one dissolution to the
next is called parama-mahän time. SB 3.11.4
:
|| 11.15.13 ||
dhärayan mayy ahaà-tattve
mano vaikärike ’khilam
sarvendriyäëäm ätmatvaà
präptià präpnoti man-manäù
Fixing his mind with concentration on me represented by
ahaìkära in sattva, the yogé obtains the power of präpti, 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
ahaìkära in sattva, the yogé obtains präpti because of concentrating on
me (man-manaù). 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 äçrayaù: the cause is the power arising
from concentrating on me. (SB 11.15.23)
|| 11.15.14 ||
mahaty ätmani yaù sütre
dhärayen mayi mänasam
präkämyaà pärameñöhyaà me
vindate ’vyakta-janmanaù
One who concentrates all mental activities in me represented
by sütra of the mahat-tattva obtains präkämya, my excellence
known as sütra which arises from prakåti.
One who concentrates the mind on me representing sütra, which is
mahat-tattva predominated by kriya-çakti (rather than jïäna-çakti),
attains the power of präkämya. What is that? It belongs to the
supreme (pärameñöhyam), coming from me, sütra, which arises from
prakåti (avyakta).
|| 11.15.15 ||
viñëau try-adhéçvare cittaà
dhärayet käla-vigrahe
sa éçitvam aväpnoti
kñetrajïa-kñetra-codanäm
One who concentrates his mind on Viñëu, the lord of the
external energy consisting of three modes, in the form of time,
obtains éçitä, having power of the jévas and their subtle
bodies.
One who concentrates his mind on me in the form of time, the
regulator of the three guëas of mäyä attains éçitä. Käla means “that
which incites or observes.” This power is described. It is the
inspiration for the jévas (kñetra-jïa) and the coverings of the jéva
(kñetra). It means spreading one’s powers in the jévas and their subtle
bodies.
|| 11.15.16 ||
näräyaëe turéyäkhye
bhagavac-chabda-çabdite
mano mayy ädadhad yogé
mad-dharmä vaçitäm iyät
The yogé who concentrates his mind on my form of Näräyaëa,
known as the fourth factor, Bhagavän, obtains the mystic
perfection called vaçitä—not influenced by the guëas, since he
possesses my qualities.
The word türéya is explained:
viräò hiraëyagarbhaç ca käraëaà cety upädhayaù |
éçasya yantribhir hénaà tat turéyaà pracakñate ||
The Lord’s universal form, his Hiraëyagarbha form and mäyä are all
coverings, but because the Lord is not covered by these three,
intelligent authorities call him Turéya, the fourth.
He is the Lord, Näräyaëa, Bhagavän, full of six great qualities . The
meaning is this. The Lord does not have coverings or upädhis of the
gross universal form or the subtle Hiraëyagarbha form, effects of
mäyä. He does not have a covering of their cause, mäyä (käraëam).
He has a form which is eterntiy, knowledge and bliss. What is he
called? He is called Bhagavän. Vaçitä means “to be unaffected by the
guëas.”
|| 11.15.17 ||
nirguëe brahmaëi mayi
dhärayan viçadaà manaù
paramänandam äpnoti
yatra kämo ’vaséyate
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 Jéva Gosvämé.
|| 11.15.18 ||
çvetadvépa-patau cittaà
çuddhe dharma-maye mayi
dhärayaï chvetatäà yäti
ñaò-ürmi-rahito naraù
A human being who concentrates on me as dharma, purity and
the Lord of Çvetadvépa, obtains a pure existence in which he is
freed from the six waves of material disturbance, namely
hunger, thirst, decay, death, grief and illusion.
Now the secondary siddhis are discussed. He attains purity (çvetatäm).
This is the siddhi called “absence of waves.”
|| 11.15.19 ||
mayy äkäçätmani präëe
manasä ghoñam udvahan
tatropalabdhä bhütänäà
haàso väcaù çåëoty asau
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 näda in me, who represent the
universal and individual forms of äkäça and präëa, hears the
manifested words of other beings at a distance since he is purified
(haàsaù).
|| 11.15.20 ||
cakñus tvañöari saàyojya
tvañöäram api cakñuñi
mäà tatra manasä dhyäyan
viçvaà paçyati dürataù
Merging one’s sight into the sun planet and then the sun
planet into one’s 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.
|| 11.15.21 ||
mano mayi su-saàyojya
dehaà tad-anuväyunä
mad-dhäraëänubhävena
taträtmä yatra vai manaù
When the yogé 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-javaù.
|| 11.15.22 ||
yadä mana upädäya
yad yad rüpaà bubhüñati
tat tad bhaven mano-rüpaà
mad-yoga-balam äçrayaù
When the yogé, 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 (upädäna), one desires a
particular form such that of a devatä, that form desired by the mind
appears. The cause (äçrayaù) is the power arising from concentrating
on me (mat-yoga-balam). This siddhi is called käma-rüpa, taking any
form one desires.
|| 11.15.23 ||
para-käyaà viçan siddha
ätmänaà tatra bhävayet
piëòaà hitvä viçet präëo
väyu-bhütaù ñaòaìghri-vat
When a perfect yogé desires to enter another’s body, he
should meditate upon himself within the other body, and then,
giving up his own gross body, he should enter the other’s 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 (piëòam), 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-käya-praveña.
|| 11.15.24 ||
pärñëyäpéòya gudaà präëaà
håd-uraù-kaëöha-mürdhasu
äropya brahma-randhreëa
brahma nétvotsåjet tanum
The yogé who has achieved the mystic perfection called
svacchanda-måtyu 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
yogé attains Brahman and gives up his material body.
Blocking the anus with the heel, one brings the ätmä (präëa) 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-måtu, dying at one’s will.
|| 11.15.25 ||
vihariñyan suräkréòe
mat-sthaà sattvaà vibhävayet
vimänenopatiñöhanti
sattva-våttéù sura-striyaù
The yogé who desires to enjoy in the pleasure gardens of the
devatäs should meditate on sattva in the heart, where I reside,
and then the heavenly women, generated from sattva, will
approach him in airplanes.
The yogé should meditate on his sattva antaùkaraëa, where I am
situated. The wives of the devatäs, functions of sattva, come to him
and serve him. This siddhi is called deva-kréòä-präpti.
|| 11.15.26 ||
yathä saìkalpayed buddhyä
yadä vä mat-paraù pumän
mayi satye mano yuïjaàs
tathä tat samupäçnute
A yogé 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 (yadä vä), one attains
by absorbing the mind in me, who fulfills all desires (satye). Another
version has yathä vä. Then the meaning is “Whatever one desires, by
whatever means one surrenders to me (mat-paraù), absorbing the
mind in me, fulfiller of desires, one attains the desired object by that
means.” This siddhi is called saìkalpa-siddhi,
|| 11.15.27 ||
yo vai mad-bhävam äpanna
éçitur vaçituù pumän
kutaçcin na vihanyeta
tasya cäjïä yathä mama
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-bhävan),
the controller and ruler of all, can never have his orders disobeyed.
This is called apratihatäjïatvam.
|| 11.15.28 ||
mad-bhaktyä çuddha-sattvasya
yogino dhäraëä-vidaù
tasya trai-käliké buddhir
janma-måtyüpabåàhitä
A yogé 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. Dhäraëä-vidaù means one who
knows the meditation for acquiring knowledge of past, present and
future. Traikäliké means “concerning subjects of the past, present and
future.” This knowledge increases rather decreases concerns about
birth and death.
|| 11.15.29 ||
agny-ädibhir na hanyeta
muner yoga-mayaà vapuù
mad-yoga-çänta-cittasya
yädasäm udakaà yathä
Just as the bodies of aquatics cannot be injured by water,
similarly, the body of a yogé 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.
|| 11.15.30 ||
mad-vibhütér abhidhyäyan
çrévatsästra-vibhüñitäù
dhvajätapatra-vyajanaiù
sa bhaved aparäjitaù
The yogé becomes unconquerable and becomes endowed with
imperial paraphernalia such as flags, ornamental umbrellas
and fans by meditating on my incarnations, which are
decorated with Çrévatsa and various weapons.
Mad-vibhütéù means my avatäras. He becomes unconquerable and
equipped with flags, umbrellas and fans.
|| 11.15.31 ||
upäsakasya mäm evaà
yoga-dhäraëayä muneù
siddhayaù pürva-kathitä
upatiñöhanty açeñataù
A sage who worships me through yoga meditation certainly
obtains in all respects the siddhis that I have described.
This summarizes the topic.
|| 11.15.32 ||
jitendriyasya däntasya
jita-çväsätmano muneù
mad-dhäraëäà dhärayataù
kä sä siddhiù su-durlabhä
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?
Däntasya means “of a person who has controlled the mind.” Jita-
çväsätmanaù means “of the person who has controlled the breath and
his customary nature.”
|| 11.15.33 ||
antaräyän vadanty etä
yuïjato yogam uttamam
mayä sampadyamänasya
käla-kñapaëa-hetavaù
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 (mäyä), 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.
|| 11.15.34 ||
janmauñadhi-tapo-mantrair
yävatér iha siddhayaù
yogenäpnoti täù sarvä
nänyair yoga-gatià vrajet
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 devatäs have powers
by being born as devatäs, 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-sütra says
janmauñadhi-tapo-mantra-yoga-jäù siddhayaù: 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.
|| 11.15.35 ||
sarväsäm api siddhénäà
hetuù patir ahaà prabhuù
ahaà yogasya säìkhyasya
dharmasya brahma-vädinäm
I am the cause, the maintainer and the master of all siddhis, of
the yoga system, of jïäna, of niñkäma-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 jïäna (säìkhyasya), and the cause of niñkäma-karma
(dharma), which produces jïäna.
|| 11.15.36 ||
aham ätmäntaro bähyo
’nävåtaù sarva-dehinäm
yathä bhütäni bhüteñu
bahir antaù svayaà tathä
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 antaryämé and
also pervade everywhere outside.
I am the object of meditation for the yogés and jïänés. I am the
antaryämé. “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 Bhägavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance
with the previous äcäryas.
