Siddhi

For Wives of Ganesha, Siddhi and Riddhi and relationship of Ashta Siddhi with Ganesha, see Consorts of Ganesha.
Not to be confused with the African Siddi or the Karnataka Siddi

Siddhi (Devanagari सिद्धि; IAST: siddhi; Tibetan: དངོས་གྲུབ, Wylie: dngos grub[1]) is a Sanskrit noun that can be translated as "perfection", "accomplishment", "attainment", or "success".[2] The term is first attested in the Mahabharata. In the Pancatantra, a siddhi may be any unusual skill or faculty or capability. As a legal term in the Manusmriti, it refers to the settlement of a debt.

In the Samkhya Karika and Tattva Samasa, and hence in Tantric Buddhism, it specifically refers to the acquisition of supernatural powers by magical means or the supposed faculty so acquired. These powers include items such as clairvoyance, levitation, bilocation, becoming as small as an atom, materialization, having access to memories from past lives, etc. The term is also used in this sense in the Sarva-darśana-saṃgraha of Madhvacharya (1238–1317).

In Patanjali's Yoga Sutras IV.1 it is stated (rendered in IAST):

janma auṣadhi mantra tapaḥ samādhijāḥ siddhayaḥ

where janma ("birth"), auṣadhi ("medicinal plant, herb, drug, incense, elixir"), mantra ("incantation, charm, spell"), tapaḥ ("heat, burning, shining, as ascetic devotional practice, burning desire to reach perfection, that which burns all impurities"), samādhi ("profound meditation, total absorption"), jāḥ ("born") and siddhayaḥ ("perfections, accomplishments, fulfillments, attainments") are rendered in English by Iyengar (1966, 2002: p. 246) thus:

Accomplishments may be attained through birth, the use of herbs, incantations, self-discipline or samadhi.[3]

Contents

Five siddhis of Yoga and meditation

In the Bhagavata Purana, the five siddhis of Yoga and meditation are described as below:

Eight primary siddhis

There is the concept of the Ashta Siddhi (eight siddhis) in Hinduism. These are:

Ten secondary siddhis

In the Bhagavata Purana, Lord Krishna describes the ten secondary siddhis as:

Hindu gods associated with gaining siddhi

In Hinduism, both Ganesha and Hanuman possess the eight supernatural powers (ashtamahasiddhis)[7] and can give one access to Ashta Siddhis.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ Dharma Dictionary (April, 2010). 'dngos grub'. Source: [1] (accessed: Thursday April 15, 2010)
  2. ^ Apte, A Practical Sanskrit Dictionary, p. 986.
  3. ^ Iyengar, B.K.S. (1966, 2002). Light on the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali. Hammersmith, London, UK: Thorsons. ISBN 978007145164, p.246
  4. ^ The Concise Srimad Bhagavatam, trans. Swami Venkatesananda, SUNY Press 1989, ISBN 0791401499
  5. ^ Danielou, Alain (1987). While the Gods Play: Shaiva Oracles and Predictions on the Cycles of History and the Destiny of Mankind; Inner Traditions International.
  6. ^ The Concise Srimad Bhagavatam, trans. Swami Venkatesananda, SUNY Press 1989, ISBN 0791401499
  7. ^ [2]
  8. ^ Mother Janaki has blessed you with the power to bestow on your devotees eight Siddhis and Nine Nidhis

Further reading