THE EIGHT DIVINE POWERS (ASHT SIDHHIS)
Anima
A person who succeeds in identifying his physical form with that of the Lord gains Anima Siddhi. All matter in this universe is made of atoms. The soul within the human body is made of very highly vibrating energy and hence it remains invisible. It is only through insight that the soul can be identified. And the Supreme too is nothing but this energy. Hence when the mind concentrates on the Supreme a person gains Anima Siddhi or the power to make one’s body smaller than an atom.
Mahima
When a person is able to concentrate all his thoughts on the Supreme he gains this power through which the physical body can be made huge as a mountain. For gaining this power one must contemplate on the form of the Lord that is made of the five elements.Thoughts are said to be the first manifestation even before matter existed. Vedas call thoughts Hiranyagarbh and the Purans call them Brahm. Concentrating the thoughts helps one gain the power of Mahima. In the battle of Kurukshetra Lord Krishan had manifested his Viraat or universe form before Arjun and he had used this very power in the process.
Laghima
In it too one contemplate on the five elements that constitute all matter. Through this power a Yogi can assume any form. The gods and goddesses of the Hindus are said to possess such powers. In our country even rivers, mountains and places are worshiped as deities. Thus the Himalayas, the rivers like Ganga and Yamuna are all deities who have assumed such forms due to all deities who have assumed such forms due their divine powers. They can any time manifest in human or their divine forms. On gaining this power an individual can assume any form. He can become omnipresent like the air, he can be at any place in a trice and he can even become invisible. Or if he so wishes he can assume a number of forms at the same time. Lord Krishna use this very power when he danced in a different form with every Gopi(maiden).
Praapti
This power is related to the senses. The ancient texts have focused a lot on the Sadhanas through which this power can be gained. When all the senses are concentrated and their energy is directed towards the Supreme then one gains this power. Through this accomplishment a person can transport any object placed anywhere in the universe to where he wants to be. This power is different from Pret Sadhana in which a spirit’s help is sought for this purpose and Surya Siddhant in which one object can be transported into another using the rays of the sun. In the year 1987, Poojyapaad Sadgurudev Dr. Naryan Dutt Shrimali had left those present amazed when he produced out of thin air the dairy of a visiting disciple which he had mistakenly left behind home in London. When a Yogi uses this power he does it through his astral body which can travel millions of miles in less than a second while the physical body stays put and he can thus transfer objects from one place to another. In other words through his power even impossible looking tasks can be easily accomplished.
Prakaataya
Through this power one can view any world and plane of existence when one so wishes. To gain this power all one’s thoughts are to be concentrated. And when this happens then one can be easily have glimpse of the Supreme.Swami Vivekananda noticed that his Guru Ramakrishna Paramhans had such power. Even a new Sadhak can have the experience of visualising the forms of deities in a state of deep trance. When one enters into meditation all gods, goddesses and etheral being like Yakshas, Kinnars and Gandharvas start to manifest. One can then see them and one can even see great Yogis who live on a different plane. This in fact is the way of having a glimpse of of the Supreme and all deities.
Eeshitaa
Through this power one can control the Maya energy. One then gains the power to create and destroy at will. One has to contemplate on the form of Lord Vishnu in order to gain any form. A Yogi with this power can gain any form. In the form of a god he can visit heaven or in the form of a Yaksha he can travel to any place in the universe or in the form of a human he can live on earth.
Vashita
When one gains this power one becomes free of infatuation and one rather starts to love all creatures due to which all become captivated by one’s presence. For this one has to enter into a trance and meditate on the form of Lord Narayan. In the state of trance the person is raised to the highest level of consciousness. In such a state not just the living creatures rather even the non living world comes under one’s control. Even a lion turns into a tame cat in the presence of such a Yogi. If the person so wills he can even move a mountain through his thoughts. By just looking at objects a Yogi can move inanimate objects. Many aghoris have such power with the help of which they can rule over the nature. They can even change seasons, for at their command the clouds start to rain.
Prakaamya
One has to worship the formless Brahm for gaining this power. Through it all one’s wishes are fulfilled and no wish is then left. Then one attains moksha or freedom fro the continuous cycle of birth and death. Till there are unfulfilled wishes a person has to keep taking birth. But as soon as all wishes are fulfilled the cycle of birth and death stops and one becomes free.
