Shloka 31

Adhyaya 40 — The Yogin’s Impediments (Upasargas), Subtle Concentrations, and the Eight Siddhis

Sanskrit

सूक्ष्मात् सूक्ष्मतमोऽणीयान् शीघ्रत्वं लघिमा गुणः ।

महिमाशेषपूज्यत्वात् प्राप्तिर्नाप्राप्यमस्य यत् ॥

Transliteration

sūkṣmāt sūkṣmatamo 'ṇīyān śīghratvaṃ laghimā guṇaḥ /

mahimāśeṣapūjyatvāt prāptir nāprāpyam asya yat

Translation

Aṇimā es hacerse más pequeño que lo más sutil; laghimā es la cualidad de ligereza veloz; mahimā es la grandeza por la cual uno se hace digno de reverencia universal; y prāpti es que para él nada queda inalcanzable.

Word by Word

• सूक्ष्मात्: than the subtle
• सूक्ष्मात्: अपादान (Apādāna/अपादानम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी, एकवचन (neuter ablative singular; “than/from subtle”)

• सूक्ष्मतमः: the most subtle
• सूक्ष्मतमः: कर्ता (Kartā)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूक्ष्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन; तमप्-प्रत्ययान्त (superlative adjective; nominative singular)

• अणीयान्: smaller (more minute)
• अणीयान्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अणु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन; ईयसुन्-प्रत्ययान्त (comparative adjective; nominative singular)

• शीघ्रत्वम्: swiftness
• शीघ्रत्वम्: कर्ता/उद्देश्य (Enumeration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शीघ्रत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन (neuter nominative singular)

• लघिमा: lightness
• लघिमा: कर्ता/उद्देश्य (Enumeration)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लघिमा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)

• गुणः: a quality/power
• गुणः: कर्ता (Kartā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन (masculine nominative singular)

• महिमा-अशेष-पूज्यत्वात्: from (its) greatness due to universal worship
• महिमा-अशेष-पूज्यत्वात्: हेतु (Hetu/कारण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महिमा (प्रातिपदिक) + अशेष (प्रातिपदिक) + पूज्यत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे/नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास “अशेषेण पूज्यत्वम्” इति, तस्य महिमा (from the greatness due to being worshipped by all)

• प्राप्तिः: attainment
• प्राप्तिः: कर्ता (Kartā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राप्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गे प्रथमा, एकवचन (feminine nominative singular)

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक-अव्यय (negation)

• अप्राप्यम्: unattainable
• अप्राप्यम्: विशेष्य-निर्देश (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + प्राप्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; ल्युट्/यत्-भावे “प्राप्य” (obtainable) with नञ्-प्रत्यय (unobtainable)

• अस्य: of him/of this (yogin)
• अस्य: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्गे षष्ठी, एकवचन (genitive singular “of this/of him”)

• यत्: whatever
• यत्: सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य (Relative correlate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (neuter nom/acc singular; relative: “whatever”)

Speakers

• Teacher continuing the siddhi exposition

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Yoga
• Aṣṭa-siddhi definitions
• Subtlety and mastery

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text clarifies what siddhis mean in experiential terms, while the broader lesson remains: even if nothing is ‘unattainable’ for such a yogin, liberation lies beyond acquisition.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

A technical yogic glossary within Purāṇic instruction; not a core Pancalakṣaṇa topic.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Smaller than the subtlest’ and ‘nothing unattainable’ encode a shift from gross embodiment to subtle-body dominance. Esoterically, these are capacities arising when identification with the elements loosens—yet the teaching elsewhere insists one must finally loosen identification with capacity itself.