Srimad Bhagavatam — Ekadasha Skandha, Shloka 5
Yoga-siddhi — The Mystic Perfections and Their Origin in Meditation on the Lord
अणिमा महिमा मूर्तेर्लघिमा प्राप्तिरिन्द्रियै: । प्राकाम्यं श्रुतदृष्टेषु शक्तिप्रेरणमीशिता ॥ ४ ॥ गुणेष्वसङ्गो वशिता यत्कामस्तदवस्यति । एता मे सिद्धय: सौम्य अष्टावौत्पत्तिका मता: ॥ ५ ॥
aṇimā mahimā mūrter laghimā prāptir indriyaiḥ prākāmyaṁ śruta-dṛṣṭeṣu śakti-preraṇam īśitā
Di antara delapan siddhi utama: tiga yang mengubah tubuh ialah aṇimā (menjadi lebih kecil dari yang terkecil), mahimā (menjadi lebih besar dari yang terbesar), dan laghimā (menjadi lebih ringan dari yang teringan). Dengan prāpti-siddhi seseorang memperoleh apa yang diinginkan; dengan prākāmya-siddhi ia menikmati objek kenikmatan, di dunia ini maupun alam berikutnya. Dengan īśitā-siddhi ia dapat menggerakkan dan mengatur subdaya māyā; dengan vaśitā-siddhi ia tidak terhalang oleh tiga guṇa. Dengan kāmāvasāyitā-siddhi ia dapat memperoleh apa pun dari mana pun hingga batas tertinggi. Wahai Uddhava yang lembut, inilah delapan siddhi-Ku yang alami dan tiada banding di dunia ini.
Through aṇimā-siddhi one can become so small that one can enter a stone or pass through any obstacle. Through mahimā-siddhi one becomes so great that one covers everything, and through laghimā one becomes so light that one can ride on the sun’s rays into the sun planet. Through prāpti-siddhi one can acquire anything from anywhere and can even touch the moon with one’s finger. By this mystic perfection one can also enter into the senses of any other living entity through the predominating deities of the particular senses; and by thus utilizing the senses of others, one can acquire anything. Through prākāmya one can experience any enjoyable object, either in this world or the next, and through īśitā, or the controlling potency, one can manipulate the subpotencies of māyā, which are material. In other words, even by acquiring mystic powers one cannot pass beyond the control of illusion; however, one may manipulate the subpotencies of illusion. Through vaśitā, or the power to control, one can bring others under one’s dominion or keep oneself beyond the control of the three modes of nature. Ultimately, one acquires through kāmāvasāyitā the maximum powers of control, acquisition and enjoyment. The word autpattikāḥ in this verse indicates being original, natural and unexcelled. These eight mystic potencies originally exist in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, in the superlative degree. Lord Kṛṣṇa becomes so small that He enters within the atomic particles, and He becomes so large that as Mahā-Viṣṇu He breathes out millions of universes. The Lord can become so light or subtle that even great mystic yogīs cannot perceive Him, and the Lord’s acquisitive power is perfect, because He keeps the total existence eternally within His body. The Lord certainly can enjoy whatever He likes, control all energies, dominate all other persons and exhibit complete omnipotency. Therefore it is to be understood that these eight mystic perfections are insignificant expansions of the mystic potency of the Lord, who in Bhagavad-gītā is called Yogeśvara, the Supreme Lord of all mystic potencies. These eight perfections are not artificial, but are natural and unexcelled because they originally exist in the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
FAQs
In Canto 11, Krishna lists eight principal perfections—such as aṇimā (becoming minute), mahimā (becoming vast), prāpti (reaching anything), and īśitā (lordship)—and explains them as innate siddhis.
Krishna instructs Uddhava on yoga and spiritual mastery in the Uddhava-gītā context, clarifying the nature of siddhis and the higher principle of remaining unattached to the material modes.
This verse frames control and fulfillment as possible outcomes of yogic mastery, but it also highlights non-attachment to the guṇas—encouraging seekers to prioritize purity and devotion over fascination with powers.