Siddhi - Eight Primary Siddhis

Eight Primary Siddhis

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

• Aṇimā: reducing one's body even to the size of an atom
• Mahima: expanding one's body to an infinitely large size
• Garima: becoming infinitely heavy
• Laghima: becoming almost weightless
• Prāpti: having unrestricted access to all places
• Prākāmya: realizing whatever one desires
• Iṣṭva: possessing absolute lordship
• Vaśtva: the power to subjugate all

The eight siddhis hinted at by Kapila in his Sutra - अष्टधा सिद्धिः ||१५|| - are as explained in Verse 51 of Samkhyakarika :-

• Uuha: based on the samskaras of previous births the attainment of knowledge about the twenty-four Tatwas gained by examining the determinable and the indeterminable conscious and the non-conscious constituents of creation,
• Shabad: knowledge gained by associating with an enlightened person (Guru – upadesh),
• Addhyyan: knowledge gained through study of the Vedas and other standard ancillary texts,
• Suhritprapti: knowledge gained from a kind-hearted person, while engaged in the spread of knowledge
• Daan: knowledge gained regardless of one’s own needs while attending to the requirements of those engaged in the search of the highest truth,
• Aadhyaatmik dukkh-haan: freedom from pain, disappointment, etc; arising due to lack of spiritual, metaphysical, mystic knowledge and experience,
• Aadhibhautik dukkh-haan: freedom from pain etc; arising by possessing and being attached to various materialistic gains,
• Aadhidaivik dukkh-haan: freedom from pain etc; caused by fate or due to reliance on fate,

the attainment of which eight siddhis makes one become rid of pain-causing ignorance through gain of knowledge, and experience bliss. The aim of Samkhya is to eliminate all kinds of physical and mental pains and to receive liberation.