The Origin of Ashtasiddhi
Author Kedi Ganapati
✦ Table of Contents ✦
- The Essence of Ashtasiddhi
- Anima Siddhi: Invisible Without Disappearing
- Mahima Siddhi: Fame is Known, Mahima is Own
- Garima Siddhi: The Weight of Principles
- Laghima Siddhi: Lightness in Readiness
- Prapti Siddhi: Attainment through Alignment
- Prakamya Siddhi: The Supreme Power of Will
- Ishitva Siddhi: Mastery Through Madness
- Vashitva Siddhi: The Honor to Influence
- Spiritual Power, Not Physical Transformation
THE ESSENCE OF ASHTASIDDHI
Kiran: “What is Ashtasiddhi?”
Ganesh: “Anima, Mahima, Laghima, Garima, Prapti, Prakamya, Ishitva, and Vashitva—these eight spiritual accomplishments are known as Ashtasiddhi.”
Kiran: “What are spiritual accomplishments (siddhis)?”
Ganesh: “They are the accomplishments that make a person's life happy and simple.”
ANIMA SIDDHI: INVISIBLE WITHOUT DISAPPEARING
Kiran: “What is Anima Siddhi?”
Ganesh: “The ability to make one's character, nature, and existence subtle or small according to the situation and circumstances—this is called Anima Siddhi.”
Kiran: “What does that achieve?”
Ganesh: “Suppose you are the owner of a company and want to uncover the truth about corruption within it. If you behave like the owner, no one will speak openly. If you act like a senior officer, people will still remain formal. But if you disguise yourself as a novice cleaning worker—behaving in a non-interfering, non-intimidating way, as if you aren't even there—people will fearlessly reveal the truth in your presence. At that moment, your existence becomes subtle to them. This is the essence of Anima. Being able to reduce your presence from that of the owner to the lowest-level employee—and even while being great, behaving as someone small—is only possible through Anima Siddhi.”
Kiran: “What benefit does this provide? How does it make life happy and simple?”
Ganesh: “A person is not always surrounded by familiar people; sometimes, there are only strangers around. In such situations, if you always act like a boss and expect respect everywhere, you will only invite suffering. Ego will flare up unnecessarily, and negative emotions will keep arising. Wherever there is a need to diminish your character or position, Anima Siddhi allows you to do so, making life natural, simple, and free from problems caused by unwarranted ego.”
Kiran: “I have heard that Hanuman makes his body extremely tiny—this is called Anima Siddhi.”
Ganesh: “So, even though you know everything, you were testing me.”
Kiran: “No, I want to understand the reality. By hearing others' views and yours, I want to develop my own thinking.”
Ganesh: “Hanuman is a master of subtlety, just like you. In adverse situations, he makes his presence so subtle that even the person sitting next to him cannot sense that Hanuman is there. Hanuman does not shrink his body—he diminishes his character and existence so that no one recognises him in his true form. It's like an owner entering a group of employees in disguise; no one would recognise the owner.”
Kiran: “How can Anima Siddhi be attained?”
Ganesh: “Anima Siddhi is attained by letting go of ego and by fully accepting the present situation.”
Kiran: “Can I attain Anima Siddhi?”
Ganesh: “You yourself are Anima; your mother and brother don't know what your true existence and original form are.”
MAHIMA SIDDHI: FAME IS KNOWN, MAHIMA IS OWN
Kiran: “What is Mahima Siddhi?”
Ganesh: “The ability to make one's character and existence so great that people in distant countries can recognise and perceive you—this is Mahima Siddhi.”
Kiran: “What does that achieve?”
Ganesh: “Whoever possesses Mahima Siddhi is seen by the entire world. There is no need to introduce yourself—the world introduces you.”
Kiran: “Do all famous people have Mahima Siddhi?”
Ganesh: “Some people achieve fame; others achieve Mahima.”
Kiran: “What is the difference between fame and Mahima?”
Ganesh: “With fame, people may know you, but they do not necessarily respect or support you. With Mahima, people not only know you but also respect and support you.”
Kiran: “How is Mahima Siddhi attained?”
Ganesh: “It is attained by those who continuously strive to research and provide what the world needs, along with solutions to its problems.”
GARIMA SIDDHI: THE WEIGHT OF PRINCIPLES
Kiran: “What is Garima Siddhi?”
Ganesh: “When the weight of one's existence and character becomes so profound that no one can shake it—this is Garima Siddhi.”
Kiran: “What is the benefit of this?”
Ganesh: “Once Garima Siddhi is attained, you no longer need to protect your character or existence—society itself begins to protect it, and no opponent can even slightly undermine your presence.”
Kiran: “How is Garima Siddhi attained?”
Ganesh: “It is attained by remaining steadfastly loyal to one's own principles and beliefs.”
Kiran: “What does loyalty to principles mean?”
Ganesh: “Suppose you set a rule that you will do any work but never act against your country. No matter how much temptation is offered, you refuse to break that rule—this is loyalty to principles.”
Kiran: “What happens if Garima Siddhi is not attained?”
Ganesh: “A person may lose their loyalty and become a traitor, anti-national, adulterer, or deceiver.”
Kiran: “Can I attain Mahima Siddhi?”
Ganesh: “At present, you are an atheist. You can understand the knowledge of religion, but you lack faith and devotion toward God and the nation. If you wish to attain Mahima Siddhi, you must awaken faith and loyalty toward God or the nation. Only then will you find the true path and objective to achieve Mahima Siddhi.”
LAGHIMA SIDDHI: LIGHTNESS IN READINESS
Kiran: “What is Laghima Siddhi?”
Ganesh: “To make one's existence and character so light that anyone can carry you on their shoulders—this is Laghima Siddhi.”
Kiran: “What does a "light" character mean?”
Ganesh: “It means being ready immediately whenever there is work to do, someone to meet, or a place to go. A person who acts without overthinking is said to have a light character.”
Kiran: “What is the benefit? How does it make life successful?”
Ganesh: “With Laghima Siddhi, there is no excessive or unnecessary thinking before any task. People without it overthink a thousand things, get exhausted, and eventually avoid the work altogether.”
Kiran: “How is Laghima Siddhi attained?”
Ganesh: “Whenever something needs to be done, thought and action must occur together—not thought first and action later, and certainly not action first and thought later, as you sometimes do.”
Kiran: “Can I attain Laghima Siddhi?”
Ganesh: “Right now, you have Laghima Siddhi only for vada pav and chicken–mutton. The moment food is involved, you’re ready to travel anywhere in just one second. But to attain Laghima Siddhi for religious and national service, it may take you 10–12 years of dedication.”
PRAPTI SIDDHI: ATTAINMENT THROUGH ALIGNMENT
Kiran: “What is Prapti Siddhi?”
Ganesh: “The easy attainment of the accomplishments necessary for the development of one's character and existence—this is Prapti Siddhi.”
Kiran: “What are the accomplishments needed for the development of existence?”
Ganesh: “Right now, your existence is that of a seeker. If you wish to become an astrologer, knowledge of astrology is the accomplishment required for your development. With Prapti Siddhi, you would easily acquire that knowledge.”
Kiran: “What should one do to attain Prapti Siddhi?”
Ganesh: “It is attained through continuous research into topics related to the fundamental purpose of life.”
Kiran: “Can I attain Prapti Siddhi?”
Ganesh: “It’s impossible at the moment. To attain Prapti Siddhi, a seeker must have a clear purpose in life—but you have none. First, discover your life’s purpose; once you do, Prapti Siddhi will find you on its own.”
PRAKAMYA SIDDHI: THE SUPREME POWER OF WILL
Kiran: “What is Prakamya Siddhi?”
Ganesh: “Possessing the willpower to fulfil one's desires and resolve—this is Prakamya Siddhi. Among the eight siddhis, Prakamya is the supreme one. Without it, no other siddhi can be attained.”
Kiran: “Is Prakamya Siddhi like an entrance exam?”
Ganesh: “You understood correctly. Before attaining any other siddhi, one must first attain Prakamya. Until Prakamya is achieved, the others remain inaccessible.”
Kiran: “What is the benefit of Prakamya Siddhi?”
Ganesh: “If you want to visit a temple atop a hill, you may have the physical strength to climb, but without the willpower to begin, you won't even approach the hill.”
Kiran: “Can I attain Prakamya Siddhi?”
Ganesh: “The world is blessed with the Prakamya Siddhi of money, which is why people develop the willpower to work for wealth. You, however, have received the Prakamya Siddhi of experience—so your willpower is driven by the desire to gain experiences. You must also acquire the Prakamya Siddhi of money; otherwise, you will remain poor all your life. And because of you, I won’t be able to experience wealth either.”
ISHITVA SIDDHI: MASTERY THROUGH MADNESS
Kiran: “What is Ishitva Siddhi?”
Ganesh: “Attaining complete knowledge and mastery in any subject—this is Ishitva Siddhi.”
Kiran: “What is its benefit?”
Ganesh: “Whoever attains it easily gains full knowledge and skill in the required subject.”
Kiran: “How is Ishitva Siddhi attained?”
Ganesh: “Through continuous practice of any knowledge or skill.”
Kiran: “Can I attain Ishitva Siddhi?”
Ganesh: “The way you get bored and change jobs every four to six months, your experiences can at best make a colourful patchwork blanket—but they cannot give you Ishitva Siddhi. The day you work consistently in one field for at least twelve years, only then will you be able to attain mastery, authority and Ishitva Siddhi in that work.”
VASHITVA SIDDHI: THE HONOR TO INFLUENCE
Kiran: “What is Vashitva Siddhi?”
Ganesh: “To captivate society through one's excellent work—this is Vashitva Siddhi.”
Kiran: “What is the benefit of Vashitva Siddhi?”
Ganesh: “After attaining it, society becomes captivated even by your performance of an ordinary task.”
Kiran: “How can society be captivated by an ordinary task?”
Ganesh: “No matter how skilfully a good dancer performs, if someone with Vashitva Siddhi does even a simple dance move, the entire audience will still be spellbound.”
Kiran: “Can I attain Vashitva Siddhi?”
Ganesh: “Not yet. Vashitva Siddhi is attained by someone whose work is visible to the world. In your case, even your own family doesn’t know what you do—so how will the world see it? The day your work becomes visible to everyone, that will be the day you can hope to attain Vashitva Siddhi.”
SPIRITUAL POWER, NOT PHYSICAL TRANSFORMATION
Kiran: “Can Ashtasiddhi be attained without tantric worship?”
Ganesh: “Yes, people with sharp intellect can attain the siddhis without worship. Those whose intellect is less sharp need the proper technique, and to acquire that technique, they may resort to tantric worship.”
Kiran: “Is it true that Ashtasiddhi allows changing the body's size—making it smaller or larger?”
Ganesh: “Ashtasiddhi is a spiritual accomplishment; it is not a power to physically reduce or increase body size. There has been a misunderstanding—symbolic statements have been taken literally. Ashtasiddhi has no relation to the physical body; it pertains entirely to a person's existence and character.”
Kiran: “Which of the Ashtasiddhis have I attained?”
Ganesh: “The very moment a question arises in your mind— “Which Ashtasiddhi have I attained?” —Understand this: you have attained none. Because once a true siddhi is gained, such a question no longer arises. When any siddhi is truly achieved, the world itself will inform you which Ashtasiddhi you have received.”
Conclusion
That night I realised that the Ashta Siddhis are not physical powers but spiritual ones. Ashta Siddhi is not the power to change the body but the power to change one's character and existence. The saying "appearance is greater than intellect” finds its meaning here.
Those who believe the Ashta Siddhis are physical powers give greater importance to appearance, while those who understand them as spiritual powers value intellect more. I will continue striving to attain the Ashta Siddhis in order to develop and elevate my intellect and character.
Note: This content represents a chapter of Kedi Purana, a 64-chapter work authored by Kedi Ganapati. Kedi Purana is a modern Purana of the present and final Kaliyuga.
