Asta-siddhi

Expressions researched:
"asta siddhi" |"asta-siddhi"

SB Canto 1

SB 1.5.6, Purport:

A person who is cent-percent engaged in the service of the Lord is the emblem of all knowledge. Such a devotee of the Lord in full perfection of devotional service is also perfect by the qualification of the Personality of Godhead. As such, the eightfold perfections of mystic power (aṣṭa-siddhi) constitute very little of his godly opulence. A devotee like Nārada can act wonderfully by his spiritual perfection, which every individual is trying to attain. Śrīla Nārada is a cent-percent perfect living being, although not equal to the Personality of Godhead.

SB Canto 4

SB 4.8.78, Purport:

Dhruva Mahārāja naturally became equal to the greatest, Brahman, by His association, and thus became the heaviest, and the entire universe trembled. In conclusion, a person who always concentrates on the transcendental form of Kṛṣṇa within his heart can very easily strike the whole world with wonder at his activities. This is the perfection of yoga performance, as confirmed in Bhagavad-gītā (6.47). Yoginām api sarveṣām: of all yogīs, the bhakti-yogī, who thinks of Kṛṣṇa always within his heart and engages in His loving transcendental service, is the topmost. Ordinary yogīs can exhibit wonderful material activities, known as aṣṭa-siddhi, eight kinds of yogic perfection, but a pure devotee of the Lord can surpass these perfections by performing activities which can make the whole universe tremble.

SB Canto 9

SB 9.23.24, Translation:

The son of Kṛtavīrya was Arjuna. He (Kārtavīryārjuna) became the emperor of the entire world, consisting of seven islands, and received mystic power from Dattātreya, the incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Thus he obtained the mystic perfections known as aṣṭa-siddhi.

Krsna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead

Krsna Book 87:

The distinction between the Supersoul and the conditioned individual soul is that the Supersoul, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead, maintains His natural opulences, known as ṣaḍ-aiśvarya, aṣṭa-siddhi and aṣṭa-guṇa.

Because of their poor fund of knowledge, the Māyāvādī philosophers forget the fact that Kṛṣṇa is always full with six opulences, eight transcendental qualities and eight kinds of perfection. The six opulences are wealth, strength, beauty, fame, knowledge and renunciation. No one is greater than or equal to Kṛṣṇa in these six opulences. The first of Kṛṣṇa's eight transcendental qualities is that He is always untouched by the contamination of material existence. This is mentioned in the Īśopaniṣad: apāpa-viddham. Just as the sun is never polluted by any contamination, the Supreme Lord is never polluted by any sinful activity. Although Kṛṣṇa's actions may sometimes seem impious, He is never polluted by such actions.

Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures

Lecture on BG 1.31 -- London, July 24, 1973:

Yogeśvara. Yoga, yoga there are powerful mystic power. Yoga means mystic power. Not this yoga, this playing some gymnastics. That is not yoga. Yoga means when one becomes perfect in yoga, he gets many siddhis. They are called aṣṭa-siddhi, eight kinds of siddhi. Aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti-siddhi, like that, so many. Īśitva, vaśitva. So a yogi, aṇimā, he can become the smaller than the smallest. We are already smaller than the smallest, because our real dimension, spiritual dimension, is one ten-thousandth part of the tip of the hair. This is our dimension. This is only outward covering, this body. Keśāgra-śata-bhāgasya śatadhā kalpitasya ca (CC Madhya 19.140). So a yogi can give up this body and come to his original, spiritual body, and it is so small that you cannot keep yogi in prison. Anywhere. Because there is some hole, he'll get out. This is yogi. This is mystic power. What do they know about mystic power? Simply press the nose, that's all.

Lecture on BG 1.45-46 -- London, August 1, 1973:

So they obtain eight kinds of siddhis. They are also called siddhas. From material point of view, a perfect yogi can counteract anything, and whatever he likes, he can do. That is called siddhi, aṣṭa-siddhi. But still, he is not as siddha as Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa's name is Yogeśvara. He is the master of all the yogis. Yogesvara. Yatra yogeśvaraḥ kṛṣṇaḥ (BG 18.78). The yogis also, they are deficient with Kṛṣṇa's power. Still, some rascals, without any yoga siddhi, they claim that "I have become God." What is your qualification? Have you got all the yoga-siddha? Then how you claim that you are... But rascals, they claim to become God, and other rascals, they also believe that "Here is God." Both of them are animals. Śva-viḍ-varāhoṣṭra-kharaiḥ saṁstutaḥ puruṣaḥ paśuḥ (SB 2.3.19). One who does not know actually what is Kṛṣṇa, if he accepts somebody, some rascal as God, then he is also animal. That is also animal.

Lecture on BG 6.4-12 -- New York, September 4, 1966:

The whole process is, yoga system is, for purifying ātmā. Purifying ātmā... You always remember that ātmā means this body, ātmā means the mind, ātmā means the soul. So purifying these things. So yoga system is made not that cheaply I want some power. Sometimes the yogis they achieve very wonderful power. Aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga. Aṣṭa-siddhi, eight kinds of perfect, material perfection, they can attain. Not for that purpose yoga sys... Although they attain that power, real yogis, they do not exhibit it. They do not exhibit it. They have got the powers, so many wonderful powers, but he doesn't... His only aim is ātma-viśuddhaye: "I am now contaminated by this material atmosphere; so I have to purify myself." So that purification process we shall discuss next day. But I may say in this connection that so much difficult process for purifying the ātmā is very easily done, ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam (CC Antya 20.12), by chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare, Hare Rāma Hare Rāma Rāma Rāma Hare Hare.

Lecture on BG 7.1 -- Gainesville, July 29, 1971 University of Florida:

Therefore the yogis go in a secluded place, and in samādhi they... Controlling all the senses and the mind. You have to control the mind, control the senses, and concentrate everything on the form of Viṣṇu. That is called perfection of yoga. And after that, there are other siddhis, aṣṭa-siddhi-aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti.

So actually this yoga system is very, very difficult. It may be possible by some solitary man, but for the general mass of people it is not possible. The general mass of people, that is recommended in the śāstra that

harer nāma harer nāma harer nāmaiva kevalam

kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva nāsty eva gatir anyathā

(CC Adi 17.21)

There is no other alternative. Nāsty eva, nāsty eva. There is no other alternative, no other alternative, no other alternative. Three times. Three times means yoga, jñāna, and arcana.

Lecture on BG 7.3 -- Vrndavana, October 31, 1973:

"What solution you have made for these four miseries of life, janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi (BG 13.9)?" they have no answer. Therefore Kṛṣṇa says, that manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). They do not know siddhi, what is siddhi. Yogis are engaged for aṣṭa-siddhi. Aṇimā-laghimā-prāpti-siddhi. They can become smaller than the smallest and heavier than the heaviest and they can get anything they desire. Prāpti, īśitā. They can control over, even they can create a planet also. Yoga-siddhi. Just like Viśvāmitra Muni, he was such a great yogi that he used to create human being from trees. So you can get all these siddhis by yoga-siddhi or by any other process, but real siddhi is how to get out of this entanglement of janma-mṛtyu-jarā-vyādhi. That is real siddhi.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Sanand, December 26, 1975:

He said that bhukti-kāmī, the material persons who are desiring improvement in this world, in this life, and going to the heavenly planet next life... That is called bhukti. And mukti... Desiring liberation, that is called mukti, and... Or become one with the Supreme Brahman, that is mukti. And siddhi, yogis, they are trying to achieve some success in aṣṭa-siddhi, aṇimā, laghimā. So everyone is desiring. So therefore Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu says, kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma: "A devotee of Kṛṣṇa is not desirous of anything, either bhukti, mukti, or siddhi." The purport is, so long you desire something, you'll never get peace of mind. And a bhakta does not desire anything. He is satisfied with any position, whatever is offered to him by Kṛṣṇa.

Lecture on BG 16.7 -- Sanand, December 26, 1975:

The idea is that a bhakta does not require any material happiness or distress. He does not require any monistic proposition to merge into the existence of the Supreme. And neither he desires any jugglery of aṣṭa-siddhi yoga. So in order to become devatā, not to become asura... Asuras are always against Kṛṣṇa. There are many examples like Rāvaṇa, and Hiraṇyakaśipu, Kaṁsa. There are many. So we should remember that devatā means who is fully surrendered to the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa. So there are many symptoms of the asuras. They are all described in the Sixteenth Chapter. It requires a long time to discuss. It is not possible to discuss all the symptoms. But one of the most important symptom of the asura is here described, asatyam apratiṣṭhaṁ te jagad āhur anīśvaram (BG 16.8). Their main proposal is that there is no creator God.

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Lecture on SB 1.2.6 -- Vrndavana, October 17, 1972:

So your fever is gone? You also gone, finished." This is called śūnyavādi, "Make everything zero. Why you are suffering from fever? The best means is to cut your throat and become happy."

So bhukti, mukti, that is also desire. Bhukti, mukti and siddhi. Siddhi-kāmī, yogis, aṣṭāṅga-yoga, and aṣṭa-siddhi: aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti-siddhi, īśitā, vaśitā like that. Aṇimā, aṇu, you can become very small. Not these yogis. Actually those who are in perfectional yoga, they can become like that, smaller than the smallest. So aṇimā, laghimā, you can become lighter than the lightest. You can fly in the air. They go, by touching the beam of sun, moon, they can go. They are trying to go to the moon planet by artificial, material weapons, material means, but those who are yogis, they can catch up the beam of the moon and go. This is called... Mahimā. You can become very big, heavy. Mahimā. Just like Hanumān, he jumped over this ocean. That he, means, he assumed a big body so, so that one leg here, one leg there.

Lecture on SB 1.5.23 -- Vrndavana, August 4, 1974:

That is called... They live in the Siddhaloka. There is a... That is described in the Second Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Siddhaloka.

Now, Siddhaloka, the inhabitants of the Siddhaloka, they don't require any plane. They can go... Because siddha means the inhabitants in that planet, they are all perfect in aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga. By yogic perfection, one can travel in the space. Just like Durvāsā Muni. He traveled in the space. When there was chasing by the Sudarśana-cakra, he, by yogic power, he fled from one place to another, one place... He even entered the spiritual nature and saw Viṣṇu personally. Still he was condemned. The Sudarśana-cakra was after him, chasing. He tried to insult Ambarīṣa Mahārāja, Vaiṣṇava. So... He wanted to kill. Not only insult, but he wanted to kill him. A demon was immediately produced by his hair. The yogis can do that. Aṇimā... Aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti-siddhi... Whatever they like... Immediately he brought one demon.

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Mayapura, October 23, 1974:

Therefore Kṛṣṇa is not an ordinary living being. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality. That is described here. What is Kṛṣṇa? Kṛṣṇa is Yogeśvara. Yogeśvara means... Yoga, mystic power... There are so many yogis, they can exhibit yogic power—aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti-siddhi. So, so many—aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga—not these ordinary yogis, simply practicing some āsana, but real yoga means to get this perfection, aṇimā, aṇu, to become very, very... We are very small. So the yogic power... They can give up this material body, and in their spiritual body they can enter anywhere, through a hole. That is called aṇimā-siddhi. Similarly, laghimā-siddhi: they can become very light, walking on the water. That is called laghimā-siddhi. Mahimā-siddhi: to becoming, become very big also. There are so many siddhis. So we are not very much interested with these siddhis.

Lecture on SB 1.8.43 -- Mayapura, October 23, 1974:

So we are not very much interested with these siddhis. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta... Because... Just like a rich man's son, He does not bother about earning money because he knows that "My father is very rich. So if I need money, my father will supply." Similarly, we take shelter of the Yogeśvara, the master of all mystic power. So if you want to see some aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga, we take shelter of Kṛṣṇa and He'll show. Why shall I take so much trouble? Why? So people say that in the Western world, I have played wonderful things. But I did not know any siddhi. It is Kṛṣṇa's desire. He has shown. Kṛṣṇa is pleased that "For Me, this person has come to serve Me. Now see how wonderful it is." Therefore Yogeśvara. Instead of becoming a yogi, you take shelter of Yogeśvara. Then all yogic power will be within your control. Just like a rich man's son, if he is in trouble, the whole father estate is behind him. So why should he hanker after earning money?

Lecture on SB 1.10.5 -- Mayapura, June 20, 1973:

Similarly, every one of us, we can travel. Even within this material world, there are different grades of planets. There is one planet which is called Siddhaloka. There the inhabitants, they can fly in the sky without any instrument. Aṇimā-siddhi, yoga-siddhi. Therefore it is called Siddhaloka. All kinds of yogic, aṣṭa-siddhi, eight kinds of perfection they possess. They haven't got to practice the mystic yoga system. By nature, they are perfect. As the yogis can travel from one place to another without any instrument, they will sit down here and perform the yogic practice. Within a moment or within a minute, wherever he wants to go, he'll be there. This is yogic perfection. This is called aṇimā-siddhi. Laghimā-siddhi, prāpti-siddhi, vaśitā-siddhi, īśitā-siddhi.

Lecture on SB 3.25.13 -- Bombay, November 13, 1974:

Ātyantika means supreme. The struggle for existence in this material world is everyone is trying to get some happiness and minimize the quantity of distress. This is called struggle for existence. Generally, yoga practice is executed for getting some material profit: aṇimā laghimā prāpti īśitā vaśitā mahimā. Aṇimā... The yogis, they have aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga, eight kinds of perfection. One can become smaller than the smallest or lighter than the lightest, bigger than the biggest, whatever he likes, he can get immediately, vaśita, he can control over, he can create a planet even. These are some of the yoga-siddhis. But here it is said that the supreme yoga system is not to aspire for material happiness, neither to become distressed by the material inconvenience.

Lecture on SB 3.26.46 -- Bombay, January 21, 1975:

They have no other desire. Others, the jñānīs, they have desire to merge into the existence of the Lord. They want that. And the yogis, they, by the grace of the Supreme Paramātmā, they want to get some siddhis, aṣṭa-siddhi. But the bhaktas, they do not want mukti or siddhi; they simply want to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is pure devotion.

So in this life also, we can utilize these earthly things, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). We can utilize all these material elements in the service of the Lord. So with the earth, we can prepare the forms of the Lord, we can prepare the temple of the Lord, so many things. That is required. That is sāttvika. It is called here bhāvanaṁ brahmaṇaḥ sthānaṁ dhāraṇaṁ sad-viśeṣaṇam. Sad-viśeṣaṇam. Sad-viśeṣa and asad-viśeṣa. This is asad-viśeṣa. This is to be understood.

Lecture on SB 5.5.17 -- Vrndavana, November 5, 1976:

On account of this body of avidyā, ignorance, the blunt senses are simply... They have been described sometimes as kāla-sarpa. Kāla-sarpa indriya-paṭalī durdānta-indriya-kāla-sarpa paṭalī. So therefore yoga system is recommended to control this kāla-sarpa, the indriyas. Yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. Real yoga, ordinary yoga Nobody is getting that yoga-siddhi, aṣṭa-siddhi. Generally the so-called yogis, they show some āsana, dhyāna, dhāraṇā, praṇāyāma, but that is meant for controlling the senses. Yoga indriya-saṁyamaḥ. Without sense control nobody can make any progress in human life. Tapasya. That is called tapasya. The yoga is also another tapasya. Tapo. Tapasā brahmacaryeṇa (SB 6.1.13).

Lecture on SB 5.5.21-22 -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1976:

"Except in this planet, everywhere there is dust and rocks." This is their foolishness. No. Here it is stated that siddha Tato manuṣyāḥ pramathās tato 'pi gandharva-siddhā. So see development. Siddha. Siddha means those who have got yogic mystic power, siddhi, aṣṭa-siddhi. Aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti, īśitva, vaśitva, these are called siddhis. Nowadays so-called yogis, they show some gymnastic. That is not siddhi. Siddhi is different thing. One can become smaller than the smallest. That is called aṇimā. One can become bigger than the biggest, just like Hanumānji. He jumped over the sea. Jumped over sea... This is mahimā-siddhi. One can become as big as required. Just like there is water. A grown-up man can cross water by jumping, but a small child cannot do.

Lecture on SB 6.1.15 -- Denver, June 28, 1975:

"Somebody" means "very rarely." It is not so easy thing to become vāsudeva-parāyaṇāḥ. Yesterday I explained that Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa, says that yatatām api siddhānāṁ kaścid vetti māṁ tattvataḥ, manuṣyāṇāṁ sahasreṣu kaścid yatati siddhaye (BG 7.3). Siddhi means perfection of life. Generally they take it aṣṭa-siddhi of yoga practice—aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti, siddhi, īśitva, vaśitva, prākāmya. So these are called siddhis, yoga-siddi. Yoga-siddhi means you can become smaller than the smallest. Our actually magnitude is very, very small. So by yoga-siddi, in spite of having this material body, one yogi can come to the smallest size, and anywhere you keep him packed, he will come out. That is called aṇimā-siddhi. Similarly, there is mahimā-siddhi, laghimā-siddhi. He can become lighter than the swab of cotton. The yogis, they become so light. Still there are yogis in India. Of course, in our childhood we saw some yogi, he used to come to my father. So he said that he could go anywhere within very few seconds.

Lecture on SB 7.6.14 -- New Vrindaban, June 28, 1976:

So he said, "Yes, you can get it. Go into the room and you'll find." So they found a bunch of pomegranate just fresh taken from the tree. This is called prāpti. The yogis, they can get all these facilities. Prāpti siddhi. Īśitā, they can keep anyone under his control. Īśitā, vaśitā... There are eight kinds of aṣṭa-siddhi. But that is not perfection of life. Caitanya-caritāmṛta kaja says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmi-sakali "aśānta" kṛṣṇa-bhakta-niṣkāma, ataeva "śānta" (CC Madhya 19.149). Bhukti means karmis, they are also wanting something, material success. Mukti, the jñānīs, they want liberation, to merge into the existence of Brahman. And siddhi, the yogis... So everyone wants something. Therefore they then you have to struggle for it. But kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta does not want anything. They simply want to be en-gaged in the service of the Lord. That is their satisfaction. That is the aim of life. Unfortunately we are not educated, we are not given training.

Lecture on SB 7.9.7 -- Mayapur, February 27, 1977:

He is not ordinary sādhana-siddha or of course, ultimately there is no difference, either sādhana-siddha or kṛpa-siddha or nitya-siddha. But we should always remember that Prahlāda Mahārāja is not ordinary devotee. He is nitya-siddha. Therefore immediately he developed the transcendental symptoms, aṣṭa-siddhi. Aṣṭa-siddhi, you have read in The Nectar of Devotion. So the ecstasies Ekāgra-manasā. Ekāgra-manasā, "with full attention." For us to bring that full attention may take hundreds and thousands of years, full attention. But Prahlāda Mahārāja, immediately. Immediately. Five-years-old boy. Because he is nitya-siddha. Always we should remember that we cannot imitate. "Now, Prahlāda Mahārāja has immediately ekāgra-manasā, and I shall become also." No. That is not possible. May be possible, but that is not the way.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Seattle, October 21, 1968:

Actually, they are materially. These are material, that they can fly in the sky without any machine, without any machine. Wherever they like, they can go. Whatever they want, immediately... That is yoga-siddhi. You have heard of so much advertisement of yoga. Actually, when one becomes perfect in yoga, aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga, eight kinds of material perfection, that he can become the smallest... Smaller than the atom he can become. He can go out from anywhere. You lock him in airtight packed, but he'll come out. This is called animā-siddhi.

Lecture on SB 7.9.8 -- Mayapur, February 15, 1976:

This is described. They don't require any machines. Still, like the yogis, those who are perfect yogis, they can go from one place to another without any vehicle. There are many yogis still existing. They take bathing in four dhāmas. In Hardwar, in Jagannātha Purī, in Rāmeśvaram and similarly... Yogis can do that. Yogis, they attain asta-siddhi, eight kinds of perfection: animā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti, like that, īśitā, vaśitā, like that. So the Siddhaloka means they are born siddhas. They haven't got to practice this mystic yoga system. Just like a small sparrow: it can fly automatically. Why a small sparrow? Even a small insect. But if you want to fly, you have to create so many big machineries. So in that case, in the matter of flying, the small insect or the small sparrow is siddha. You are trying to fly in the sky with so many jets and 747 Jumbo. But a small fly, it can fly immediately, I mean, two miles within some seconds. So they are siddhas. What you cannot do, if other can do, that is called siddhi.

Lecture on SB 7.9.52 -- Vrndavana, April 7, 1976:

By karma, by activities, you can earn money and fulfill your material desire. That is called karma. And then jñāna. Jñāna means to understand that "I am spirit soul; I am not this material body." And then there is another sphere of activities. That is spiritual activities, jñānam. And then yoga. Yoga means whatever you want, aṣṭa-siddhi, aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti, īśitā, vaśitā, whatever... This is yoga. So karma, jñāna, yoga. These are the different processes of opulence. Now, Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. Here it is said, kāma-pūraḥ asmi aham. "You desire something. So I'll fulfill your desire." Kāma-pūraḥ. "I shall fulfill your desire. Why you are bothering? You just become My devotee." Sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja. (BG 18.66) "I shall fulfill all your desires. Why you are endeavoring? There is no need of endeavoring. You chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, and whatever you want, you'll get it." This is wanted.

Lecture on SB 7th Canto -- Calcutta, March 7, 1972:

Dhana means riches; abhijana means aristocratic family; bala means bodily strength; buddhi, intelligence; pauruṣa, power in endeavor, industrious. These are material qualification. And the yoga, aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga, that is also material. By exercising the body to concentrate the mind, that is also material. Because mind is material, subtle form of matter. It is explained in the Bhagavad-gītā, bhūmir āpo 'nalo vāyuḥ khaṁ mano buddhir eva ca (BG 7.4). Mind, intelligence, ego, ahaṅkāra itīyaṁ me bhinnā prakṛtir aṣṭadhā. So they are subtle form of matter. So yogic exercise means to control the mind, dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā. In order to make the mind controlled and fully fixed up on the Supreme Personality of Godhead, that is required in yoga meditation. Dhyānāvasthita, one remains in meditation. What for?

Nectar of Devotion Lectures

The Nectar of Devotion -- Bombay, January 1, 1973:

They are called bhukti-kāmī. Bhukti and mukti. Mukti means the jñānīs, they want to be liberated from material bondage and merge into the existence of Brahman, Absolute. That is mukti. Bhukti, mukti and siddhi. And the yogis, they want siddhi, aṣṭa-siddhi. Aṇimā, laghimā. They can become more smaller than the smallest, bigger than the biggest. Prāpti, īśitā vaśitā prākāmya. There are eight kinds of siddhis the yogis can attain. But a devotee does not want all these things. He has no demand. These are the three demands: bhukti-mukti-siddhi. But devotee has no demand. That is the special qualification. Devotee never demands anything. Just like Dhruva Mahārāja, as soon as appeared Kṛṣṇa, he said: svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yāce (CC Madhya 22.42). "I don't say."

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, October 28, 1972:

There is no enjoyment. Actual enjoyment, to merge into the existence of Brahman." So that is also a subtle sense enjoyment. Leave this world, and enter into Brahman. Then you feel happy. So that is also sense enjoyment. Similarly, yogis, they also want power, material power. Aṇimā laghimā siddhi. Aṣṭa-siddhi. So if you have some power, you can fly in the air, you can walk over the water, you can get anything you desire immediately. These are yoga-siddhi. So that is also satisfying own sense gratification. So except bhakti, everything is for sense gratification. That is unfavorable. Kṛṣṇa does not want to satisfy anyone's senses. That is not Kṛṣṇa's business. Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme. He wants everyone should serve Him. He's not going to serve anyone. That is Kṛṣṇa's position. Therefore anyone who serves Kṛṣṇa and preaches this philosophy, to serve Kṛṣṇa, that is favorable. Ānukūlyena kṛṣṇānuśīlanam (CC Madhya 19.167). Go on.

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 4, 1972:

So devotional service is the only way. Karmī, karmī means they are working very hard for their personal benefit. Not for Kṛṣṇa's benefit. Similarly, jñānīs, they are also trying for personal benefit, mukti. He wants mukti, liberation, nirbheda-brahmānu-sandhana. And similarly, yogis also, they want personal benefit, some material power, aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga, aṇimā-laghimā-siddhi. Bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. Caitanya-caritāmṛta Kaja says except pure devotee, who only wants to satisfy Kṛṣṇa, everyone is working for his personal benefit, karmī, jñānī, yogi. But Kṛṣṇa says, "Pure devotional service..." Not... Rūpa Gosvāmī says, "Pure devotional service is the only means to attract Kṛṣṇa." Now... But ignorance is no excuse. Go on reading. Next. "Generally, one commits sinful activities..."

The Nectar of Devotion -- Vrndavana, November 9, 1972:

Yoga siddhis, they are simply material arts. Just like one example is given, that aṇimā siddhi, aṇimā siddhi means to enter into the stone. So we see in the Western countries they are boring big, big hills and entering in the stone. So that aṇimā siddhi is being possible, is made possible by modern scientific research. So all the siddhis, aṣṭa siddhi, aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti, prākāmya, īśitā, vaśitā, these all siddhis are material. They are not spiritual. But people do not know what is spiritual perfection. They become amazed by seeing some magic by these yogic arts. They're simply material arts. Go on.

Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures

Lecture on CC Madhya-lila 20.112 -- Bombay, November 24, 1975:

Karmī wants some material result, immediate sense gratification, and here is also sense gratification. He is expecting something impossible—"I want to become one with God." So they cannot also get peace. That is not possible. And yogi, they also wanting to be something, siddhi, aṣṭa-siddhi. Aṇimā, laghimā, garimā, prāpti, siddhi, īśitva, vaśitva. There are eight kinds of siddhis. The yogis want to get these siddhis and declare that he has become God, the same, like the jñānī. People are hankering after. If some yogi, some..., play some yogic prakriyā, magic: "Oh, here is God." He does not see the wonderful magic which is going on throughout the whole universe. A simple magic captivate them.

So Caitanya-caritāmṛta kar therefore says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. They cannot get peace. That is not possible. Kṛṣṇa-bhakta niṣkāma (CC Madhya 19.149). Kṛṣṇa bhakta, he doesn't want anything. Caitanya Mahāprabhu, at least, teaches us, and that is the... Anyābhilāṣitā-śūnyam (Brs. 1.1.11), zero, no abhilasa.

Philosophy Discussions

Philosophy Discussion on Plotinus:

Prabhupāda: These are karmīs. And higher than the karmīs are the jñānīs. They are speculating on the Absolute Truth by their education and coming to the conclusion that God is impersonal; when we merge into that impersonal feature, that is our liberation. And the yogis, they are trying to get some mystic power by practicing mystic yoga system—wonderful power, aṣṭa-siddhi, eight kinds of perfection: to become lighter than the lightest, to become smaller than the smallest, to become bigger than the biggest. Whatever they like, they can get. They can subdue anyone, bring under his control with that yogic (indistinct). But real yoga means to see the Supreme within the core of the heart. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). In this way there are different processes. They are called karma, jñāna and yoga. But they require endeavor to elevate, strenuous endeavor, all these practices.

1973 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation -- September 19, 1973, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No... nāpnuvanti. Saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ. Saṁsiddhim. Siddhi, siddhi is ordinary. If you become transcendentalist, jñānī, yogi, that is also kind of siddhi. Yogis, they have got aṣṭa-siddhi, aṇimā-laghimādi. But that is not saṁsiddhi. Saṁsiddhi is different. Saṁsiddhiṁ paramāṁ gatāḥ. The highest perfection, saṁsiddhi is to go back to home, back to Kṛṣṇa. That is saṁsiddhi. Mām upetya kaunteya duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam (BG 8.15). That will save him from coming down again to this place which is full of miserable conditions of life. That is saṁsiddhi. That one can attain very easily. That is also described, that janma karma me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ: (BG 4.9) "Anyone who understands Me in truth..." Generally, people understand Kṛṣṇa that "He appeared as a great personality, son of Vasudeva. At Mathurā, He was born. And He acted very gorgeously in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra, and so on, so on." This is also knowing. But this is not knowing factually that Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When one understands Kṛṣṇa, the original source of everything, janmādy asya yataḥ (SB 1.1.1), which Kṛṣṇa explains, mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat: (BG 7.7) "There is no superior authority beyond Me." Ahaṁ sarvasya prabhavaḥ: (BG 10.8) "I am the origin of all." When one understands Kṛṣṇa like that... The Māyāvādī philosophers, they think that "I am also Kṛṣṇa, I am also Kṛṣṇa."

Morning Walk -- December 2, 1973, Los Angeles:

Prabhupāda: Yes. And unless one is factually desireless, he cannot be happy. The karmī, jñānī, yogi, they are all full of desires. Therefore they are unhappy. Karmīs are the lowest of the unhappies, jñānīs are little advanced, yogis are little more advanced, and the perfection is the bhakta, devotees. Na dhanaṁ na janaṁ na sundarīṁ kavitāṁ vā jagad-īśa kāmaye (Cc. Antya 20.29, Śikṣāṣṭaka 4). This is bhakta. (break) ...siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta. Bhukti means karmī, and mukti means jñānī. And siddhi, aṣṭa-siddhi, magic power, mystic power. That is called siddhi. Those who are practicing yoga, if they are actually yogis, they can have aṣṭa-siddhi. Aṇimā, laghimā. They can become smaller than the smallest, heavier than the heaviest. Mahimā, prāpti. They can get anything they like. A yogi can get... Suppose if you want a pomegranate from Kabul, he will get immediately. Yes. That is yogi. As if he is snatching from the tree, yes. Prāpti-siddhi, īśitā.

1974 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- February 23, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Oh. So a magician can do...

Dr. Patel: A magician he was. He would stop that train. Stand behind and stop the train. Stop. He must, people must have got some siddhis by...

Prabhupāda: Ah, the yogic siddhi, aṣṭa-siddhi, aṇimā-laghimā...

Dr. Patel: No, but that, this aṇimā-laghimā, you get, the sāttvika fellows. But these, these people who are...

Prabhupāda: No, no. Anyone can get. It is a practice mechanical.

Dr. Patel: But wrong, wrong...

Prabhupāda: Mechanical.

Morning Walk -- April 5, 1974, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Siddha, there is a Siddha-loka. So they can fly from one planet to another without any machine, siddha-saṅgāḥ. Means the aṣṭa-siddhi yogas, they have got naturally.

Dr. Patel: All aṣṭa-siddhis, they have got.

Prabhupāda: Yes. They are called siddha, Siddha-loka. Just like here if anyone wants to walk over the water, he requires to acquire so much mystic power. You see? Some of the yogis. But you will find one bird, skylark, one swan, he is very easily doing.

Dr. Patel: They have siddhas from the birth.

1975 Conversations and Morning Walks

Morning Walk -- May 16, 1975, Perth:

Paramahaṁsa: Didn't one demon construct a big parliament house for Kṛṣṇa? That demon Māyā? For King Yudhiṣṭhira?

Prabhupāda: Umm.

Amogha: Aṣṭa-siddhi dāsa, when he came back from Fiji he told us a story that the local people say that Kāliya snake, after he ran away, he lives in Fiji in a big lake.

Devotee (1): On top of a mountain.

Prabhupāda: Yes, he was driven away from Vṛndāvana. (pause) They are all going to the downtown?

Devotee (1): Yes. To the factory areas also, in Fremantle.

Prabhupāda: Oh. Where is the factory area?

Morning Walk -- November 12, 1975, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: Śānti means to become devotee. Otherwise there is no question of. Jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati. That is wanted. If one does not know Kṛṣṇa, where is śanti? Kuto śanty ayuktasya. Even Dhruva Mahārāja, he was... He became too much restless, being insulted by stepmother. He went to the forest, but there was no śanti. He was always restless. Nārada Muni came, advised him that "You are a child. Why you are so much agitated by so-called insult, family talks?" And "No, I don't want your advice." He refused. Then Nārada Muni gave him initiation, that "This boy is very strong." But actually, when he realized God, then he became svāmin kṛtārtho 'smi varaṁ na yace: (CC Madhya 22.42) "My dear Lord, now I am fully satisfied. I have no desire." This is śanti. Even mokṣa-vaṁcha is not śanti because there is demand: "I want mokṣa." The karmīs, they want sense gratification; the jñānīs, they want liberation; the yogis, they want mystic power, aṣṭa-siddhi. Only the devotee, he doesn't want. He wants only to serve Kṛṣṇa. (plane flying over) It is going so low.

1976 Conversations and Morning Walks

Room Conversation and Reading from Srimad-Bhagavatam Canto 1 and 12 -- June 25, 1976, New Vrindaban:

Prabhupāda: "My lord! Everything that is mysterious is known to you because you worship the creator and destroyer of the material world and the maintainer of the spiritual world, the original Personality of Godhead, who is transcendental to the three modes of material nature." Purport. "A person who is cent percent engaged in the service of the Lord is the emblem of all knowledge. Such a devotee of the Lord in full perfection of devotional service is also perfect by the qualification of the Personality of Godhead. As such, the eightfold perfections of mystic power, aṣṭa-siddhi, constitute very little of his godly opulence. A devotee like Nārada can act wonderfully by his spiritual perfection, which every individual is trying to attain. Śrīla Nārada is a cent percent perfect living being, although not equal to the Personality of Godhead."

Conversation with Prof. Saligram and Dr. Sukla -- July 5, 1976, Washington, D.C.:

Prabhupāda: Our activities are going on on the platform of karma and jñāna. Or little more on yoga. Karma, jñāna and yoga. So one has to give up all these, karma, jñāna. The karmīs are working for sense gratification. The jñānīs are working for being liberated. The yogis are working for some magical power. Aṣṭa-siddhi. So one has to become free from all these desires. Anyābhilāsa-śūnyam, anyābhilāsa-śūnyam, jñāna-karmādy-anāvṛtam (CC Madhya 19.167). Simply you should be prepared to execute the order of Kṛṣṇa. If you are trying in different way, for sense gratification, karmīs are grossly, they want something (indistinct) they want nice car, wife, house, nice wife, nice (indistinct), So many things. That is karmī life. Jñānī, as they are baffled, they say, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā, this endeavor for all mithyā. They take sannyasa, but after few days, again they take to the karmī's life. So that is also not good. Restless, so long you remain karmī, jñāni, yogi, restless.

Evening Darsana -- August 14, 1976, Bombay:

Prabhupāda: No, even these yogis, they can do that. Aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti-siddhi. Aṣṭa-siddhi-yoga. By yogic process you can become so stout and strong that you can take a hill on your... Mahimā.

Indian man (2): I may come tomorrow.

Prabhupāda: Ācchā.

Indian man (3): I had written to you, and I think Mr. Saurabha had forwarded my letter to you, to which I got a reply, and I was asked to come and meet you today. I just require to is it the right program of the right place or right tell you what I had in mind or perhaps have in mind? I have about thirty acres of land at Udaipur, in Rajasthan. I was trying to make a campus with studios, laboratories, and residential places for these producers, stars, casts, and things. When discussing with Mr. Saurabha I was amazed that some spare land which we had thought of utilizing for horticulture, we could better utilize it for cowherds to have say one hundred cows. I have been thinking, apart from this cowherd business, I have been thinking about this campus for some time back.

1977 Conversations and Morning Walks

Conversation with Yogi Amrit Desai of Kripalu Ashram (PA USA) -- January 2, 1977, Bombay:

Yogi Amrit Desai: (laughs) That's right. Even they don't have that.

Prabhupāda: They simply say, "yogi." But the real yogi means they have got siddhis, aṣṭa-siddhi: aṇimā, laghimā, mahimā, prāpti, īśitā, vaśitā. These are siddhis. Yogis, if they are real yogi, then I can put you into the room, lock it, and you can come out. That is yogi, not by simply showing some posture.

Yogi Amrit Desai: That's right. They're the real siddhis.

Prabhupāda: That is another thing to control the senses. But real yogis mean the first siddhi is aṇimā. Yogi...

Yogi Amrit Desai: They can become smaller than the smallest.

Evening Darsana -- May 12, 1977, Hrishikesh:

Prabhupāda: More than. Prakṛṣṭa-rūpeṇa mattaḥ. Mattaḥ means mad, drunkard, and pramattaḥ means more than mad. So generally people, they have become mad after sense enjoyment. Everyone is busy for sense enjoyment. This is material life. And when they are fed up, no more available, so they become tyāgī-frustration that "Grapes are sour." The jackal jumped over to get the grapes, but when he could not obtain it, then he rejects, "Ah, what is use of the grapes? It is sour." So karmīs, they are pramattaḥ, mad after enjoying, and jñānīs, being fed up, they say, brahma satyaṁ jagan mithyā: "The world is useless." So this is going on. The karmīs, they want to enjoy this material world, and the jñānīs, they are little advanced. They are... They are fed up, rather. They want to enjoy by becoming one with the Supreme. So there is want. The karmīs want to enjoy this world, and the jñānīs want also. That is demand, mukti. Mukti means to become one with the Supreme Brahman. And the yogis, they want siddhi, aṣṭa-siddhi, aṇimā, laghimā, prāpti, īśitā... They also want. Therefore our Vaiṣṇava poet, Kavirāja Gosvāmī, he says, bhukti-mukti-siddhi-kāmī sakali aśānta: "Those who are after something—either enjoyment of this material world or enjoyment of spiritually becoming one or to have some siddhis—they want something, so they cannot be happy."

1975 Correspondence

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Bombay 21 January, 1975:

I am in due receipt of your letter dated Jan. 4th, 1975 and have noted the contents. Thank you for settling things up nicely in Fiji. Enclosed, please find one copy of a letter to Vijoya das requesting him to work co-operatively with Asta Siddhi das.

Try to get some nice farm. That will be very good. If we can produce milk products and grain, there will be grand success. I was so much pleased with your book distribution there. I am sure that the coming year will be even better. I am very much encouraged by big book distribution. I have received information from Ramesvara that 50,000 big books will be distributed every month in 1975. Introduce the books as far as possible. That is the success of our mission.

Letter to Vijaya -- Bombay 21 January, 1975:

I hope that everything is going nicely there in Fiji. I have heard that Mr. Punja is now enlivened to work with us again. This is very good. He can help us in many ways, and he is a devoted man. You are a devotee, so this is the process, yasya prasadad bhagavata prasadao . . . So, kindly follow my instructions very carefully and work co-operatively with Asta Siddhi das. That will be good for you and the people in general. Do not deviate in any way.

Letter to Madhudvisa -- Vrindaban 7 December, 1975:

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter with the recommendations for first and second initiation, their names are as follows;

Steve—Visvahetu Das

Dave—Dustamohana Das

Grant—Jitagarisa Das

Rodney—Usapati Das

Peter—Adhipurusa Das

Samjata Das Brahmacari

Lugudi Das Brahmacari

Veno Gopala Das Brahmacari

Krpa Kara Das Brahmacari

Jagatvira Das Brahmacari

Asta Siddhi Das Brahmacari

I have chanted on the sacred threads and they are enclosed herewith, now hold a fire ceremony and have the students hear the Gayatri mantra chanted by me and the tape recording through the right ear. Instruct the newly initiated Brahmins about cleanliness, taking bath three time daily, taking bath each time after passing stool. Cleanliness within and without, that is very important for brahminical life. The qualifications of the Brahmanans are described in the 18th Chapter 42nd verse of the Bhagavad gita. You may chant on the beads of the first initiates, and they must chant at least 16 rounds daily, that will keep them strong.