Notes

Variations - (Pathanthara)

References
² – siddhi – Eight-Fold siddhi - aNiman – become minute as atom; laghiman – extreme lightness; prApti – reach anything (moon with the tip of finger); prAkAmya – irresistible will; mahiman – illimitable bulk; ISitA – supreme dominion; vaSitA – subjugating by magic; kAmAvaSAyitA – suppressing all desires : Source – Monier’s Sanskrit Dictionary.

aNiman, laghiman, prApti, prakAmya, mahiman, ISitA and vaSitA and garimA – making oneself heavy at will – Source tamizh pingala nigaNDu.

Please refer to SrImad bhAgavataM, Book 11, Chapter 15 (generally known as uddhava gIta), wherein eight primary siddhis and another 10 secondary siddhis are mentioned. Please also visit website –

Please also refer to Patanjali Yoga Sutras (Chapter 3 – Powers).

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² – siddhi mAnurA - In the ibid (SrImad bhAgavataM) reference, it also stated that these siddhis are indeed obstacles to the emancipation. The following verses are relevant–

upAsakasya mAmEvaM yOgadhAraNayA munEH |
siddhayaH pUrvakathitA upatishThantyaSEshataH || 31 ||
antarAyAn vadantyEtA yunjatO yOgamuttamaM |
mayA sampadyamAnasya kAlakshapaNahEtavaH || 33 ||

kRshNa said -
“The aforesaid siddhis in their entirety wait upon the sage who worships Me through yOgic concentration as detailed in the foregoing verses.”

“Learned experts in devotional service state that the mystic perfections of yoga that I have mentioned are actually impediments and are a waste of time for one who is practicing the supreme yoga, by which one achieves all perfection in life directly from Me.”

⁴ – alankAra – Ornamentation – This pervades each and every field of Indian poetry, drama, music, philosophy, visual arts, literary criticism. alankAra - a brief
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Comments
¹ – kshINamai – In the pallavi, the word standing alone, would mean ‘they (siddhis) wither away’ or it might refer to the withering away of the body; in the anu-pallavi, combined with the word ‘phalamulu’ it would mean ‘the fruits wither away’. When joining with the caraNa word 'vahinci' to pallavi, kshINamai would have similar meaning as that of pallavi – stand alone.

³ – gIr vANa – This word appears in the kRti ‘amba ninu’ – rAga Arabhi where it means ‘celestials’ (gIrvANa gaNAdhAri). It also appears in the kRti ‘SrI rAma rAma jagadAtma rAma’ rAga pUrNacandrika, where also it means ‘celestials’ (gIrvANa muni vandya).

In the present context such a meaning is not suitable. This word has been used in the dIkshitar kRiti ‘gIti cakra ratha sthitAyai’ and SyAmA SAstri kRti ‘pArvati ninnu nera’ to mean ‘sarasvati’. In some books, this word has been translated as ‘saMskRta’; in other books, this has been translated as ‘literature and poetry’.

However, the word ‘gIr’ has been given brackets in all the books. According to musically knowledgeable people, this word (gir), in brackets, indicates that it belongs to previous tALa Avarti.

‘gIr’, (telugu ‘gira’) among others, means ‘language’, ‘speech’, ‘words’. The saMskRta word ‘vANa’ means music. This also corresponds to the tamizh word ‘bANar’ (a morph of vANa) – meaning’ musician’. ‘gIr vAna’ in conjunction with the following word ‘nATaka’ seems to correspond to tamizh triad (muttamizh) – iyal, isai, nADagaM – prose, music and drama.

⁵ – phalamulu - In all the books the meanings derived of the anu-pallavi is that the ‘fruits of saMskRta, drama, alankAra, vEda, purANa, yajna and penance wither away’. As ‘phalamulu’ of anu-pallavi is to be joined with pallavi ‘kshINamai’, it is clear that it is the ‘siddhis’ which causes the fruits to wither away.

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⁶ – edi jEsina jagannAthuDu Siramuna hRdayamuna vahinci – In this regard, please refer to kRti ‘bhuvini dAsuDanE’ rAga SrIranjani – wherein SrI tyAgarAja states – ‘pAla muncina nITa muncina padamulE gati’ – whether you give me comforts or troubles, You feet alone are my refuge’.

This exhortation is to be seen in the light of the statement of SrI kRshNa quoted above – that these siddhis are waiting upon one who worships Lord. Therefore, any temptation to use these siddhis for personal and material gains might prove to be counter-productive for the worshipper and hence shunned.

The same is found reflected in tirumandiram of tirumUlar (tamizh work) –
By ashtanga yoga eight siddhis are attained (669); Siddhis lead to Mukti only by Sakti's Grace (670); Beyond Siddhis is True Goal (671); Siddhis lead to Kamiya Loka (672); Samadhi transcends siddhis (631) (The yogi who attains samadhi, does not seek the eight siddhis. He transcends them. He walks with God. He becomes one with the God.) (Translation by Dr B Natarajan). verses of tirumandiram and translation

Please also refer to a detailed discussion on the subject in the notes of tyAgaraja kRti 'kRpAlavAla' rAga nAdavarAngiNi

⁷ – vahinci – this is common for both for ‘Siramuna’ and ‘hRdayamuna’.
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