1 Eight Siddhis ( Ashta Siddhis)
Dear Reader
This story is based on Hinduism and its complex philosophies. So, you will find some words foreign to you. I have explained them along with the story. One thing I like to point out is that it is a bit complex plot, so you will only get an idea after reading almost 30 to 40 chapters. However, I promise you an unpredictable story full of mysteries, and powerful Astras.
Enjoy your reading. Please don't forget to vote and add to your library.
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Onish looked up at the golden Sanskrit characters floating in the air as they descended from the blazing sun. The sacred and most ancient hymns of Vedas 13were resounding in the air. Bewitched by them, he now realized why his venerated guru used to say Vedas are self-preserved. As long as the deity Surya (the sun) is here, he will bestow them on the worthy ones. Thus no one ever can destroy Sanatan Dharma12. He could feel the resonance with hymns and the new memories forming in his mind. The secrets of nature were unfolding before him. He closed his eyes as he bathed in the rain of divine knowledge. It was his hard-earned blessing. How many years had gone by?
Maybe 100 or more. Onish lost the count long ago. His guru, Swami Anand Giri, left for another lokas (universes) after teaching him how to please Lord Surya, the holder of all knowledge. Onish didn't let him down. Yes, it did take him longer. Longer than any other of his seniors. They all left him one by one. There were times when he had felt that he should give up. But the words from Shri Mad Geeta 7gave him the strength. Shri Krishna said," One should enjoy the journey without thinking of the destination. As it is a journey that matters, that teaches us, makes us worthy of the reward."
Myriads of Vidyas 14(sacred skills) were unfolding before him. All the major eight powers of yogi 6called ashta siddhis with their minor siddhis (yogic powers) began to awaken one by one. He could see everything that was happening on the earth or that had ever occurred and would occur in the future. He saw countless strange beings roaming everywhere, invisible to mortals. He tried to recognize them. Soon their names began to come up in his mind as if he had known them already: Kinners, Yakshas, Raksha, Datyas, Ghosts, Pichas, Dakinis, Betal, Vidyadhar, Gandharbhas, Yamdutas3, and so on.
The wonders and horrors of the world that were once hidden from him had been unmasked.
Amidst all these wonders, he forgot the passing of time. Nights fell, and the days came and went. However, Onish remained seated like the stone statue.
Seven days passed before the hymns finally stopped, and the characters vanished. The valley fell silent as if waiting for the yogi to awake. The sun rose above the snow-capped mountain, basking the meditating Yogi in its warm blessing. Flakes of snow that had gathered over Onish melted away, and with it, his eyes stirred and finally opened.
Onish unlocked his mudras 1and bandhas 2before taking a deep breath. His eyes glittered with unparalleled wisdom. He gave the last look to his surrounding, where he had spent most of his life. Time had come to say goodbye to this world. He could feel his bond with this world growing weaker and weaker. He had to go before he was forcefully summoned and thrown randomly in some unknown dimensions. So without wasting time, he closed his eyes again and locked bandhas and mudras one by one. His prana (soul)5rose through the different chakras guided by his newly awakened knowledge known as Loka -Parloka Vidya.(power to go into another universe)10
He stopped in the Agya chakra. He had to wait for the half ghadi 9(12 mins) to open the shishumar randhra (orifice). (a mythical orifice just between your eyebrows)
This wait was nothing for him. However, for some odd reason, he felt a sense of urgency, a crisis. Even with his awakened siddhis, he was unable to pinpoint the exact cause. Time seemed to pass much slower. After it appeared an hour had gone by, he saw a tiny spot glowing with bluish light. It was the fabled shishumar 4orifice, portal to other lokas (worlds). Onish didn't hesitate a bit as he guided his soul towards it. But as he was leaving his body, he sensed an invisible hand close in on him. He didn't bother to check what it was. Onish used one of eight siddhis called anima ( power to become smaller than the smallest) and plunged himself into the bluish portal.
However, the portal shook hard as something smashed into it. Horrified, and bewildered Onish saw many cracks like a spider web appeared all over its glowing wall. What was it? Who was after him? Seeing the portal was about to shatter, Onish used isitva 8siddhi to manipulate the space. But the invisible force struck so violently that the portal crashed even before Onish could do anything. Strong spatial winds whipped his soul mercilessly. He felt as if thousands of tiny sharp blades were slicing his soul. Horrified, he looked around using his spiritual eye, and what he saw made him forget his current predicament.
A giant golden hand was furiously crushing tiny glowing dots in the dark void. These dots were none other than universes inhabited by myriads of species.
Onish might have stayed longer to find out who this tyrant was, but the spatial winds were getting stronger. Besides, he was now quite sure the hand was after him. It was just a matter of time before it would find him and crush him like an ant. There was nothing he could do to stop the hand. He has no plan to use his siddhis unless he had to. It would drag him down to the same gutter from where he had escaped after so many births and deaths.
He looked around, hoping to find some clue or the shattered portal to the Brahm Loka15 where his guru and all seniors had left for. But he saw nothing but dark void and glowing specks. The hand was approaching towards the specks where he was hiding. He closed his eyes and decided to gamble. Maybe this was also the will of Paramatma11.(Supreme Godhead)
He used his third siddhis prapti ( power to travel at will). As he had no destination in his mind, so he didn't know what would happen. He felt as if his soul was dissolving into the void. The last thing he saw before his mind went blank was the giant hand crushing the speck where he was hiding. And a furious roar that twisted the void too.
NOTE:
-----Power system ---
This story happens in the multiverse, so there is no unique set of power systems for the entire story.
Each universe has its own power system. So as the story progresses the power systems will change.
The story begins in Mazia, where mysterious energy called 'spirit' is a prime source of magic or power. One, who could use this power. is called a spirit wielder.
To become a spirit- wielder a child must visit a spirit shrine and have an awakener to awaken one's nadis (spirit paths) unique to oneself. The ceremony called 'awakening ceremony is held each year during Phalgun month ( Feb-march in our world).
After having awakened his nadis, the child has to join an elementary academy to learn the basic uses of spirit such as telekinesis, fighting skills, communicating with other species, divine tongue to cast spells, forming various shields, etc.
Depending on the child's ability, he passes out of the elementary academy in five or six years.
Based on his performances in the exam, he is allowed to take trials for various apprentice academies, or guilds.
Where he learns advanced uses of spirit.
As for what are the spirit paths and how shields and attacks work you have to read the story.
***Glossary:
Vedas: Four sacred books of Hinduism. These books are supposed to be the manual of this world.
Shri Mad Geeta: A holy book of Hinduism, has teachings of Supreme God Krishna.
Mudras: a symbolic gesture of the hands and fingers used either in ceremonies and dance or in sculpture and painting.
Bandhas: being a kind of internal mudra described as a "body lock". Used in Yoga to stop energy and soul.
Eight Siddhs are:
1)Anima:
This is the ability to shrink one's body size, even to the size of an atom. Becoming smaller than the smallest was described in Srimad Bhagavatam by Lord Krishna.
A common example of anima is when Lord Hanuman reduced his size when searching for Sita in Sri Lanka.
2) Mahima
The complete opposite of Anima, Mahima is becoming larger than the largest - as also described by Lord Krishna in Srimad Bhagavatam.
Lord Hanuman also assumed this form to set Lanka ablaze, and to fight Kumbha Karna.
3) Garima
This is the ability to become very heavy by will, that one is rendered immovable by anyone, or anything.
This is documented when Lord Hanuman made his tail so heavy that even the extremely strong Bhima couldn't lift it.
4) Laghima
Laghima originates from the root word "laghu", which means small, or light. This siddhi can make one's body also weightless. Levitation and flying are the extended powers of this siddhi.
5) Prapti
This is the ability to obtain anything, anywhere. We might have read in the Hindu scriptures, or watched in mythical-themed shows, the Gods materializing things out of thin air - thanks to prapti siddhi.
6) Prakamya
The ability to obtain anything desired, and realising dreams. It is also the powers that enables one to live in water, and the power to enter the body of another person. For example, Sri Sankara entered the body of Raja Aamruka of Benares, and Tirumoolar entered the body of a shepherd using this siddhi.
7) Isitva
Referring to the "power of lordliness", this siddhi is about the power of absolute lordship over the entire creation. One of the greatest siddhis, Isitva enables crossing over the laws of nature and it overlaps the other siddhis. For example, this capability enables one to separate their soul from their body at will.
8) Vasitva
This is the ability to have anything under control, especially the physical manifestation of the five elements. This is the siddhi that can conquer any/or all beings in the universe.
The above-mentioned are the primary siddhis in the yoga tantric. Besides this, there 10 secondary siddhis, and thousands, and even millions of other siddhis according to Saivism and Vaishnavism.
