Yoga-Sūtra 4.1: Siddhi - Supernatural abilities or a shift in perception?
11.2.2020

In his Yoga-Sūtra, Patañjali describes five ways to achieve supernatural abilities (siddhi). Or could this have been meant figuratively to refer to a shift in perception?

Yoga Sutra 4: On Inner Freedom
Yoga Sutra 4.1: Call & Response recitation by Dr. Ronald Steiner of Yoga Sūtra chapter 4 sentence 1 (12.3.2020)

janmaushadhi-mantra-tapah-samadhi-jah siddhayah ||1||
जन्मौषधिमन्त्रतपःसमाधिजाः सिद्धयः ॥१॥
janmauṣadhi-mantra-tapaḥ-samādhi-jāḥ siddhayaḥ ॥1॥

janmadvandva-compound
janmansubstantive neuter
birth
janmansubstantive neuter
janverbal rootmansuffix
birth, life
janverbal rootwitness, to birth, produce, bring forth
mansuffixKr̥tikr̥t-Suffix: Nomen Abstraktum
oṣadhidvandva-compound
oṣadhisubstantive feminine
healing herb
oṣadhisubstantive femininehealing herb, herb
mantradvandva-compound
mantrasubstantive masculine
divine saying
mantrasubstantive masculine
manverbal roottrasuffix
mantra, divine saying
manverbal rootmean, believe, imagine
trasuffixKr̥t- suffix: the means or instrument of an action, also expresses instrumentalization
tapasdvandva-compound
tapassubstantive neuter
and asceticism
tapassubstantive neuter
tapverbal root
asceticism, warmth, heat
tapverbal rootto warm up, heat up or make glow
samādhitatpuru.sa~~-compound ablative
samādhisubstantive masculine
and from the experience of complete unity
samādhisubstantive masculine
samprevixādhisubstantive masculine
composition, connection, experience of unity, state of enlightenment
samprevixtogether, with, totally
ādhisubstantive masculine
āprevixdhāverbal root
location, place, thoughts, worries
āprevixtowards, nearby
dhāverbal rootput, place, lay
jāḥnominative plural
jāsubstantive feminine
arise through
jāsubstantive feminine
janverbal root
arise from, borne from - at the end of a compound
janverbal rootarise
siddhayaḥnominative plural
siddhisubstantive feminine
supernatural abilities
siddhisubstantive feminine
sidhverbal root
supernatural ability
sidhverbal rootattain, accomplish

Some have altered states starting from birth (janma). For others, this altered perception will arise from the use of mind-altering substances (oṣadhi), the recitation of mantras (mantra) or extreme experiences (tapas). For you as a Yogin, it arises through the experience of complete unity (samādhi).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - modern transfer

Supernatural abilities arise from birth (janma), through medicinal herbs (oṣadhi), through divine sayings (mantra), through asceticism (tapas) and complete unity states (samadhi).

Dr. Ronald Steiner - historic word by word translation

Die übernatürlichen Vollkommenheiten können beruhen auf Angeborensein, Heilkräutern, Zaubersprüchen, Askese und Versenkung. [Das letzte ist der Fall beim Yogin.]

Paul Deussen - 1908

Perfection are produced by birth, herbs (of mysterious virtue) incantations, penances and meditations.

James R. Ballantyne - 1852

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