Dvāra-pālakas /dwarapalaka

3. Dvāra-pālakas /Dwarapalaka

nandādayo'ṣṭau dvārasthāśca te'ṇimādyā harerguṇāḥ |

The door-keepers of Vaikuṇṭha-the Dvāra -pālakas represent the 8 yogic powers. (S.B. 12;11;20.)

The eight door-keepers of Vaikuṇṭha are known as Dhāta & Vidhātā (East), Bhadra & Subhadra (South); Nanda, Sunanda (North); Jaya & Vijaya (West). Sometimes Nanda and Sunanda are replaced by Caṇḍa and Pracaṇḍa.

The Yoga Sutras give the following enumeration of the

Siddhis:—

1. anima — ability to become infinitely small like an atom

2. Mahimā — ability to become huge

3. laghimā — ability to become very light

4. garima — ability to become very heavy

5. prāpti — ability to obtain anything desired

6. prakāmya — ability to become irresistible

7. īśita — ability to rule over others

8. vaśita — ability to completely subjugate and control others

Some other texts give a slightly different list:—

1. ātma siddhi— power to be completely unattached and unaffected by material nature.

2. vividha siddhi— power to control matter, and minds of others.

3. jñāna siddhi— ability to remember past incarnations of oneself and of others, and the power to see the future.

4. tapas siddhi— perfect control over heat and cold, hunger and thirst, etc.

5. kṣetra siddhi— ability to astral travel anywhere in the universe.

6. deva siddhi— control over devas, demons, elementals, nature spirits and others.

7. śarīra siddhi— attainment of physical perfection, to delay the aging process, have perfect health and to heal others.

8. vikriya siddhi— power to accomplish all desires, to change ones appearance into any desired form.

These siddhis are the outcome of intense yogic practice, but they are undesirable as they can possibly be the cause of one's downfall from the spiritual path through distraction of the mind from the Ultimate Reality. Sooner or later every serious yoga practitioner is accosted by one of these gate-keepers, but one should not heed them.