2. Macrocosm or Mahimá. This also is a special quality of the soul that it fills the body, and extends through all space and encloses it within itself (महतो महीयान्); by thinking so, the yogi by a mere respiration of air makes his body round and turgid as a frog, and comprehends the universe in himself.
3. Lightness or Laghimá. From thinking on the lightness of the soul, the yogi produces a diminution of his specific gravity by swallowing large draughts of air, and thereby keeps himself in an aerial posture both on sea and land. This the Sruti says as (लघोर्लघीयान्).
4. Gravity or Garimá. This practice is opposed to the above, and it is by the same process of swallowing great draughts of air, and compressing them within the system, that the yogi acquires an increase of his specific gravity or garimá (गुरोगरीयान्). Krishna is said to have assumed his बिश्बम्भर मूर्त्ति in this way, which preponderated all weights in the opposite scale.
5. Success or Prápti. This is the obtaining of desired objects and supernatural powers as by inspiration from above. The yogi in a state of trance acquires the power of predicting future events, of understanding unknown languages, of curing divers diseases, of hearing distant sounds, of divining unexpressed thoughts of others, of seeing distant objects, or smelling mystical fragrant odours, and of understanding the language of beasts and birds. Hence the prophets all dived into futurity, the oracles declared future events, Jina understood pasubháshá, and Christ healed diseases and infirmities. So also Sanjaya saw the battles waged at Kurukshetra from the palace of king Dhritaráshtra.
6. Overgain—PraKámya Prakámya is obtaining more than one’s expectations, and consists in the power of casting the old skin and maintaining a youth-like appearance for an unusual period of time, as it is recorded of king Yayáti (Japhet or Jyápati); and of Alcibiades who maintained an unfading youth to his last. By some writers it is defined to be the property of entering into the system of another person; as it is related of Sankaráchárya’s entering the dead body of prince Amaru in the Sankara Vijaya.
7. Subjection Vasitwam. This is the power of taming living creatures and bringing them under control. It is defined also to be the restraint of passions and emotions as रागादि बशित्वं, and likewise the bringing of men and women under subjection. This made Orpheus tame the wild animals and stop the course of rivers by the music of his lyre, and gave Pythagoras (who derived it from India) the power of subduing a furious bear by the influence of his will or word, as also of preventing an ox from eating his beans, and stopping an eagle in its flight. It was by this that Prospero subdued the elements and aerial spirits with his magic wand, and Draupadi and Mahommed obtained the powers of stopping the courses of the sun and moon. The Magis of Persia are said to have derived their magical powers from the Máyis of India who first cultivated the magical art.
8. Dominion or Ishitwam. It is the obtaining of universal dominion either in this life or next by means of yoga, as it is recorded of Rávana, Mándhátá and others in the traditions. It is also said to be the attainment of divine powers, when the yogi finds himself in a blaze of light.
XV. The state of a Perfect yogi.
Authority of H. H. Wilson When the mystic union is effected, he (the yogi) can make himself lighter than the lightest substance, and heavier than the heaviest; can become as vast or as minute as he pleases; can traverse all space, can animate any dead body by transferring his spirit into it from his own frame. He can render himself invisible, can attain all objects, become equally acquainted with the present, past and future, and is finally united with Siva, and consequently exempted from being born again upon earth. (See Wilson’s Hindu Religion p. 131).
Ditto of Plato. We find the same doctrine in Plato’s Phaedrus where Socrates delivers a highly poetical effusion respecting the partial intercourse or the human soul with eternal intellectual Realia. He says moreover that, all objects which are invisible can be apprehended only by cogitation (yoga); and that none but philosophers (yogis), and a few of them can attain such mental energy during this life (जीबन्मुक्ति); nor even they fully and perfectly in the present state. But they will attain it fully after death; if their lives have been passed in sober philosophical training (ध्यानज्ञान). And that all souls enjoyed it before birth, before junction with the body, which are forgotten during childhood, but recalled in the way of reminiscence by association. The revival of the divine elements is an inspiration of the nature of madness (trance or ecstasy of the yoga). The soul becoming insensible to ordinary pursuits, contracts a passionate tendency to the universal. (Baine on Realism. pp. 6 and 7).