Srimad Bhagavatam & Seven Siddha Dehas

Mahanidhi Madan Gopal Das

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Did you know that not less than 7 siddha dehas are clearly described in the Srimad Bhagavatam? Yes, it’s absolutely true—confirmed by the highest authority: the Bhagavata, which is the topmost, perfect shastra pramanam, amala Purana and the Pāramahaṁsa-saṁhitā.

Whether one is a Sri Krishna krpa-patra or a spiritually perfected bhakta sadhaka, he/she WILL ATTAIN a beautiful and divine siddha svarupa or SIDDHA DEHA. By the mercy of Sri Guru and Bhagavan Sri Krishna, the following personalities attained siddha dehas and went eternally to the spiritual sky:

1. BALAK NARADA MUNI

evaṁ kṛṣṇa mater brahman, nāsaktas yāmal ātmanaḥ

kālaḥ prādurabhūt kale, taḍit saudāmanī yathā

“O Brahmin Vyasa! Giving up all material attachments, I focused my pure mind completely on Sri Krishna and gave up my material body. Instantly, without any time interval at all, I received my spiritual body (siddha deha), like lightning flashing simultaneously with lightning.

prayujyamāne mayi tāṁ, śuddhāṁ bhāgavatīṁ tanum

ārabdha karma nirvāṇo,  nyapatat pāñca-bhautikaḥ

“Having been awarded a transcendental body befitting an associate of Bhagavan Sri Vishnu, my material body made of five material elements and my karmas fell away.” (SB 1.6.27-28)

Sridhar Swami tika:

The verse word prayujyamāne means that the siddha deha was personally brought by Bhagavan Sri Vishnu [from Vaikuntha] and given or awarded to Narada Muni at death.

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti tika:

Previously, after once giving His sakshad darshana to the boy sadhaka, Narada Muni, Bhagavan Sri Vishnu disappeared and spoke invisibly from the sky (akash vani), saying, “O Narada, when you give up this body of low birth, you will become My associate.” (SB 1.6.23)  Here in verse 28, Sri Vishnu fulfills His promise as Narada Muni simultaneously gives up his material body and receives the spiritual body, siddha deha.

2. YUDDHISTHIRA & PANDAVAS

“Hearing the arrangements of Sri Krishna and the proper situation of the Yadu family, without others knowing, Yudhiṣṭhira fixed his mind on attaining Krishna’s abode.” (SB 1.15.32)

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti tika:

 The word svah in this verse (SB 1.15.32) usually refers to the celestial heavens, but here it means the spiritual realm of Vaikuntha, as proven four chapters later (SB 1.19.20), which says, “sadyo jahur bhagavat pārśva kāmāḥ, “The Pandavas attained Krishna’s abode in the spiritual sky.”

3. PUTANA RAKSHASI

Just see the inconceivable and most astonishing compassion of Bhagavan Sri Krishna! A baby-killing, blood-sucking witch came to kill Him, yet Sri Krishna mercifully gave Putana a spiritual body as a nursemaid [dhatri] assistant to Yashodamaya in Goloka Vrindavana.

aho bakī yaṁ stana kāla kūṭaṁ, jighāṁsa yāpāyayad apy asādhvī

lebhe gatiṁ dhātry ucitāṁ taton yaṁ, kaṁ vā dayāluṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajema

Sri Uddhavji said, “O! The most evil Pūtanā, intent on killing Krishna, offered her poisonous breast to Krishna, yet she attained the position of a nurse in the spiritual world. Who else can be as merciful as Bhagavan Sri Krishna? Thus I surrender to Krishna!” (SB 3.2.23]

4. THE PERFECTED SADHAKA

Here Bhagavata describes the Vishnu/Krishna premi-sadhaka (anuragi Vaisnava) who experiences ecstatic symptoms of divine love just before leaving the material body to attain Vaikuntha and a spiritual form, siddha deha.

yac ca vrajanty animiṣām ṛṣabhānuvṛttyā, dūre yamā hy upari naḥ spṛhaṇīya śīlāḥ

bhartur mithaḥ suyaśasaḥ kathanānurāga, vaiklavya bāṣpa kalayā pulakī kṛtāṅgāḥ

Sri Brahmaji said, “The dedicated followers of Bhagavan Sri Vishnu have transcended the rules and regulations (dura yama) of yoga meditation and other austerities and even surpassed us. Possessing the most excellent qualities, they cry incessantly due to their intense attraction for Hari-katha and then enter Vaikuntha [which means attaining a siddha deha].” (SB 3.15.25)

5. BALAK DHRUVA MAHARAJA

Immediately on the spot, by the inconceivable shakti of Sri Vishnu, Balak Dhruva’s human body underwent transfiguration and became a spiritual body in this most amazing chapter of Srimad Bhagavatam.

Parīt yābhyarcya dhiṣ ṇyāgryaṁ, pārṣadāv abhivandya ca

iyeṣa tad adhiṣṭhātuṁ, bibhrad rūpaṁ hiraṇ mayam

“Before boarding the transcendental Vaikuntha airplane, Balak Dhruva circumambulated and worshiped it; offered respects to the Vishnu parshads (associates); and assumed a golden form. Then that plane delivered him to Dhruvaloka, an outpost of Vaikuṇṭha within the material atmosphere.” (SB 4.12.29)

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti tika:

Balak Dhruva worshipped the Vaikuntha airplane by offering flowers dipped in chandan while saying “Bhagavad vimānāya namaḥ.”

6. AJAMILA THE SINNER

After 80 years of grossly sinful life, the Brahmin Ajamila was saved from hell by Bhagavan Sri Vishnu. Then he went to Haridvar tirtha to perform intense Vishnu bhakti bhajana. At death, he got a siddha svarupa [siddha deha] and liberation to Vaikuntha.

hitvā kalevaraṁ tīrthe, gaṅgāyāṁ darśanād anu

sadyaḥ svarūpaṁ jagṛhe, bhagavat pārśva vartinām

“After seeing the Vishnuduttas [messengers of Bhagavan Sri Vishnu], Ajamila gave up his body at Haridvara by Ma Ganga, and immediately attained a spiritual body as an associate of Bhagavan Sri Vishnu.”

Śrīnātha Cakravartī (Mahaprabhu parshad and Sri Advaita Prabhu shishya) said, the verse word SADYA means a seamless transfer; it occurred immediately without any break.

mmgd:

The Sanskrit word meanings in this verse are crystal clear.

Sadya; immediately Ajamila got it i.e. siddha deha.

Sva-rūpam; means his own individual spiritual form i.e. the siddha deha or “the siddha svarupa” as Sri Rupa Gosvami describes it in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu.

Jagṛhe; means Ajamila adopted or assumed it.

Bhagavat-pārśva-vartinām; means Ajamila attained a spiritual body as an associate of Bhagavan Sri Vishnu i.e. samipya-mukti.

 7. GAJENDRA THE ELEPHANT

A couple of kids, a fiendish witch and a fallen papi Brahmin all got the mercy of Sri Krishna and attained spiritual bodies, siddha dehas, in the spiritual realm. Now just observe how the line of divine krpa extends even to beasts, as Sri Vishnu liberates a suffering jungle elephant.

yaṁ dharma-kāmārtha-vimukti-kāmā, bhajanta iṣṭāṁ gatim āpnuvanti

kiṁ cāśiṣo rāty api deham avyayaṁ, karotu me 'dabhra-dayo vimokṣaṇam

Hati Gajendra prayed, “Persons desiring dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa worship Bhagavan Sri Vishnu/Krishna, attain assorted material benedictions, the treasure of prema and a spiritual body too. May that unlimitedly merciful Bhagavan Sri Vishnu/Krishna also liberate me from samsara and give me an imperishable spiritual body [deham avyayaṁ], siddha deha.” (SB 8.3.19)

Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti tika:

Devotees having material desires also serve Sri Krishna. They desire dharma, kāma, artha and liberation which they get by worshipping Bhagavan Sri Krishna. Besides that,  they also receive the most cherished goal of Krishna prema.

The Bhagavata says, “Bhagavan Sri Vishnu certainly gives the objects desired by His devotees. However, He gives them in such a way that the devotee, after enjoying them, will not ask for them again. Even though they don’t desire them, Sri Krishna lovingly gives His lotus feet to such motivated worshipers. (SB 5.19.27)

Bhagavan Sri Vishnu gives the desired material objects, and also gives them a spiritual body as He did with Dhruva and others. Thus Sri Vishnu is unlimitedly merciful.

mmgd: The siddha deha that Gajendra prayed for here was attained in the next chapter of Srimad Bhagavatam. This is a very very important point for sadhakas of bhakti. Following Gajendra’s example of intentionally praying to Sri Krishna for a siddha deha, we too should pray to Sri Krishna to kindly and mercifully reveal our personal siddha dehas.

However, unlike Gajendra, who seeing his life about to end in the jaws of the crocodile of death, prayed once at death to attain a siddha deha, sincere sadhakas SHOULD PRAY EVERDAY to Sri Krishna to please reveal their individual and beautiful siddha dehas right here and right now.  

gajendro bhagavat sparśād, vimukto 'jñāna bandhanāt

prāpto bhagavato rūpaṁ, pīta vāsāś catur bhujaḥ

“Because Bhagavan Sri Vishnu directly touched Hati Gajendra, the elephant was totally freed from ignorance and samsara. Gajendra attained the Vaikuntha liberation of svarupya-mukti, i.e. the same transcendental bodily features as Sri Vishnu with four hands and a brilliant yellow dress.” (SB 8.4.6.)

Conclusion:

Can anyone imagine the tremendous power, beauty and sweetness of bhakti in any form, be it karma/jnana mishra bhakti, shuddha-bhakti or even deceitful devotion masking murderous intents? Disregarding all mixed motives, Bhagavan Sri Vishnu/Krishna kindly purifies His worshipers, humbly fulfills their material desires, and gives them eternal spiritual forms in Vaikuntha even if they aren’t desiring them.

Children, sinful Brahmins, sincere sadhakas, prakrta-bhaktas, murderous witches and even beasts like elephants—all get the mercy and attain the spiritual sky by the infinite, divine compassion of Sri Vishnu/Krishna.

“O Sri Krishna, remembering all these success stories of Srimad Bhagavatam, I too hope one day to receive a drop of Your mercy, the embrace of Your love, and a spiritual form too. Please, O Sri Krishna, please, O please, don’t neglect this one piteously crying in Your divya dhama!” (concept from madan-gopal blogspot)

Sri Krishna krpa ki jai! Jaya Jaya Sri Radhe!