What Is Siddha?

India's southern states are home to the Siddhasystem of medicine, which is mostly practiced in the region. As one of the oldest systems of traditional medicine to addressthe physical body as well as its mind and spirit, it is the Tamil term Siddhi, which means "an object to be obtained" or "heavenly happiness," that the word Siddha was coined. Many ancient ideologies have their roots in India, and Siddha is no exception to this rule. The system's origins may be traced back to the ancient Tamil civilization.

Here are some alternative definitions of Siddha.

The Sanskrit Term "Siddha"

The Sanskrit term "Siddha," which means "perfected one," is commonly utilized in Indian religious and cultural contexts. It refers to "someone who has achieved a lot." Masters of physical and spiritual perfection are called "perfected masters" or "enlightened masters." The word "liberated souls" is used in Jainism to refer to those who have been freed from the cycle of reincarnation. It's also possible to describe someone as a "siddha," which is a term for someone who has developed the ability to perceive the paranormal.

Ascetics, sadhus, and yogis can all be considered siddhas since they all practice sdhana, which is a form of meditation.

Siddha In Jainism

In Jainism, the term "siddha" is used for those liberated souls who have attained moksha by destroying all of their karmas. Their sasra (transmigration of birth and death) cycle is broken and they are above the Arihantas (omniscient beings). Because they are souls in their purest form and do not have a physical body, Siddhas do not exist. As a result, they live in Siddhashila, which sits atop the entire universe. To them, temptation is a thing of the past because they have no form and no passions. There is no need for them to acquire new karmas.

Siddha In Hindi

Siddha Or Siddhar

A siddha is a person who has attained a high level of physical and spiritual perfection or enlightenment in Tamil Nadu, South India. Siddhas are said to have achieved physical immortality as a result of this. In this way, the term "siddha" refers to a person who has achieved the goal of a particular type of spiritual practice and has thus become a "perfected being." In Tamil Nadu, South India, where the siddha tradition is still practiced, those who have taken special secret rasayanas to perfect their bodies in order to be able to sustain prolonged meditation and a form of pranayama that significantly reduces their breaths are known as siddhas (or siddhars or cittars).Siddhas were rumored to possess unique abilities, such as the ability to fly. Attamasiddhigal is the collective name for these eight powers (ashtasiddhi). Siddhaloka is a subtle world (loka) in Hindu cosmology where perfected beings (siddhas) are born into the universe. They are born with the eight primary siddhis, which they can use at any time in their lives.

Kashmir Shaivism

According to Kashmir Shaivism, the word "siddha" refers to a guru who is able to perform the shaktipat ritual and thus initiate his or her followers into the yoga tradition. According to Hinduism's teachings, a siddha means "one who is accomplished" and refers to masters who have achieved enlightenment, subdued their minds to their awareness, and transformed their bodies (mainly composed of dense Rajotama gunas) into a different kind of body dominated by the sattva-dominant Rajotama gunas (see cit). Constant meditation is usually the only way to achieve this.

Siddhashrama

Situated in the Himalayas, Siddhashrama is a secluded region where great yogis who are siddhas reside. Shambhala, the mythical land of the Tibetans, serves as a model for this concept.

Many Indian epics and puranas, such as the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, mention Siddhashrama. It is stated in Valmiki's Ramayana that Viswamitra had his hermitage in the former Vishnu's hermitage, Siddhashrama. Take Rama and Lakshmana to get rid of the people who are messing with his religious practices. Siddhashrama is where they do this.

Siddha Sampradaya

The 84 siddhas and 9 nathas are always remembered when the name of Siddha is mentioned, and this tradition of Siddha is referred to as the Nath tradition. Naths and mahasiddha alike are referred to as siddhas in the same way. So, a siddha, a mahasiddha, or a nath can be referred to as a siddha. It's common to see all three termsused together.

The Bottom Line

The origins of this ancient system are difficult to pinpoint. There is a possibility that it will end with man. It was wise of our ancestors not to identify any individual as the originator of this system, but rather to attribute it to the creator. The Siddha system of medicine is said to have been passed down from Shiva to Parvati, who in turn passed it on to Nandhidevar, who in turn passed it on to the 18 siddhars. "Shiva Sampradayam" (tradition of Siva) or "Siddha Sampradayam" is the name given to it.

Agasthiyar is the most well-known of the eighteen, and several of his works are still considered standard medical and surgical texts among Siddha physicians.

A healthy body, according to Siddhars, can only lead to a healthy soul. In order to improve their physical health, they devised methods and medications that also improved their mental health. Yogic practices included years of periodic fasting and meditation, and they were believed to have achieved supernatural powers and gained supreme wisdom as well as overall immortality through their rigorous practices.

After being passed down orally, Siddhars' teachings were eventually recorded on palm leaf manuscripts, some of which can still be found throughout South India. Siddha thought has helped to uncover many causes of illness and the formulation of bizarre remedies that sometimes contain over 250 ingredients. Most siddha medical practitioners were trained in their families and under the guidance of Gurus prior to the 1950s (teachers). Gurus who are skilled in martial arts are referred to as asans. Palm leaf knowledge is believed to be held by some families, but only for their own use.

After independence, the government set up schools to teach indigenous systems of medicine, including siddha, in an effort to promote traditional medicine. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, siddha is now taught in both public and private medical schools. Two Sri Lankan universities also teach Siddha medicine