Siddha

ˈsɪdʌ - सिद्ध

A perfected being. (1) The siddha has worked out all past karma and freed himself from entanglement in the world of maya. (2)

According to the Upanishads, the siddha has progressed from the state of jivan mukta (“freed while living”) to the state of param mukta (“supremely free”). He has escaped from mayic delusion and thus liberated himself from death and the need to reincarnate. (3) He may reincarnate as an avatar (“descended master”) to serve humanity as a pure incarnation of God. (2)

Unlike the jivan mukta, the siddha rests fully in his oneness with God. Although the jivan mukta has achieved the highest state of consciousness nirbikalpa samadhi and attained to union with the divine, he must work out karma through life and help liberate other beings. (4)

Paramhansa Yogananda said that very few saints had achieved final liberation. Only Babaji, Lahiri Mahasaya, and Sri Yukteswar mentioned in his autobiography had become siddhas, although many other masters had become jivan muktas. (5)

The yoga posture Siddhasana, practiced with the feet pressed against the base of the spine, helps the soul to develop siddhas (spiritual powers) and ultimately become a siddha. It influences and awakens the spinal centers during meditation. (6)

References
  1. ↩ The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita, explained by Paramhansa Yogananda.
  2. a b The Essence of Self-Realization, by Paramhansa Yogananda. Chapter 10, “Working Out Karma.”
  3. ↩ The Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramhansa Yogananda. Chapter 33, “Babaji, the Yogi-Christ of Modern India,.”
  4. ↩ The Essence of the Bhagavad Gita, explained by Paramhansa Yogananda. Chapter 15, “Freedom Through Action.”
  5. ↩ The New Path, by Swami Kriyananda. Part II, Chapter 32, “‘I Am Spirit.'”
  6. ↩ Ananda Yoga for Higher Awareness, by Swami Kriyananda. Sitting Poses, “Siddhasana, The Perfect Pose.”