Siddha

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Siddha (Skt., ‘perfect, complete’). In E. religions, one who has attained the supreme goal, who may also have acquired the siddhi powers. The siddhi powers of a yogi include becoming invisible, leaving the body and re-entering it at will, reducing the size of one's body to that of a seed, or increasing it to that of a mountain. For Śaivites, Śiva is the supreme Siddha, Ādinātha, of whom all other siddhas are incarnations. In Buddhism the iddhi powers are comparable. For Tantric Buddhism, see SIDDHA TRADITION. Among Jains, siddhas are souls (jīva) which have attained release from karma and attained the goal. See also FIVE SUPREME BEINGS.