While travelling by train, we come across ugly and dirty boys, who go from compartment to compartment, begging for alms. At first sight, we can not tolerate his presence. Just as we are about to chide him away, he starts singing. His voice is wonderful and he is singing a melodious song. His singing makes us forget ourselves. We become surprised to observe that we did not even imagine that he would have such a beautiful voice.

There is something which is even more surprising. Sometimes, we can not fathom our own capabilities. This may not be a common experience of all, but still, there are many circumstances which crop up most unexpectedly and, somehow we seem to come out of them equally dramatically.

In such situations, we begin to think "from where did I get the capacity to come out of this adverse situation?" Such incidences are common among poets and artists. Poets who read their own poems after some time will be pleasantly surprised at their own writing.

One thing becomes clear from the above two situations - "it is impossible to say at the outset as to what capacity is hidden in whom". When it is not possible sometimes to fathom our own capabilities, what is so strange in not being able to asses the capacities of someone else?

Can we say that we have acquired some special capacities over the years after being subjected to special circumstances? Can we consider ourselves 'seasoned' enough to say that we can come out of any adverse situations? No. Can we say that if we are not able to negotiate a particular difficult situation, no one else can negotiate such situations? No.

We observe that there are some situations in which we tend to lose. But others seem to come out of such situations with utmost ease. It means that some special energy manifests in them at that particular moment which helps them to emerge victors.

Why does that energy unfold in them? Why not in us?

This is indeed a tricky question. With the help of logic, we may at best be able to say why it did not unfold in us. How can we say as to why it unfolded in the other person? Sometimes, when there are two questions, solving the first one will make the answer for the other easy. Let us therefore examine one question.

The question before us is, why did it not unfold in us. First, let us see if it is possible to understand as to why some energies unfold themselves in us.

Some powers come to us by birth. The singing talent of the beggar in the train belongs to this category.

Some powers unfold when we do constant practice. For example, the ability of a person to converse in different languages.

Some other powers unfold by virtue of the company one keeps. For example, if a person is constantly in the company of a dancer for a long time, he may also become capable of dancing.

Very well. What about such powers which manifest all of a sudden in us most unexpectedly? To what category does it belong?

Here, two different answers are possible. The first answer is that such powers were already within us, though in a dormant way. When the situation demanded its manifestation, it surfaced because of our intense urge to tide over the adverse situation.

The second answer is that because it was our destiny to come out of the situation, the particular energy unfolded in us, being prompted by the Divine.

In the second answer above, two new aspects, viz., 'destiny' and 'divine' are being introduced into our discussion. It is very difficult to define them. Even if we could define them, we would then have to accept that they induced some power in us, which we never possessed. If we accept it also, we will be attaching doership to 'destiny' or 'the divine'.

It is said that destiny is nothing but our own past karmas. Therefore, to say that destiny caused the particular power to enter in to us would amount to saying that our own karma caused it to happen.

Our karma is a part of ourselves. Therefore it would amount to saying that a part of us made the power to enter in to us. It is as good as saying that the power was already in us. This answer is not different from the first answer.

If we were to say that the divine was the cause behind the entry of that power in to us, we will be required to believe that the divine had some purpose or benefit by doing so, because no one does anything without a purpose or a desire for reward. It would be ridiculous to say that the divine becomes benefited in some way by doing so. Therefore, this answer is not appropriate.

We are therefore left with no other option but to accept the first answer to be correct. Let us see what happens by accepting.

This answer says that all energies are hidden in everybody. That it manifests in some people and remains hidden in others is on account of the intensity of the urge to tide over the situation. Can we accept this? If we accept, then what about those abilities which come by birth? Where is the intense urge here?

In fact, to say that the power comes by birth is not proper. However small the power might be, it is acquired by trying to learn from nature or someone who possesses such a power. If this happens in a very young age, we tend to call it as 'inborn capacity'. On the other hand, if it comes after a long time and after constant practice, we call it 'acquired ability'. If the power manifests as a result of a minor effort in childhood, we call it 'inborn'. If it manifests as a result of a minor effort in adulthood, we call it as 'spontaneous manifestation'.

Does it mean that all powers are hidden in everybody?

There is reason to believe it. Every human being wants to acquire powers which are familiar to him. After acquiring some powers, he starts feeling that some powers which are allied to the ones he has already acquired, are now within his reach. His desire to acquire them starts to grow. However the powers which seem to be at a larger distance do not interest him much. The desire for such powers will be very feeble. If, due to some reason, he is able to become nearer to them, his interest will automatically increase. This is quite a common experience. There is no one in the world who does not want to become great and all-knowing.

What is the reason for the feeble desire to be present? It is because, the person already has in him that particular power in a dormant form.

If all powers were to be in us, why don't all of them manifest?

The answer given above says that it is because of the intensity of the urge. What is the reason for varying degrees of intensity of urges? The environment, the upbringing, the lineage - all these factors affect the intensity of the urge. A factor which is even more important is the concentration power of the person.

Concentration is indeed a power. If one masters it, millions of other powers come to us automatically. This is the speciality of concentration power.

How to enhance this power? Psychologists propose many theories. They advise many techniques. But how fool proof are these theories and techniques? How many psychologists have we seen who possess such immense powers?

Ancient Indians devised a very special method. It is called as 'Bhakti' (devotion). The history of our county is abundant with great men who acquired great powers by following this path.

Can we then say that all 'devotees' are endowed with great powers?

True, we can not say like that. There is a secret in the process of acquiring great powers by practising Bhakti. Bhakti is like a machine. It is not enough if one merely has a good machine. He must have the know-how of using it. Only then he can produce a commodity. Observe this Sookti :

Balam bhavaddhyaana kritou disheti
yathaa balam praarthaya deva devam.
Maam praarthayeinam kila kinchidanyat
samasta shaktyaagama keelakam tat.

"O! Lord! Give me the power to meditate upon You!"- this should be your prayer to the Almighty. Do not desire for anything else. This is the key to successfully acquire all powers - says the above Sookti.

This Sookti proposes several steps to enable the powers lying dormant in you to manifest.
1. You must possess unflinching devotion towards the Almighty.
2. This devotion (Bhakti) should transform in to concentration power.
3. It has already been said that concentration is a special kind of power. You must use this power to meditate upon the Almighty only. You should not use it for anything else.
4. You must always remember that this power of concentration came to you because of the blessing of the Almighty and that it was not the result of your efforts.
5. Remembering this, you must beg the Almighty to bestow the power to meditate. You must in fact drown in meditation so much that you should not even be aware that you are meditating!
6. You should at no point of time use the meditative power for acquiring any power or powers.
7. You must always bear in mind that the Almighty you are meditating upon is all powerful, all knowing and beyond constraints of time and space.

These are the seven steps. If you climb these steps one by one, you will be able to acquire not one, but innumerable powers which are available in nature. How? Because, all these powers are within yourself! and also because you have become one with the Almighty who is omnipotent and omnipresent!

This is the secret technique and message of the above Sookti. By the grace of Lord Dattatreya, may this message reach your hearts.