What is Shaktipat and How To Receive It?

If you've ever wanted to meditate and reach the higher consciousness, and you thought to yourself, "Oh, it's going to take ages for me to get there", here's a quicker way.

Well, it's quicker because you get help in realizing your hidden energy through the help of a master.

But don't be swayed because it's not an easy feat. It involves having access to the right master and more importantly, being fully receptive yourself.

So, what's this technique all about?

It's known as Shaktipat. But how can you receive it? Are there any true benefits of getting it?

Let's look at the answers to all of these questions and more.

Shaktipat Meaning: What is Shaktipat?

In ancient Hindu tradition, Shakti has always been worshipped as the divine mother. It's the dynamic feminine energy that flows through the universe to create and nurture.

Unsurprisingly, this shakti also resides in every person in the form of kundalini. 
It's said in the ancient scriptures that kundalini is represented by a snake coiled in the area of the root chakra, which is responsible for our connection to the earthly world.

Not to worry. This serpent's not going to harm you. On the contrary, it helps you in your path of enlightenment.

It's not going to start working on its own accord, though. For most people, the kundalini lies dormant in the area of first chakra. And it stays that way for their entire lives.

But for those who seek enlightenment and true union with the divine powers, the kundalini awakens. It can awaken by itself, but that's quite rare. In most people, it has to be awakened by certain means.

And one of those means is through a guru or a spiritual master. That brings us to the meaning of "pat" in the term Shaktipat.

"Pat" in Sanskrit means to fall. This means that Shaktipat is a process in which energy is transferred from one person to another.

The person who gives this energy is the master and the one who receives it is the disciple. This flow of the spiritual energy can lead to quickly arousing the kundalini, which otherwise can take ages or even several lives.

Once kundalini is awakened, it flows from the base of your spine up to your head through the seven chakras.

Once it reaches your seventh chakra above your head, that is the crown chakra, you get to feel the divine union and the interconnectedness with the universe.

How to Receive Shaktipat?

Now that you know that spiritual energy can be transmitted from a guru to a disciple, you might be wondering, so how does it practically work?

Well, receiving shaktipat is not a cakewalk, but if you find the right master, they can bless you with this energy thoroughly. 

The right master is someone who has reached enlightenment. But first things first.

As a disciple, you've got to be completely receptive to the energy that your master would transmit to you.

How do you know you're ready? Your guru will guide you there, too.

Now then, once you're ready and your guru is established, how does the spiritual flow of energy happen from one person to another?

Several methods exist and it depends on the guru as to which method they'd like to exercise.

Here are few ways through which shaktipat may occur: 

1. Mantra

In this method, the guru gives a secret mantra to the disciple. Then both of them chant the mantra together, during which shaktipat occurs. 

2. Look

Some gurus can awaken a disciple's kundalini through the power of a mere glance. The master looks straight into the eyes of the receiver and the spiritual energy flows between them. 

3. Thoughts

This is the only method of shaktipat where the guru and the disciple need not be in the same room. All the guru does is sends out thoughts and prayers to the disciple, who, based on their receptivity, can awaken their kundalini energy. 

4. Touch

The master places their thumb on the disciple's forehead at the point between the eyebrows. This is the point of superconsciousness in everyone and is also called the third eye. The third eye then receives the energy from the guru.

Levels of Intensity in Shaktipat

So, does kundalini awakening arouse the same level of superconsciousness in everyone? Certainly not. 

Depending on the level of receptivity of the disciple, the summation of their karma, and the way kundalini herself behaves in the energy spheres of the person, shaktipat can be of different intensities. 

Let's talk briefly about these 7 different levels of shaktipat starting from the highest intensity: 

1. Inferior Grace (manda)

Most people fall in this category as they remember the divine presence only in times of misery. Such people are not ready to receive shaktipat.

2. Medium Inferior Grace (madhya manda śaktipāta)

Even after initiation, a disciple at this level still has a strong affinity towards worldly pleasures. And this affinity often seems stronger than the desire to form a union with God. 

3. Medium Middle Grace (madhya madhya śaktipāta)

The guru may have initiated shaktipat to a person at this stage, but the receiver's material desires still keep lingering in the background. They may require a second initiation, most likely in another life.

4. Medium Supreme Grace (madhya tīvra śaktipāta)

This level of grace makes a person seek instructions from the guru. But it may take an entire lifetime to find out the true means of liberation. 

5. Supreme Inferior Grace (tīvra manda śaktipāta)

At this level, the disciple receiving shaktipat still has much to learn from the guru. And they express a strong desire to do so to attain the path of liberation.

6. Supreme Medium Grace (tīvra madhya śaktipāta)

Here, the receiver does not need to wait for any further instructions from the guru. Instead, they are liberated with the help of the divine powers. 

7. Super Supreme Grace (tīvra tīvra śaktipāta)

At the highest level, a receiver of shaktipat becomes a master and immediately gets liberated. They may even leave their body for the ultimate union with the divine.

Benefits of Shaktipat

Liberation and the union with the higher consciousness is the ultimate aim of receiving shaktipat. But there are other shaktipat benefits, too.

Let's have a look at a few benefits of receiving shaktipat:

1. As you receive your guru's energy, your mind and soul begin to be filled with positive energy. All the negative energies begin to dissipate. 
2. Your awakened kundalini helps you find your inner self, which is true and beautiful and allows you to connect with your higher self. 
3. It makes you reach that place of inner peace where you feel nothing but divine joy, love, and bliss. 
4. When you're ready to receive, shaktipat can be the fastest way to reach higher consciousness and liberate your soul. 

What Happens After You Receive Shaktipat?

Here's one fun fact about kundalini. It holds the keys to both your ignorance and enlightenment. Here's why. 

Kundalini is the energy that has mapped out your entire soul. Every shred of ignorance that lies within your soul, your kundalini knows about it. 

But just because it lies dormant, it doesn't do anything to fix that ignorance. And all that changes when you receive shaktipat. 

Instantly, your kundalini awakens and uses its knowledge to make right whatever is wrong with your soul. It replaces your little bits of ignorance with light and wisdom, which, by the way, exists within itself. 

And that's the reason you quickly march on to the path towards liberation, making your soul more receptive to the powers of divine consciousness. 

When truly enlightened with shaktipat, you attain Siddha or spiritual perfection and realize that the union with the higher powers is just right there, waiting for you with open arms.

It becomes your ticket to attain that stage of spirituality where you're one with the universe.