Initiation in Shaivism - A brief introduction

Which are the Hindu Gods and Goddesses that should not be worshipped without Diksha? What books connot be shared or read without Diksha? What is Diksha actually ?

Diksha…….The word itself says about its purity. The word also says about its auspiciousness and divinity. Diksha is not a certificate or neither a confirmation that you are entering a Sampradaya. I will answer this question as a dikshit Shaivite !

Diksha is made up of 2 Sanskrit words, Di + iksh. Di means given and Iksh means vision. So Diksha means giving vision. So its basically when you want to have gyaan or knowledge but you dont know how to achieve it and we go to a true guru who gives us vision through diksha. We Saivites have diksha and shaktipaat process. Shaktipaat is a different process then diksha. Shaktipaat is the process where a Guru gives us Lord Shiva’s blessings through Shakti. Maa Shakti or Maa Adi Shakti’s knowledge and Love can give us Nirvana.

Diksha is a way for giving us guidance. It dosent give an authorization or anything !

Now coming to which gods and goddesses you have to worship by taking diksha. See all gods and goddesses can be worshiped with and without diksha. But then what’s the benefit of taking diksha then ? Answer is very simple. It can be even seen in our daily life. Students can understand it better, there are some people who have took admissions in IITs, NITs, AIIMs, IIMs, etc colleges without being taught by any teacher ! They have themselves done it. But people like them are always very very less in number. Most of the people are not be able to do that. We have to take a guidance of true, highly experienced and highly knowledgeable Teacher for it.

Same is here also. when you are taking diksha, you are surrendering yourself to your guru. If you prove yourself to your guru, your guru will surrender himself or herself to you and will give his/her all gyaan (knowledge) to you and will also give Shaktipaat (Lord Shiva’s blessing) which is the most auspicious thing. Shaktipaat is only benefited if he/she is true guru and himself or herself got Shaktipaat. Shaktipaat do the jaagriti of Kundalini Shakti.

Diksha is also necessary because it makes you of your guru’s and his/her kripaa (blessings) will flow on you. So choosing a true guru is also a very difficult task and especially in this Kaliyuga.

So why Devi’s or Devta’s worship needs Guru ? Reason is because in Tantrism i.e. Agamic Sampradayas like whole Shaivism, we are focusing on Shiva and Shiva’s heart i.e. Shakti. That is the thing from where we and whole universe is receiving its power. Agamic Mantras are not like vedic mantras. We have beej mantras in that and a very specifc way to perform a homam and take any pooja, its highly specific. Even in Dakshinamaarga too. A guru by giving you diksha and shaktipaat, he/she gives you his/her powers. So in my view, taking diksha is 100 % necessary for doing any saadhna. It gives us mother shakti’s blessings and love. So why we should a true devotee won’t take it ?

So a guru is very much needed to have a true guru’s dikha which can guide us for having Shiva Shakti praapti.

Hope it helps !!!!!!!!!

Dhanyawaadam !!!!!!!!

May supreme ShivaShakti bless you !!!!!!!!!!