Guruma & Acharya ji,
I was searching over the internet for getting Sri Vidya initiation. I feel attracted to devi worship from long time. I came across your blog few weeks back. I want to tell you that I came across many sites which were readily offering initiation in Sri Vidya but only goddess knows why I was particularly attracted to your teachings. Through your blog I understand that you belong to Krama Sri Vidya tradition but after communicating with your team on mail I was told that i will have to go through few other initiations before I can qualify for Sri Vidya initiations. This makes me little disappointed.
My humble question is to give me clarity on what is the role of other initiations and why don’t you just initiate me in Srividya right away? I am 34 year old male living in Karanataka. If nadisuddi is the only precondition for getting initiation then i practice nadi-shodhana pranayama of Baba Ramdev regularly since last 2 years. I was also practising kapalbhati earlier but after reading your articles i have stopped it. Please guide.
K. Amrut Krushna, Mandya, Karnataka
Shivoham!
Beloved Krushna,
Through your question I would like to clarify doubts of many people who not only insist but quote to me that if so many people are giving Sri Vidya deeksha why do i not do so? Your disappointment is genuine but a Sadhaka needs to learn few things and one of them is patience. Hope you shall stay patient with your jignyaasaa and mumukshaa. If a practitioner manages to stay patient she/he shall grow beyond her/his imagination in Sadhana. Now to your questions and doubts.
SRI VIDYA INITIATION IS NOT A COMMODITY
Every spiritual practice has a standard way of its dissemination. For a seeker depending upon the condition of his mind (Moodha, Kshipta, Vikshipta, Ekaagrat & Niruddha) various types of initiations are devised by the Master. The common initiations are of the first two types (leaving the first one i.e. Moodha) of mind. The first or basal spiritual transmission is in the domain of matter hence ‘Material’. The second higher transmission is of ‘Energy’ and third transmission is of ‘Thoughts’. Real Shri Vidya sadhana begins at fourth level of mind.
Normal condition of a Sadhaka is in the first three categories only. In fact In these many years of teaching we have come across only one sadhaka who we can put in the Ekagrata mind category. If that person would have asked for it we would have initiated him in SriVidya directly. He was ready. He was not only ready but occasionally experiencing Turya-Sushupti and Turya-Swapna as well. Alas! He came, he listened and enjoyed our talks, kept coming for few months and drifted away. He was trying something else and he didn’t seem to have any inclination towards Sri Vidya Sadhana! Honestly speaking as teachers we did feel how mutual much loss it was but we principally we can NOT ask someone to take Sri Vidya deeksha even if that person is ready. He/She HAS TO request for it and as Teachers we have to take permission from MahaShakti!
This should answer your observations on why we do not place any advertising or invitations for the Sri Vidya sadhana for invitation would mean we are forcing (though subtly) our way of spiritual ascension on someone. Honestly speaking in our case with all our Gurus it was our humble persuasions and meek requests to them in every case. Furthermore when first asked our Gurus simply posed ignorant as if they heard the term Sri Vidya for the first time in their life!
REQUESTING FOR SRIVIDYA INITIATION IS NO GUARANTEE TO RECEIVE IT
I may not be liked for what I am saying here but the fact remains that any teacher who is openly offering SriVidya to anyone in the exchange of money is commiting a grave mistake. Because the sanctity of Vidya remains only till a Master gives it upon the instructions of MahaShakti and Gurupankti. Keeping the secrecy of the cult only this much can be said that there’s a definite process that needs to be followed by the Guru upon receiving a request from someone even if Guru feels the person to be right candidate for Vidya.
Also no seeker can ever buy or purchase SriVidya from a Guru. We have seen many seekers becoming adamant to the state of being a lunatic in their quest of Sri Vidya initiation. At least 2 such people came our way where they offered us few thousand dollars for granting them initiation but we could not. The reason: If someone is not capable he/she can not be given Shri Vidya initiation howsoever be the pressure upon Guru. It is clearly told in tantric texts “राज्यम देहि शिरो देहि न देयम् षोडशाक्षरी” (raajyam dehi shiro dehi, na deyam shodashaakshari)” – give away your kingdom, let your head be cut and be given in charity, but DO NOT GIVE shodashakshari – The sixteen lettered mantra).
NADI SHUDDHI IS NOT THE ONLY PREREQUISITE
A teacher has to assess a disciple on many levels including one’s inclination and samskaras. The state of mind, health of chakras, condition of nadis, level of prana and kama oorja, state of Tattvas, obedience and attitude as few things that are to be checked but the most important thing for which an aspirant is judged (evaluated) is one’s inclination of Sadhana in one’s previous births and one’s karmic baggage. A Guru out of compassion may not initiate someone in SriVidya for he knows it will be so very painful and terrible for the Sadhaka to shed away the karmic baggage in one lifetime. We have personally seen so many people suffering severely (almost unbearably) and incessantly in their life after choosing to follow the path of SriVidya.
Answer to your question about the importance of other initiations particularly in Tattva Shakti Vigyaan, Swar Yoga , Panch-Mahabhuta Shakti Kriya etc. lies in the fact that these are the practices that work on your chakras, mental and pranic capacity, one’s connectivity and synchronicity with the cosmic rhythms, tattva shuddhi, nadi shuddhi etc. Also during these few initial years of engagement with the practitioners (only if they don’t drift away or vanish in thin air) we are able to gain better understanding of their devotion, faith and discipline.
Here I must mention that authentic initiation in SriVidya means THIS is one’s last birth as an ordinary human being. Having received SriVidya one becomes free from the bondages of birth and death.
FAITH IN GURUS WORDS AND OBEDIENCE
Progress in SriVidya is so much dependent on maintaining the vow of secrecy and one’s Guru’s happiness that it would be unfair for a teacher to accept someone as a disciple fully knowing that this person may not be able to sustain his attention, faith, attitude of service towards the teacher. Some people are so shallow that they are unable to keep things close to their heart – everyone has to pass through this test. You would agree only by spending some considerable time with a person you can give such tests. It should be known that not maintaining the secrecy of mantra and ritualistic processes in Tantra practices is harmful to teacher and student both.
|| Vande Gurormandalam : Sa-Shaktikayai namo namah ||
A master is answerable and shoulders a responsibility of the Gurupankti i.e. the Siddha Gurus, Divya Gurus and Manav Gurus in the lineage. Therefore accepting people (disciples) arbitrarily in Vidya, without judging and seeking permission from them would not only be disobedience on the part of teacher but an utterly irresponsible action as well. This is yet other reason for not accepting people as disciples without judging them for few years.
Krushna, you are enthusiastic young man and I am sure while you wrote this mail to us you may have also searched over for other options as well. I hope and pray you are accepted by an able Guru soon. Let this journey be the unfoldment of Ma Bhagwati’s plan for you!
Wishing you all the success in your life
-Acharya Agyaatadarshan Anand Nath
Its all about you! 
Shivoham Acharyaji! Humble thanks tobyou for explaining this ever burning question.
Thank you Acharyaji for such a detailed answer.
Acharya Agyaatdarshan, I have had boundless love and devotion towards the Shakti and used to chant Lalita Sahasranma with unflinching and selfless devotion years ago and have experienced some wonderful things, and had the intense desire to understand Sri Vidya, my question is with respect to your above clarification, and I have a question to you in reference to this statement from your response,
“Normal condition of a Sadhaka is in the first three categories only. In fact In these many years of teaching we have come across only one sadhaka who we can put in the Ekagrata mind category. If that person would have asked for it we would have initiated him in SriVidya directly. He was ready. He was not only ready but occasionally experiencing Turya-Sushupti and Turya-Swapna as well. Alas! He came, he listened and enjoyed our talks, kept coming for few months and drifted away. He was trying something else and he didn’t seem to have any inclination towards Sri Vidya Sadhana! Honestly speaking as teachers we did feel how mutual much loss it was but we principally we can NOT ask someone to take Sri Vidya deeksha even if that person is ready. He/She HAS TO request for it and as Teachers we have to take permission from MahaShakti!”
What is the reason for not asking when someone is ready, but they might not know to ask, is it ok to have that person drift and feeling the loss, isn’t it the duty of the Guru to guide when someone comes and is ready, and I am intrigued by this “Permission from MahaShakti”, does it mean that you see the MahaShakti blessing the acceptance , I mean in a concrete manner, what does that acceptance constitue and how is it validated.
I have to come to a stage after years of spiritual Saadhana, to be settled in absolute stillness, sometimes my own chanting of the Vedas seems noise like to me, so I don’t chant that often loudly, being in that absolute stillness not conditioned by any external or internal influence has seemed to have become my goal over the years of saadhana without my knowledge, God and Satan , I have not seen nor have I seen or met anyone who can with absolute conviction say has seen God, being rebelliously rational, everything has to be explained with logic and reason, and there has to be a basis for everything.
But for whatever reason, I had this tremendous devotion and my intense emotions with the devotion is expressed in my meditations, and chanting, I am not even sure if that is the coditioning of growing up in Hindu culture and subject to that conditioning, so different scientific opinions have been expressed on the devotional state, but coming back to my main question, please elaborate on why the Guru can’t order and say you have to be inititated, and what is the permission of the MahaShakti ?
I also I am a little bit troubled and intrigued by this concept of Moksha and last birth, how does one even know what is all that , as far as know Moha kshaya is moksha, cutting down the desires of all kind is liberation and not being attached to desires but yet work for the sake of working selflessly is the true liberation for me, I can’t see my liberation after my death of the last birth.
Any way I will appreciate if you can take a few moments to clarify the two questions that I have asked,
with prayerful regards
Madhukar
if srividya initiation can be done online????
Beloved Birendra,
Except at the induction level where a seeker is given (pratham koti) Tattva Shakti Vigyaan Sadhana, we do not give ‘distance-initiation’ any person.
Shivoham!