The inward awakening of Shakti or inner consciousness is possible when the Chitta (mind-stuff) has been purified and the grace of God is bestowed. Japa (repetition of holy names), penance, practice of Hatha Yoga, religious studies and discourses all aim at achieving this objective but they require long and constant effort. It certainly requires much patience and this persistent and enduring patience is rarely seen. Whenever an aspirant abandons this path, his efforts, be-come a total waste. For this reason, the reliance on Shaktipat is highly beneficial because if an able Guru has been found and he has showered his grace, then Kundalini (dormant spiritual energy residing at the base of the spine) is soon awakened.
Theoretically all spiritual systems aim at awakening Kundalini however there is a big difference in practice. There are hardly one or two instances known when an aspirant has been able to awaken his Shakti by personal efforts. The author of Shiva Sutras rightly expounds that there is only one way of awakening. Kundalini, i.e "Gururupaya" (the efforts of a Guru).
We may, therefore, accept theoretically that all spiritual efforts aim at awakening Kundalini but in practice the awakening is more easily possible through Shaktipat. This does not mean, however, that other efforts such as worship, devotion and study of spiritual books have no bearing. These are necessary and, in fact, are required to be practiced so that our Chit-Shakti develops necessary receptivity for Shaktipat initiation. An aspirant should always have his goal in view while doing these practices. In this manner he develops an intense desire for achieving the higher objective.
Shaktipat leads to awakening of Kundalini which is the inner consciousness or the divine energy present in each living being.