Meaning of Anugraha
To lead spiritual life, Diksa or initiation is necessary. This may be termed as “Anugraha”, means to follow him who holds up a hand of a student, “anu +griha”. The upanisads have insisted upon the necessity of an initiation by a Guru. Unless one be initiated by a Guru in the path of self – realization, one cannot attain the goal of mystic life. The famous Upanishadic sentence “acaryavan puruso Veda “meaning – [one who has a teacher can alone know]. This is in a way sacred sacrament for a student to lead spiritual teacher is that what the mind cannot attain, can be attained through the power and grace of the “Guru”. The treasure house – may be full of treasure but it is all shut up and one cannot go inside it, unless one has the key in his hands. What this key is, is known to the disciple with the help of his master. the grace of the master is indeed the key which illumines the intellect, breaks open the door of dualism, takes infinite happiness and lands as forever in the super conscious states.
“Unless one be initiated by a Guru in the path of self realization, one cannot attain the goal of mystic life”says Gurudev R.D. Ranade. This will speak for the importance of initiation of a disciple of a Guru.
In the Nimbargi Sampradaya, there is no external ‘vidhi’ for initiation, a Sadguru, Knowing the desire and capacity or Bhakti of the aspirant Disciple, initiates him through someone by giving him the divine name as revealed to him. It is this great treasure bestowed on the disciple by a Guru for progress in spiritual life. Such a disciple has to vow not to cover the wealth of others and not to think of women of others. This is called ‘ Pathya’. One should practice the meditation or nema on the divine name regularly till his life time. When there is no competent spiritual teacher, one can be initiated before the samadhi of the great souls of the sampradaya, and one can choose ‘Nam – Divine name’ before the samadhi for which he will have all the experiences – Mystical as explained by those who have been blessed with the divine name by the living spiritual teacher in the past.”
Refer ” mysticism in maharashtra”(page 392) by Gurudev R.D.Ranade for more information.