Why is it called shaktipata when we say, “by Lord Shiva’s grace”?

In this excerpt, Swami Lakshmanjoo explains why is it called shaktipata when we say, “by Lord Śiva’s grace”?

This is from the yet unpublished Tantraloka Ahnika 13, verse 331, Kashmir Shaivism.

SWAMIJI:  That is what he says yastūtpanna samastādhva siddhiḥ that person, that master, who has achieved the complete state of God-consciousness sahi sadāśivaḥ, he is Śiva himself. Śiva does not come and teach you . . . does he teach you?

Because from his point of view nothing is to be taught, everybody is divine–from his point of view.

JOHN:  Then why is there śakti, i.e. anugraha [grace]?

SWAMIJI:  Huh?

JOHN: Why is the question of śaktipāta come up if Śiva is already divine?

SWAMIJI: It is not Śivapāta, Śivapāta is never told in Śaivism. It is only śaktipāta, i.e. śakti comes down below and then she makes you rise.

JOHN: But why do we say it is the grace of Śiva then, why do we say “by Lord Śiva’s grace he will elevate us.”

SWAMIJI: Because Śiva is from Śakti, Śiva has come out from Śakti; Śakti has come out from Śiva. Śakti has come out from Śiva just down below, just in the second cycle. In the first cycle there is Śiva. That is what he says sahi sadāśiva, he is just like Śiva. And he is direct Śiva, sākṣāt; [so] kathaṁ martyān mocayet, how can he liberate people gurutāṁ vrajan and become master? He’ll never become master because from his viewpoint nobody is ignorant, it is just a divine play everywhere from his viewpoint.

JOHN: So from Śiva’s viewpoint then tirodhana śakti and anugraha śakti are on the same level, i.e. there is not any difference between concealing and revealing.

SWAMIJI: The same level, the same, they are not recognized as different.

Source: Lakshmanjoo Academy Archive,
Tantraloka 13, verse 331,
revealed by Swami Lakshmanjoo.

Copyright @ John Hughes