People who hold the Vedas and Upanishads as their authority have to make sure what is God according to the Vedas and Upanishads.+

First, the Hindus who hold the Vedas and Upanishads as their authority have to make sure what God is according to the Vedas and Upanishads, then drop all the non-Vedic Gods and non-Vedic rituals and beliefs.

Vedas and Upanishads confirm that the Soul, the Self, is present in the form of the Spirit or the consciousness. There is a clear-cut idea of God in the Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad Gita. And also, there is a clear-cut idea of what not to worship as God in place of the real God. Thus, it proves from a Vedic perspective that the Puranic Gods are not Vedic Gods.

Mythological stories are a myth. Mythological Gods are a myth. Worshipping mythological heroes as God produces only myth. There is a need to realize ‘what God is supposed to be in actuality. Religion has been very influential.

Mythology is a synthesis. They are more concerned with synthesis than with truth. The attraction for synthesis is so strong that people accept it blindly without verifying their validity. Mythology is a hodgepodge containing everything; hence, it suits everyone because there is something in it for everyone. It is difficult to find any tradition whose voice is not found in the mythology. It is difficult to find anyone who does not take solace from mythology. But for such people, Self’-Realization will prove very difficult Vedas say never accept another God in place of the Atman, nor worship other than the Atman.

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (Soul or Spirit) is the cause; Atman is the support of all that exists in this universe. May ye never turn away from the Atman, the Self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

The Bible says: ~ God is a Spirit, and they that worship God must worship God in Spirit and in truth. (John 4:24)

The Spirit is the root element of the universe. The Spirit is present in the form of the invisible Soul, the Self.

The Soul is present in the form of consciousness. From the Spirit, the universe comes into existence. In the Spirit, the universe resides. And into the Spirit, the universe is dissolved. The Spirit is the parent of all that is there.

Even the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ Brahman (God) is present in the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself. The

Bhagavad Gita: ~ ‘Brahmano hi pratisthaham’ ~ Brahman (God) is considered the all-pervading consciousness, which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (14.27).

When Bhagavad Gita says, God is considered the all-pervading consciousness which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material then nothing has to be accepted as God other than consciousness.

Religious Gods are not really God. One must know God in truth.

Lord Krishna Says Ch ~V: ~ “Those who know the Self in truth..The last two words (tattvataha) are usually ignored by pundits, but they make all the difference between the ordinary concept of God and the truth about God.

The dualistic worship of "God” is only for the ignorant populace. The God in truth is only Atman, the innermost ‘Self’. In reality, there is no duality, no differentiation. Only Atman exists.

There is a clear-cut idea of God in the Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad Gita. And also, there is a clear-cut idea of what not to worship as God in place of the real God. Thus, it proves from the Vedic perspective that the Puranic Gods are not Vedic Gods.

Vedas says never to accept another God in place of the Atman, nor worship other than the Atman. Hindus assert their religion is monotheistic, even though they honor many Gods, including Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver, and Shiva the Destroyer. Hindus claim these various Gods are all manifestations of the oneness of the universe.

Hindu religious practices vary from place to place, but they frequently include yoga, physical and mental discipline to harmonize body and the Soul, and ritual bathing. Belief in multiple Gods, the worship of idols and worship of images that are not God, the worship of sacred images, ancestor worship, pilgrimage, priestcraft, the belief in avatars or incarnations of God, the hereditary caste system, because all these lack Vedic sanction.

Hinduism indulges non-Vedic beliefs such as idolatry, ancestor worship, pilgrimages, priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability, and child marriages. All these lack Vedic sanctions, therefore, Hinduism is not an ancient Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.

Religious Gods are not God in truth. One must know God in truth. Those who are seeking truth have to discard inherited beliefs. There is no need to criticize their inherited religion but it is for the seekers to realize the religion is meant for the ignorant people who are unable to grasp the real God.

Thus, it is necessary to realize what is God according to Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad Gita for their own personal information. Many Gods and Goddesses with different forms and names are not of the Santana Dharma or veridic religion.

The Vedic God is Atma. The Atma is the innermost ‘Self’, which is present in the form of the Spirit or the consciousness. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar