Sage Sankara: ~Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread.+

Sage Sankara: ~Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread." (Select Works of Sage Sankara, also his commentary on the Brihad)

Thus, the above passage proves that all those who wear the sanyasin robes are wearing them for the sake of bread and belong to the religion; they have nothing to do with the Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana, or Atma Gnana.

There is no need to criticize and condemn the Gurus, yogis, and swamis because they are needed for the welfare of the ignorant masses in the dualistic world.

Sage Sankara says the transparent truth of the Self, which is hidden by the illusion, is to be attained through the instructions of a knower of Brahman (Gnani)

~ Then why stick to a Guru who is not a Gnani?

That is why Swami Vivekananda said: ~ “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own Soul.”

Yogis and Gurus are not Gods.

This idea of worshiping the Guru as God is not a Vedic idea but was adopted from Jainism and Buddhism.

Vedas bars human worship: ~

Yajur Veda:~

"They are enveloped in darkness, in other words, are steeped in ignorance and sunk in the greatest depths of misery who worship the uncreated, eternal prakrti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the prakrti, such as the earth, trees, bodies (human and the like) in place of God are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time.":~ (Yajur Veda 40:9.)

Why to worship and glorify the Gurus and Yogis (human form) in place of God when Veda bars such activities and it also warns people who indulge in such activities are enveloped in still greater darkness, in other words, they are extremely foolish, fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time.

No one has ever seen God by practicing religion or yoga or indulging in glorifying the religious God and Goddesses because God exists prior to form, time, and space.

The form, time, and space cease to exist as a reality when wisdom dawns. Thus, the Gods and Gurus have no place in the domain of the Advaitic reality.

Advaita is the nondual nature of the invisible Soul, which is the real God. Thus, the Self-realization is the only way to God realization.

By worshipping the religious Gods and Gurus, one will not get Self-realization or God-realization.

The invisible Soul, the inner Guru, reveals ‘what is real’ and ‘what is unreal' when the seeker is receptive and ready. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar