Hindus are idol worshipers of a large number of Gods and Goddesses whereas Vedic God is Athma. Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.+

A great majority of Hindus are not in contact with their religious history therefore, they believe their inherited beliefs as the ultimate truth.

In Encyclopaedia Britannica, it says: - The word Hinduism was first used by the British writers in the year 1830 to describe the multiplicity of the faiths of the people of India, excluding the converted Christians. (Volume -20, Reference -581)

That is the reason today, the majority of the scholars they say that the word Hinduism is a misnomer.

The correct word should be Santana Dharma, the eternal religion or the Vedic Dharma, the religion of the Vedas.

Swami Vivekananda says: - The word Hindu is a misnomer; the correct word should be a Vedantins, a person who follows the Vedas.

Hinduism incorporates a vast pantheon of deities, some of whom are manifestations or combinations of others. Most of the deities mentioned in the Vedas are no longer worshiped; much of today's popular devotion centers around the major deities of Shiva, Vishnu, and the Goddess.

Hinduism is not the Ancient Vedic religion or Santana Dharma. And all Hindus indulge in non-Vedic practice barred by the Vedas introduced by the different founders of the different sects of Hinduism at a different time, whereas the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma is ancient and has no founder.

Thus, to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the seeker has to realize his inherited religion is adulterated in the past and it becomes a great obstacle is realizing the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth.

While they do not accept the texts past the Vedas, they are still monists and uphold other Hindu views. In their reformations, they rejected Brahminical control and they are open to all castes and women.

Hinduism is based on myths and thus people of India are unaware of the facts of their inherited religious history.

The Vedic culture and Vedas are complete in themselves but Hinduism which is a non-Vedic belief system with all rituals and conduct-oriented practices has been contributed largely by the orthodox priests to suit their convenience!

All the idolized are not God in truth. Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas. The Vedas do not talk about idol worship. In fact, till about 2000 years ago followers of Sanatana Dharma never worshiped idols. Idol worship was started by the followers of Buddhism and Jains.

Vedas speak of one God that is the supreme ‘Self’ in i.e. Atman or Soul but Hinduism indulges in worshiping 60 million Gods.

Hindus are idol worshipers of a large number of Gods and Goddesses whereas Vedic God is Athma.

Max Müller says: ~ "The religion of the Veda knows no idols; the worship of idols in India is a secondary formation, a degradation of the more primitive worship of idolized Gods."

It indicates clearly all the Gods with form and attributes are mere imagination based on the false self.

It is for every seeker who is seeking truth must first know what God is supposed to be in actuality according to Vedas and Upanishads and reject all non-Vedic Gods to realize the Atman is real God.

Sage Sankara says: ~ Supreme Brahman (God in truth) is impersonal, Nirguna (without Gunas or attributes), Nirakara (formless), Nirvisesha (without special characteristics), immutable, eternal, and Akarta (non-agent). It is above all needs and desires. It is always the Witnessing Subject. It can never become an object as it is beyond the reach of the senses. Brahman is non-dual, one without a second. It has no other beside it. It is destitute of difference, either external or internal. Brahman cannot be described because the description implies the distinction. Brahman cannot be distinguished from any other than It. In Brahman, there is not a distinction between substance and attribute. Sat-Chit-Ananda constitutes the very essence or Svarupa of Brahman and not just Its attributes. The Nirguna Brahman of Sage Sankara is impersonal.

God is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. Thus according to the Vedas God neither has any image nor God resides in any particular idol or statue. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad:~ "He who worships the deities as entities entirely separate from the 'Self' does not know the truth. For the Gods, he is like a pasu (beast)". (1. 4. 10)

Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~, God is the Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions.

Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

Remember:~

Rig Veda: ~ 'Prajnanam Brahma'- Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth.

Do not accept any other God other than the Soul. The Soul is God in truth, Nothing is real but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Nothing matters but realize God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

God in truth is hidden by the illusory universe. God in truth alone is real and eternal and all else is an illusion. Brahman is merely a word to indicate the ultimate truth or God in truth. The ultimate truth itself is God in truth.

Even Rig Veda: ~ The Atman 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)

Bhagavad Gita: ~ ‘All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship many God s. (7- Verse -20)

Bhagavad Gita: 7: 19:~ "Such a man who has attained true knowledge, the knowledge of Self, the knowledge of Atman, worships ‘Self’ as~ Atman (God) alone exists~ everything is Atman, there exists nothing except Atman. Such a man is extremely rare.

The Vedas, as a body of scripture, contain many contradictions, and they are fragmentary in nature. For Hindus, scriptures like the Bhagavad-Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas are more attractive and appealing than the Vedas. And also, the Gods and Goddesses they worship differ considerably from the Vedic ones. The collection of hymns called Vedas, that are written in praise of certain deities by poets over several centuries does not seem to have much significance for the Hindus.

Yajur Veda says:~

Translation 1

They enter darkness, those who worship natural things (for example air, water, sun, moon, animals, fire, stone, etc).

They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example, table, chair, idol, etc.) (Yajurveda 40:9)

Translation 2

"Deep into the shade of blinding gloom fall asambhuti's worshippers. They sink to darkness deeper yet who on sambhuti are intent." (Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Griffith pg. 538)

Translation 3.

"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.)

So, Yajur Veda indicates that:~

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 ignorance.

Then why worship and glorify the non-Vedic Gods in place of the Vedic 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. :~Santthosh Kumaar

Vedas are the final goal and authority, and if the Puranas differ in any respect from the Vedas, the Puranas are to be rejected without mercy.+

Religious Gods based on blind belief are not God in truth. One must know God in truth. There is a difference between the ordinary concept of God and the truth about God.

Vedas say God is Supreme Spirit has not an idol or material shape because God is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions.

The idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas. All idolatry Gods are based on Puranic concepts.

One must remember that for all periods the Vedas are the final goal and authority, and if the Puranas differ in any respect from the Vedas, the Puranas are to be rejected without mercy.

If you feel Puranas say something and the Vedas say something else, reject the Puranas and believe in the Vedas. The Puranas are just a myth.

There is no scope for belief based on God because the belief is not God. Religion and its ideas of Gods are based on the false ‘Self’ (ego), within the false experience (waking). Thus, whatever beliefs are based on the false ‘Self’ is bound to be a falsehood.

Swethaswethara Upanishad: ~ “Na Tasya Pratima Asti- of that God there is no Pratima, there is no likeness, there is no image, there is no picture, there is no photograph, there is no sculpture, there is no statue. (Chapter -4- Verse- 19)

Ishopanishad says: ~ “They are steeped in ignorance and sunk into the greatest depth of misery who worships the matter, instead of the All-Pervading God and those who worship things born of matter like trees, animals, man, etc. are sunk deeper in misery."

Yajur Veda – Chapter- 32: - God is the Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. He cannot be seen directly by anyone. He pervades all beings and all directions.

Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas. The Vedas do not talk about idol worship. In fact, till about 2000 years ago followers of Vedism never worshiped idols. Idol worship was started by the followers of Buddhism and Jains. There is no logic to idol worship. Vedas speak of one God that is the supreme ‘Self’ in i.e. Atman or Soul but Hinduism indulges in worshiping 60 million Gods.

It indicates clearly all the Gods with form and attributes are mere imagination based on the false self.

Rig Veda: ~ 'Prajnanam Brahma'- Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth. 

Do not accept any other God other than the Soul. The Soul is God in truth,  Nothing is real but the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Nothing matters but realize  God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

God in truth is hidden by the illusory universe. God in truth alone is real and eternal and all else is an illusion.

Brahman is merely a word to indicate the ultimate truth or God in truth.  The ultimate truth itself is God in truth. 

In Rig Veda: ~ The Atman 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)

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

Even Bhagavad Gita Chapter:~ “All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship many God s. (7- Verse -20)

Bhagavad Gita says: ~ 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.

That is why 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.

Kena Upanishad (6) Chapter I: ~ “That which cannot be apprehended by the mind, but by which, they say, the mind is apprehended-That alone know as Brahman, and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (7) Chapter I:~ That which cannot be perceived by the eye, but by which the eye is perceived-That alone know as Brahman and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (8) Chapter I:~ That which cannot be heard by the ear, but by which the hearing is perceived-That alone know as Brahman and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (9)- Chapter I:~ That which cannot be smelt by the breath, but by which the breath smells an object-That alone know as Brahman, and not that which people here worship.

Gods or no Gods have nothing to do with the spiritual path. The spiritual path is the inner (mental) path. Your path is your own. The Soul the innermost ‘Self’ is real God, not the objectified God you worship in the world. No one can walk your path for you.

When the Soul, the Self’, relates its identity with the waking entity (ego or you) and the waking world then it remains in ignorance of its own formless and non-dual nature.

It is because of the inborn conditioning or samskara one remains ignorant of the Soul, the ‘Self’, which is beyond form, time, and space. Identifying itself’ as a person perceiving the world it becomes attached to them…

Sage Sankara exclaims, ‘Soul is unattached, its pure awareness isn’t identified with any labels, it isn’t attached to anything it is not entangled with anything at all…’

As the seeker realizes that the Soul, the Self, is not the ‘I’, he must, again and again, reflect and realize this truth.

The Soul, the Self, is eternal, it is non-dualistic awareness, and it is completely free of all bondage of the diversity because it is ever formless, eternal and it is the whole. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is forever undecaying and indestructible.

The seeker has to remember this truth and constantly reflect on it, and gradually he will find the Soul start becoming disengaged and separate from all ‘identities’. And when the Soul, the Self will re-emerge into this world of labels and identity, then it will l find itself-becoming detached and disinterested in the illusory world of name and form…

Nothing touches the Soul, the ‘Self’; it is not tarnished by any feelings or impulses. It is not attached to anything at all…':~Santthosh Kumaar

Existence is nondual. Nonduality cannot be described by means of words for all uses of language fail to express it.+

Existence is nondual. Nonduality cannot be described by means of words for all uses of language fail to express it. 

Any word one may utter is, after all, they are the words and words that have meaning only within the illusory universe or Maya.

The seeker of truth should not become attached to words as being in perfect conformity with meaning because Truth is not in the letters.

The words and their discrimination bind one to the duality; meaning stands alone and is a guide to non-dual awareness. Meaning is attained by much learning, and much learning is attained by becoming conversant with meaning and not with words; therefore, seekers of truth have to avoid the sticklers for particular words.

Nonduality is sought to be indicated by mentally negation of duality (the universe).

Sage Goudpada: ~ To establish the truth of Non-duality by sheer reasoning alone. He begins by defining "What is real?" "What is unreal?" etc, because that is the right way to discuss or teach. People must first know what they are talking about. (Manduka Karika)

Whatever takes form as the duality is false. Only the nondual consciousness endures.

When you understand the truth, beyond form, time, and space, the duality will never be a reality again. For consciousness is infinite, within and without, like a mirror, and the image in a mirror. Consciousness is everywhere, filling all things and flowing through the dualistic illusion forever.

Consciousness is like a lamp that lights up a theater and reveals both a dancer and a stage.

Ignorance is the cause of experiencing the world as a reality. The world in which we exist is a dualistic illusion. The ‘Self' is hidden within the dualistic illusion and it is without the dualistic illusion.

The mystic must become a constant slave to some line of "thought" or rather imagination, and then he will really see visions confirming his imaginations.

The mystic who sees God in vision has seen Him during the waking state. The waking experience itself is an illusion.

Thus, whatever is seen within the illusion is bound to be an illusion. Thus, the mystic must realize his existence is a reality within the illusion.

Whatever belief of God one is familiar with through their inherited conditioning or samskara that they will see in their visions. When the man is the false Self within the false experience, then whatever he believes is bound to be a falsehood.

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 the 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. :~Santthosh Kumaar

When the Self is genderless then it is not He/She. Therefore, using the word ‘I AM’ for the Self is erroneous.+

I AM represents gender. The invisible and unborn Soul, the Self is genderless. I AM- implies duality whereas the Soul is ever nondual.

I AM represents individuality whereas the invisible Soul is not an individual.

When the invisible Soul, the Self is genderless then it is not He/She. Therefore, using the word ‘I AM’ for the Self is erroneous.

The Self is not you. The Self' is the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The invisible Soul is genderless because it is a formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

You are part of the illusory world. The invisible Soul, the Self is the cause of the illusory world, and it itself is uncaused.

The one who holds the ‘I’ as the Self will never be able to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Thus, it is necessary to realize first the ‘I’ is not the Self, but the Soul the formless witness of the ‘I’ is the Self.

The ‘I-centric’ teaching and teachers are not a yardstick in the path of wisdom. The ‘I-centric teaching will not lead the seeker to the ultimate end of his inner journey.

Inborn conditioning is the cause of ignorance. Ignorance is the cause of experiencing the duality as reality.

The inborn conditioning is present in the form of ‘I’. The ‘I’ is present in the form of the mind.

The mind is present in the form of the universe. The universe appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality).

Thus, it is necessary to get rid of the inborn conditioning to get rid of ignorance. Thus, only through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is possible to get rid of ignorance.

Thus, it is necessary to get rid of the inborn conditioning to get rid of ignorance.

Thus, only through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is possible to get rid of the ignorance. : ~Santthosh Kumaar

God in truth has no form and no name, it is no use worshipping and repeating the name of the nameless God with forms and names.+

God in truth has no form and no name; it is no use worshipping and repeating the name of the nameless God with forms and names. God in truth is genderless because God in truth is ever nondual.

The dualistic illusion hides the invisible Soul, which is the real God. Thus, it is necessary to realize ‘what God is supposed to be in actuality.

Religion breeds superstition because religion is based on blind belief. Whatever is based on blind belief is superstition.

God in truth is not a belief. One must know God in truth. Without knowing what God is supposed to be in actuality worshipping the belief-based God is superstition.

Worshipping superstitious Gods barred by the Vedas. Know what God is supposed to be according to Vedas Upanishads Bhagavad Gita and Bible.

Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~ God is the Supreme Spirit, has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions.

Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

Even Rig Veda: ~ The Atman 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)

Rig Veda: ~ 'Prajnanam Brahma'- Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth.

Do not accept any other God other than the invisible Soul. The invisible Soul is God in truth. Nothing is real but the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Nothing matters but realizing God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

God in truth, is hidden by the illusory universe. God in truth alone is real and eternal and all else is an illusion.

Brahman is merely a word to indicate the ultimate truth or God in truth. The ultimate truth itself is God in truth.

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 invisible 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 is.

Bhagavad Gita says: ~ Brahmano hi pratisthaham ~ Brahman (God in truth) 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.

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

The world in which you exist is the dualistic illusion created out of the Self which is not you but the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Whatever you have seen, known, believed, and experienced is within the dualistic illusion. Thus, your existence is bound to an illusion created out of consciousness, which is real and eternal.

Like an ornament made from gold is Gold, that which is born out of consciousness is consciousness. Like gold is a permanent thing, in ornaments made of gold, similarly, the mind, which is in the form of the universe is born out of consciousness, is consciousness in its essence.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad:~ "He who worships the deities as entities entirely separate from the Self does not know the truth. For the Gods, he is like a pasu (beast)". (1. 4. 10)

Sage Sankara said:~ " Talk as much philosophy as you like, worship as many gods as you please, observe ceremonies, and sing devotional hymns, but liberation will never come, even after a hundred aeons, without realizing the Oneness.

God in truth has no name because God is the invisible Soul, the Self. The invisible Soul is a formless, timeless, spaceless existence.

There is the use of repeating the God which keeps one in permanently remains in state ignorance.

The God with name and form is not God in truth. You must realize God in truth.

Only when ignorance vanishes and the truth, which is hidden by the form, time, and space, will be revealed.

The sickness of not cured by saying the word “medicine.” You must take the medicine.

Ignorance does not vanish by merely repeating the name of God, which is not God in actuality. God in truth must be realized.

Until you allow this apparent universe to transcend from your consciousness until you have realized the truth, which is hidden by form, time, and space, how can you find God just by repeating the name of God, which is not God in actuality?

Until you realize the Self is not you but the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, you will never be able to cross the domain of the dualistic illusion.

You cannot become a Gnani by repeating the name of individual God repeating ‘OM’, or repeating the ‘I’ as propagated by some Gurus.

A buried treasure is not uncovered by merely repeating mantras. Without a perfect understanding of ‘what is what’, the truth will not be revealed.

You must remove all obstacles that block your realization. The truth of the invisible Soul, the only God, which is buried under the dualistic illusion, comes only through Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

If you are desirous to realize the truth, which is hidden by the dualistic illusion, then mentally, burn your accumulated knowledge by realizing the Self is not you but the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

God in truth is Athma.+

God in truth is Athma.

Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~ God is the Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions.

Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

Yajur Veda indicates that: ~

They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example, table, chair, idol, etc (Yajurveda 40:9)

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.)

Even Rig Veda: ~ The Atman 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)

Rig Veda: ~ 'Prajnanam Brahma'- Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth.

Do not accept any other God other than the invisible Soul. The Soul is God in truth. Nothing is real but the invisible Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Nothing matters but realize God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

God in truth, is hidden by the illusory universe. God in truth alone is real and eternal and all else is an illusion.

Brahman is merely a word to indicate the ultimate truth or God in truth. The ultimate truth itself is God in truth.

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

When Upanishads and Vedas declare that “God is present in the form of the Athma, and God is indeed Athma itself then why accept another God in place of the Atman or worship other than the Atman.

Kena Upanishad (6) Chapter I: ~ “That which cannot be apprehended by the mind, but by which, they say, the mind is apprehended-That alone know as Brahman and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (7) Chapter I:~ That which cannot be perceived by the eye, but by which the eye is perceived-That alone know as Brahman and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad Chapter I:~ That which cannot be heard by the ear, but by which the hearing is perceived-That alone know as Brahman and not that which people here worship.

Kena Upanishad (9)- Chapter I:~ That which cannot be smelt by the breath, but by which the breath smells an object-That alone know as Brahman, and not that which people here worship.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: "He who worships the deities as entities entirely separate from God does not know the truth. For the Gods, he is like a pasu (beast)".

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

Bhagavad Gita Chapter:~ All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship many Gods. (7- Verse -20)

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 Self. In reality, there is no duality, no differentiation. Only Atman exists.

There is a different grade mindset, which is unable to grasp God in truth. Advaitic wisdom requires sharpness of demand to grasp the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space. Just by sitting mindlessly and imagining you are seeing God keeps you in the prison of the dualistic illusion : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

God in truth is not He/She because God is the Spirit. God in truth is the Spirit has no material shape. God in truth cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions.+

God in truth is not He/She because God in truth is the Spirit. God in truth is the Spirit has no material shape. God in truth cannot be seen directly by anyone. God in truth pervades all beings and all directions.

God in truth is Athma or the Spirit, which is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence. Vedas say May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman

By worshipping Gods and Goddesses, you will remain in the domain of the dualistic illusion. Worshipping Gods and Goddesses will not help you to realize the real God. The real God is the invisible Soul, the Self.

God in truh is Self-evident. God in truth is not established by extraneous proofs. It is not possible to deny God in truth because God in truth is the very essence of the one who denies it. God in truth is the basis of all kinds of knowledge, presuppositions, and proofs. God in truth is within the universe in which you exist, God in truth is without the universe in which you exist.

God in truth is the Supreme Being, the One eternal homogeneous essence, indivisible consciousness, and intelligence, which is beyond form, time, and space. To which the Sages describe in a variety of ways through diverse words.

Bhagavad Gita: ~ ‘All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship many God s. (7- Verse -20)

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad declares: "He who worships the deities as entities entirely separate from him does not know the truth. For the Gods, he is like a pasu (beast)". (1. 4. 10)

The time you spend Worshipping Gods and Goddesses is wasted because you could have spent that time acquiring Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is your goal. By worshiping Gods and Goddesses, you cannot you will remain in ignorance of the ultimate truth or Brahman or real God.

Upanishads clearly indicate that the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

Mundaka Upanishad condemns rituals:~ The Para or Higher knowledge is the knowledge of the Supreme Being while the Apara or Lower Knowledge is that of following sacrificial rites and ceremonies. (1/2/ 1 – 6)

First, you must know what God is supposed to be. There is a clear-cut idea in the scriptures, what is supposed to be God. And what not to worship in place of God then why worship the belief of God, which not God.

That is why 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.

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

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman 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)

Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~ IGod Supreme or Supreme Spirit has no ‘Pratima’ (idol) or material shape. God cannot be seen directly by anyone. God pervades all beings and all directions.

Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.

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

People, who worship the belief of God, are hallucinating that they become one with such God.

Vedas itself declares:~ May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman? Thus, to know the real God, Self-realization is necessary. Self-realization is God-realization. Self-realization itself is real worship.

Yajurveda says if you worship what is not God: ~

Yajurveda: ~

Translation 1.

They enter darkness, those who worship natural things (for example air, water, sun, moon, animals, fire, stone, etc).

They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example, table, chair, idol, etc.) (Yajurveda 40:9)

Translation 2.

"Deep into the shade of blinding gloom fall asambhuti's worshippers. They sink to darkness deeper yet who on sambhuti are intent." (Yajurveda Samhita by Ralph T. H. Giffith pg 538)

Translation 3.

"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.)

So, Yajur Veda indicates that: ~

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 ignorance.

If the religious Gods and goddesses are not real Gods then why indulge in rituals and glorify the conceptual Gods, Goddesses, and Gurus to go into deeper darkness. Instead, spend that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is one’s prime goal.

That is why Sage Sankara: ~ VC ~ Let erudite scholars quote all the scripture, let Gods be invoked through sacrifices, let elaborate rituals be performed, let personal Gods be propitiated---yet, without the realization of one‘s identity With the Self, there shall be no liberation for the individual, not even in the lifetimes of a hundred Brahmas put together (verses-6). : ~Santthosh Kumaar