It is for every seeker of truth to know what is written in Bhagavad Gita, Upanishad, and Vedas about God in truth.+

It is for every seeker of truth to know what is written in Bhagavad Gita, Upanishad, and Vedas about God in truth.  

Bhagavad Gita says: ~ “Don't unsettle the minds of the ignorant by revealing the esoteric truth."

Bhagavad Gita Krishna says: ~It is only one amongst thousands of people who strive for spiritual salvation. Even amongst such seekers, it is only the rare person who gets to know “Self” correctly.’ (7.3)

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 in truth) alone exists~ everything is Atman, there exists nothing except Atman. Such a man is extremely rare."

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

Bhagavad Gita: ~ ‘Brahmano hi pratisthaham’ ~ Brahman (God) is considered the all-pervading consciousness (Spirit), 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 (Spirit) which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material then nothing has to be accepted as God other than consciousness.

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.

In Manduka Upanishad Brahman and Atman are defined as same:~ सर्वं ह्येतद् ब्रह्मायमात्मा ब्रह्म सोयमात्मा चतुष्पात् / sarvam hyetad brahmaayamaatmaa brahm soyamaatmaa chatushpaat –

Manduka Upanishad, verse-2

Translation:~

Sarvam(सर्वम्)- Whole/All/Everything; hi(हि)- Really/Just/Surely/Indeed; etad(एतद्)- This here/This; brahm(ब्रह्म)- Brahm/Brahman; ayam(अयम्)- This/Here; aatmaa(आत्मा)- Atma/Atman; sah(सः)- He; ayam(अयम्)- This/Here; chatus(चतुस्)- Four/Quadruple; paat(पात्)- Step/Foot/Quarter

Fragmented Verse:~ सर्वम् हि एतद् ब्रह्म अयम् आत्मा ब्रह्म सः अयम् आत्मा चतुस पात् / sarvam hi etad brahm ayama aatmaa brahm sah ayam aatmaa chatus paat

Simple Meaning:~

All indeed is this Brahman; This Atman is Brahman; God, this Atman has four steps/quarters.

While Brahman lies behind the sum total of the objective universe, some human minds boggle at any attempt to explain it with only the tools provided by reason. Brahman is beyond the senses, beyond the mind, beyond intelligence, beyond imagination. 

Indeed, the highest idea is that Brahman is beyond both existence and non-existence, transcending and including time, causation, and space, and thus can never be known in the same material sense as one traditionally 'understands' a given concept or object.

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)

The Vedas confirm God is Atman (Spirit), the  Self.

Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~ God is  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.

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

God in truth is the Atman, the Self. Atman is present in the form of consciousness.

Do not accept any other God other than Atman not worship other than Atman.

Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

Nothing is real but God. Nothing Matters but love for God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything.

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

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)

How can you worship God? That implies two ~ the worshipper and the worshiped, whereas the God is nondual. One can worship his idea of God only or realize his unity with it when he can’t worship it as apart.

When Upanishads and Vedas declare that, “God is 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.

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

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ Brahman (God in truth) is 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 is real worship.

Prohibition of idol worship in Yajurveda: ~

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

Yajurveda: ~ There is no image of God in truth. God in truth is unborn and eternal. (Chapter 32, Verse 3)

Yajurveda: ~ God in truth is nondual and pure" (Chapter 40, Verse) 

Yajurveda: ~ "They are entering darkness, those who worship the natural things (like air, water, fire, etc.), they are sinking more in darkness who worship created things." (Chapter 40, Verse 9)

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

Yajurveda warns  if you worship what is not God in truth: ~

Yajurveda: ~

Translation 1.

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

They sink deeper into the darkness than 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 Prakriti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But those who worship visible things born of the Prakriti, 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: ~

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

Those who worship visible things born of the Prakriti, such as the earth, trees, and 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.)

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

Orthodoxy has made Sage Sankara's Advatic wisdom very complicated by mixing religion and yoga with Spirituality or Adyathma.

Fortunate is the one who does not lose himself in the religion and yoga. There are many theories and conceptual divisions invented by different thinkers Gurus by their analysis based on orthodoxy point of view or on dualistic perspective.

Fortunate is the man realizes the Self , which is hidden by the ‘I’.The Self is the Soul hidden by the ‘I’.

Sage Sankara restrained himself s parting the Advatic wisdom or Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana to the mass and it was given only a selected few.

It was hidden from the populace which was not qualified and receptive to it. Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana was not written down but was imparted orally to the chosen few.

Thus, religion was given to the ignorant populace, and knowledge of the spirit is given to only a selected few. Thus we find traces of the knowledge of Spirit (Soul) in the religious books in the form of parables.

Sage Sankara said:- Neither by the practice of yoga nor philosophy, nor by good works nor by learning, does liberation come, but only through the realization that Atman and Brahman are one in no other way.(1) VivekaChudamani v 56, pg 25

Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is the fairest flower of wisdom that the world in any age has produced. Learn yourself, make everyone aware of the truth of their true existence, call upon the sleeping Soul and see how it awakes.

Sage Sankara clearly says:~ Neither studying philosophy nor by mastering the scriptures liberation comes without realizing the Oneness.

Sage Sankara’s Advatic wisdom is not teaching or philosophy but Advaita is the universal wisdom.

Advaitic wisdom is neither a teaching nor a theory but it is mere guidance to those who are seriously seeking the ultimate truth or Brahman.

Genuine philosophy must be independent of religion, that in Sage Sankara himself the Saguna Brahman or a personal God is only a part of the phenomenal world, and the Nirguna Brahman is the only reality and has nothing to do with religion.

Orthodoxy has made Sage Sankara's  Advatic wisdom very complicated by mixing religion and yoga with Spirituality or Adyathma.

Sage Sankara's commentary on the Brahma Sutras is not on a philosophical basis, but on an orthodox and mystic basis, with an appeal to the Vedas as the final authority.

In Brahma Sutra Sage Sankara takes the position that there is another entity outside us, i.e. the wall really exists separately from the mind. This was because Sage Sankara explains in Manduka Upanishad that those who study the Sutras are orthodox minds, intellectual children, hence his popular viewpoint to assist them. These people are afraid to go deeper because it means being heroic enough to refuse to accept Sruti, and God's authority, in case they mean punishment by God. A Gnani says the scriptures for children, but wise seekers will think rationally.

In Brahma Sutras Sage Sankara takes for granted, and assumes that a world was created: He there mixes dogmatic theology with philosophy.

That God created the world is an absolute lie, nevertheless one will find Sage Sankara (in his commentary on Vedanta Sutras) clearly says this! He has to adapt his teachings to his audience, reserving the highest for philosophical minds.

The text of Brahma Sutras is based on religion and dogmatism, but in the commentary Sage Sankara cleverly introduced some philosophy. If it is objected that a number of Upanishads are equally dogmatic because they also begin by assuming Brahman, only a few Upanishads do not but prove Brahman at the end of a train of proof.

Scholars' translation of Brahma Sutras in Sacred Books of East must be read cautiously as he has not understood its highest sense, e.g. for Advaita they wrongly put "Unity" instead of “Non-duality."

Sage Sankara gave religion and scholasticism and yoga no less than philosophy, to the seeking world. He was great enough to be able to do so. His commentary on Manduka is pure philosophy, but many of his other books are presented from a religious standpoint to help those who cannot rise up to philosophy. Orthodoxy is the home of mysticism and deification that is why they are not keen on the rational truth. Thus, Sage Sankara is the Jagadguru to the religious followers and he is a great Sage (Gnani) of the highest order to the seeking world.

Remember:~

Philosophers have made philosophy very complicated with their excessive analysis.

Philosophy has to deal with the ultimate truth, not mere words, not this Guru's or that Guru's interpretation.

Philosophy has to deal with the ultimate truth, not mere words, not this Guru's or that Guru's interpretation.

The philosophers and modern thinkers of the world cannot get over their tallest hurdle, not because they cannot see that they are part of the illusory universe but because they are so strongly attached to the reality of the illusory universe in which they exist that they modify or fit their theories to please this attachment. In short, they refuse to give up the illusory universe in which they exist.

Modern thinkers say the external world is a construction of the mind. But Sage Goudapada alone of all philosophers rises still higher and shows that a causal relation is never found between subject and object because subject and object are one in essence. :~Santthosh Kumaar

The Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara ~ a wisdom without a Parallel.+

The Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara  ~ a wisdom  without a Parallel. The Advaitic wisdom  is lofty, sublime, and unique.  . It is highly interesting, inspiring, and elevating. No other philosophy can stand before it in boldness, depth, and subtle thinking. Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara is complete and perfect.

Sage Sankara was a mighty, marvelous genius and a profound thinker of the world-class. He was a sage of the highest realization.  

Sage Sankara's Advatic wisdom has brought solace, peace, and illumination. Sage Sankara’s philosophy commands the admiration of the whole world.

The essence of the Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara is that the world in which we exist is not separate from, the Atman. Atman is one only, without a second substance. The Atman is Brahman. That is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman. Brahman is God in truth.

The Atman means the Soul. The Soul is the Self. The Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, is the ultimate enduring reality or Brahman. The Soul is the fullness of consciousness without the illusory division of form, time, and space.

The Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara is the knowledge of the beyond form, time, and space. There is only one supreme reality that is beyond form, time, and space. In reality, the form, time, and space are one, in essence. That essence is the Atman, which is present in the form of consciousness. Consciousness is the cause of the universe and it itself is uncaused.

The universe is nothing but consciousness. Thus, consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman. There is no second thing that exists other than consciousness because the universe is created out of single stuff. Knowledge of single stuff is the Advaitic wisdom.

Sage Sankara accepts that Brahman is the source of the Veda, in the same way as Brahman is the source of the entire universe. This acceptance of a "source" of the Veda would not be acceptable to the true Purva Mimamsakas who follow the thought of Kumarila Bhatta or Prabhakara.

Advatic wisdom of Sage Sankara:~ Brahman is without attributes and strictly impersonal. It can be best described as infinite Being, infinite Consciousness, and infinite Bliss. It is pure knowledge itself, similar to a source of infinite radiance. Since the Advaitins regard Brahman to be the Ultimate Truth, in comparison to Brahman, every other thing, including the material world, its distinctness, the individuality of the living creatures, and even Ishvara (the Supreme Lord) itself are all untrue. Brahman is the effulgent cause of everything that exists and can possibly exist. Since it is beyond human comprehension, it is without any attributes, for assigning attributes to it would be distorting the true nature of Brahman. 

Orthodox Advaitins believe in the existence of  Saguna Brahman, which is meant for the ignorant people  who are incapable grasping of Nirguna Brahman. Sage Sankara considers Nirguna Brahman to be the absolute supreme truth.

The essence of Sage Sankara's Advatic wisdom: ~ Jagat (the world) is not different from Brahman; however, Brahman is different from Jagat.

It has not been possible to preach Advaitic Truth entirely free from the settings of dualistic weakness, it has not been more operative and useful to mankind at large because only a few will be able to grasp and realize it.

'To realize the Advaitic Truth a freer and fuller scope the seeker has to realize the form, time and space are one in essence. And that essence is consciousness. And the Soul, the innermost Self is present in the form of consciousness.

To realize the Advaitic truth the seeker has to be free from all superstitions and orthodox contaminations. The seeker has to be dedicated to acquiring Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana alone.

Sage Sankara founded his Advaitic wisdom  either on reason independent of Shruti or on Shruti confirmed by reason." 

Sage Sankara:~ This (the unreality of duality) is borne out by the Shrutis ... But it is possible also to show the unreality of the object world even from pure reasoning, and this second chapter is undertaken for that purpose.(Commentary on the Manduka Upanishad, II, 1)

The world in which we exist is a dualistic illusion. The dualistic illusion is created out of single stuff. Knowledge of the single stuff is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The world in which we exist is merely an appearance or superimposition Just as a snake is superimposed on the rope in the twilight, this world in which we exist is superimposed on the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. The Soul is the Self.

If you get knowledge of the rope, the illusion of the snake in the rope will vanish. Even so, if you get the knowledge of the Soul, the dualistic illusion will never prevail as a reality. Consciousness, which is the cause, produces the effect without undergoing any change in itself. The snake is only an appearance on the rope. The rope has not transformed itself into a snake, like milk into curd. The consciousness is immutable and eternal. Therefore, it cannot change itself into the world. The consciousness becomes the cause of the world, in which we exist and it itself is uncaused.

When you come to know that it is only a rope, your fear disappears. You do not run away from it. Even so, when you realize the eternal immutable Brahman, you are not affected by the phenomena or the names and forms of this world. When Avidya or the veil of ignorance is destroyed through knowledge of the Eternal, when Mithya Jnana or false knowledge is removed by real knowledge of the Imperishable or the living Reality, you shine in your true, pristine, divine splendor and glory.

Sage Sankara himself had often said that his philosophy was based on the Sruti or revealed scripture. This may be because Sage Sankara addressed the ordinary man, who finds security in the idea of causality and thus in the idea of God—and Revelation is indispensable to prove the latter. 

Sage Sankara believed that those of superior intelligence, have no need of this idea of divine causality and can, therefore, dispense with Shruti and arrive at the truth of Non-Dualism by pure reason. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Evolution implies duality. Evolution is impossible in nondualistic reality.

The evolution theory is based on the false self within the false experience. You are the false self within the illusory world. Whatever theory is based on you is a reality within the falsehood.

Evolution implies duality. Evolution is impossible in non-dualistic reality. 

Sage Goudapada quotes from the Upanishads: ~ "There's no plurality here"; "The Soul through its powers appears to be many"; "those who are attached to the creation or production or origination go to utter darkness"; "the unborn is never reborn, for what can produce it?”

Sage Goudapada: ~Duality is for the unwise, non-duality and undifferentiated Reality is for the wise and difficult to grasp.

When the Self is not you but the Self is Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness, and then the question of evolution does not arise.

Only when you take yourself as the real Self, then this then the evolution theory is a reality. But when you realize the ‘Self’ is not you but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is the ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence then the evolution theory has no value.

If you are not the ‘Self’ but the Self’ is the Soul then the question of evolution does not arise because from the standpoint of the Soul no second thing exists other than the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness alone, is real and eternal.

Sage Sankara says: ~ Atman is Brahman. The Atman alone is real and is not religious truth.

Sage Sankara declared this Advaitic truth, which is the ultimate truth to the whole world, many centuries back is the rational truth, scientific truth, and ultimate truth.

Thus, the Atman which is present in the form of consciousness is real and eternal, the world in which we exist is merely an illusion. : ~Santthosh Kumaar

Religion and yoga prevent seekers from attaining Self- knowledge.+

Moral, ethics, love compassion, code of conduct, celibacy, karma, sin, temple worship, ancestor worship, heaven, and hell are concerned with religion, not concerned with spirituality (Adyathma).

Religion is concerned with the individual who is born, lives, and dies in the world. The world is the dualistic illusion or Maya.

Moral, ethics, love compassion, code of conduct, celibacy, karma, sin, temple worship, ancestor worship, heaven, and hell are nothing to do with the Soul, the Self because it is unborn and eternal. It is unborn eternal because it is ever formless, timeless, and spaceless existence.

Religion and yoga prevent seekers from attaining Self- knowledge.

According to Sage Sankara, Atman, the unchanging entity itself is the ultimate reality or Brahman. Atman alone is real, while the universe is unreal.

Advaitic wisdom is not based on scriptures religious and intellectual knowledge by karmas.

Starting from childhood, when learning has to start, Advaitic wisdom has to be a way of life.

The Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sri, Sankara is nothing to do with religion, caste, rituals, worships, yoga, and other practices. Therefore an obvious disparity between Sage Sankara‘s path of Gnana, and the path of Karma. The path of Gnana is meant for the advanced seeker of truth and the path of Karma is meant for the ignorant populace.

Even Sage Sankara appear and tell the orthodox people the path of orthodoxy is the path of ignorance they will not be able to drop their inherited samskara or conditioning, which they think is the only way to reach heaven and reap happy life in the next life.

As regards the rituals, Sage Sankara says, the person who performs rituals and aspires for rewards will view himself in terms of the caste into which he is born, his age, the stage of his life, and his standing in society, etc. 

In addition, he is required to perform rituals all through his life. However, the 'Self' has none of those attributes or tags. Hence, the person who superimposes all those attributes on the changeless, eternal Self and identifies the ‘Self’ with the body is confusing one for the other; and is, therefore, an ignorant person. The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards, etc. are therefore addressed to an ignorant person.- (11- Adhyasa Bhashya)

The orthodox people only teach and preach their knowledge of ignorance but none of them wants to know the God in Truth, which is hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya.

Sage Sankara’s Gnanic path can help the seekers draw and prepare them for the journey to the reality hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

The Vedas bar polytheism thus, it proves that the Hinduism believes in polytheism is not Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma.+

The people in India believed in polytheism, believing all of their Gods to be separate individuals, which was introduced much later by the founders of Hinduism which contains diverse beliefs caste, and creed.

The Vedas bar polytheism thus, it proves that Hinduism believes in polytheism is not ancient Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma.

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.

God in truth is the Atman, the Self. Atman is present in the form of consciousness.

Do not accept any other God other than Atman not worship other than Atman.

Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.

Nothing is real but God. Nothing Matters but love for God in truth. God in truth is everywhere and in everything.

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

Rig Veda declares God is ‘ONE’ and God is Atman, then why believe and worship in place of real God.

Rig-Veda 1.164-46 and Y.V 32-1 clearly mention that God is “One”.

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

Rig Veda - 1.164.46: ~ Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti” -” The Reality (Truth or God) is One.

Rig Veda -1/164/46: ~ “They call him Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, or the heavenly sunbird Garutmat. The seers call in many ways that which is One; they speak of Agni, Yama, Matarishvan.

Rig Veda - 8/58/2:~ Only One is the Fire, enkindled in numerous ways; only One is the Sun, pervading this whole universe; only One is the Dawn, illuminating all things. In very truth, the One has become the whole world.

Prohibition of idol worship in Yajurveda: ~

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

Yajurveda: ~ There is no image of God in truth. God in truth is unborn and eternal. (Chapter 32, Verse 3)

Yajurveda: ~ God in truth is nondual and pure"

Yajurveda: ~ "They are entering darkness, those who worship the natural things (like air, water, fire, etc.), they are sinking more in darkness who worship created things." (Chapter 40, Verse 9)

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

Yajurveda: ~ "They are entering darkness, those who worship the natural things (like air, water, fire, etc.), they are sinking more in darkness who worship created things." (Chapter 40, Verse 9)

Upanishads say in effect that: ~ if you believe that you are one and God is another you cannot understand Truth

Religious Gods are based on blind faith or blind belief. Religious God cannot be considered as the center because, the Soul, the ‘Self’ is the center of all that exists. Without the Soul the world in which you exist ceases to exist, which means the religious God is dependent on the Soul for his existence.

Brihad Upanishad: ~ “If you think there is another entity whether man or God there is no truth."

Maitreyi Upanishad 2:26 says: ~ All those who desire to have salvation without taking several births, should worship God in spirit and truth.

ISH Upanishads: - By Worshiping Gods and Goddesses you will go after death to the world of Gods and Goddesses. But will that help you? The time you spent there is wasted because if you were not there you could have spent that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge, which is your goal. In the world of Gods and Goddesses, you cannot do that, and thus you go deeper and deeper into darkness.

It clearly indicates that:-If the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Athma Gnana 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.

Upanishads: ~ They alone in this world are endowed with the highest wisdom who are firm in their conviction of the sameness and birthlessness of Atman. The ordinary man does not understand their way. (Chapter IV — Alatasanti Prakarana 95-P-188 in Upanishads by Nikilanada)

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

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 

Sage Sankara’s 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 besides it. It is destitute of difference, either external or internal. Brahman cannot be described because description implies a distinction. Brahman cannot be distinguished from any other than It. In Brahman, there is not 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.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says:~ "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)

That is why Sage Sankara:~ VC-61- For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae), and medicines to such a one?

Sickness is not cured by saying the word “medicine.” You must take the medicine. Ignorance will not vanish does not come by merely saying the word “God nor by worshiping God of belief. First one must know what God is supposed to be. God must be realized. One must know God in truth.

Perfect undemanding and assimilation of ‘what is what’ leads to truth realization, truth realization itself is Self-realization. Self-realization itself is God-realization. God-realization itself is real worship.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar