Sage Sankara:~ Just as a piece of rope is mistaken for a snake, the Atman is mistaken for this diverse world.+

A Gnani wears no signs of religion. A Gnani gives up the insignia of a monk's life…his signs are not manifest, nor his behavior."  A Gnani brings notions and beliefs out of vagueness into clearness. 

It means the Knower of the Atman (i.e., a Gnani) "bears no outward mark of a holy man.  Thus the religious Gurus are nothing to do with the path of wisdom. 

All the religious-based Advaita is meant for the mass that is incapable of grasping the truth beyond form, time, and space.   Thus the religious idea of God, Guru, and scriptural studies are nothing to do with the path of wisdom or Brahman. 

The Gurus who claim superior knowledge but who cannot communicate it for purposes of verification.

Sruti says:~ "brahmavit brahmaiva bhavati" - He who knows Brahman becomes Brahman Itself. In the Advaita understanding of this statement, the "becoming" is only metaphorical. It is not as if something that was not Brahman suddenly becomes Brahman. Rather, "realizing Brahman" means the removal of ignorance about one's own essential nature as Brahman. Thus, to "know Brahman" is to "be Brahman".

The one who has realized the identity of the Soul, the ‘Self’ with the Brahman is a Gnani, one who is liberated even while embodied. Such a realization should not and cannot just be a literal understanding of Upanishadic mahAvAkyas.

A Gnani is one who has realized the ultimate truth of the identity with the Soul, the Self. Thus, Moksha is not a result of ritual action (path of karma a) or of devotional service (path of bhakti). These paths are egocentric paths, therefore, they will not help anyway to get rid of ignorance. In fact, Moksha is not a result of anything, for it always exists. 

All that is required is the removal of ignorance. The path of wisdom helps the seeker to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The Gnani, however never loses his Gnana. Dislodging a Gnani from his conviction is an impossibility. Once he has realized the ultimate truth or Brahman he simply can't fall away from it.

For Gnani the world is an illusion. Viewed from the absolute there's neither birth nor life nor death, neither appearance nor disappearance, neither production nor destruction, neither bondage nor liberation. There's none who seeks freedom nor is there any who is liberated - this is the highest truth.

A Gnani knows that there's neither unity nor plurality - the world is neither one nor many. Just as a piece of rope is mistaken for a snake, the Atman is mistaken for this diverse world. Duality is an appearance and the non-dual Atman is the real truth.

The Gnani not only gets nondualistic awareness but also truth because he has turned outwards also and grasped the truth about the matter, which is as much the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of the consciousness

In this Hi-Fi world, many self-declared Spiritual Gurus are born like mushrooms amidst us and they are looked upon as great solace by the mass of gullible people, who are more ‘peace and wisdom hungry.  

Most seekers are looking for something beyond their inherited belief system. Most of these dollar-hungry Gurus hanker after titles and honors and enjoy it like these modern days self-styled Gurus and they are connected to one or another controversies and scandals.

People get stuck with these modern self-proclaimed Gurus who claimed to be enlightened.  Many of these Gurus have taken many new “avatars” like Corporate Gurus, Universal Gurus, online Gurus, Global Gurus, one name it, he will find them. The honest Gurus and swamis never come to the limelight and they remain to mind their own inherited divine business and remain aloof from publicity.  

There are so many   Gurus who have overnight become Global Gurus. They only play with the feelings of people. Most of them are propagating ancient yogic practices as if it is their own great new invention and branding them or getting them patented,   this is the height of the mockery of spirituality. As long as innocent and ignorant people are there, these kinds of Gurus can flourish their business to peak height. They cannot only fool the people but also the people in political power.

Religion needs a Guru to propagate its belief system, whereas in the Atmic path there is no need for a Guru. The ultimate truth has to be ascertained by him alone.  Yoga needs a Guru to guide its students to practice Samadhi. 

The one who says he is enlightened is not a Gnani.  The ‘Self’ is not you but the ‘Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness. How can you and the world in which you exist remain when the ‘Self’ gets enlightenment?   Only the Soul the innermost ‘Self ‘remains in its own awareness in the midst of the dualistic illusion.

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

Manduka Upanishads: ~  It is very difficult to find out who is a Gnani because he bears no external mark. Neither nudity nor the religious robe has anything to do with him.

Thus, one who identifies themselves as a swami,   a Guru, or a yogi is not a Gnani. A Gnani never identifies himself as a swami, Guru, pundit, or yogi.  The Swami, Guru, pundit or yogi belongs to the religious or the yogic path not to the path of wisdom.

That is why Sage Sankara: ~   "The knower of Brahman (Gnani) wears no signs. 

Sage  Sankara: ~ "Tell us what you know, show it, and let us examine it under the mental microscope." It means we must bring notions and beliefs out of vagueness into clearness. It also criticizes the mystics who claim superior knowledge but who cannot communicate it for purposes of verification.

Sage  Sankara: ~ "The knower of Brahman wears no signs. Gives up the insignia of a monk's life…his signs are not manifest, nor his behavior."  When the knower of Brahman wears no signs ~ it means he does not identify himself as a Guru. 

Ashtavakra Samhita: - "The man of knowledge, though living like an ordinary man, is contrary to him and only those like him understand his state.

Those who seek should not stop seeking until they find. Know the ‘Self’ not ‘you’, and what is hidden beyond the form, time and space will be disclosed to you.

The feat of a Guru, touching people and thus putting them into mystic states is purely a physical or at best a psychological one; based on the power of suggestions it has nothing to do with epistemology, with the question of truth. The truth is not physical because the ultimate truth is the Soul or the Spirit.

The ultimate truth or Brahman is nothing to do with religion.   Religion is based on the illusory ‘I’ as a reality whereas the ultimate truth or Brahman is beyond form, time, and space. If you are seeking truth make sure you have not chosen the wrong path.  : ~ Santthosh Kumaar