Sage Sankara:~All that one was required to do was to get rid of ignorance (Avidya or duality).+

The scriptures are not needed in the pursuit of truth. Even the Upanishads and the Sages of truth declare the same.

Katha Upanishad:~ This Atman cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas, or by intelligence, nor by much hearing of sacred books. It is attained by him alone whom It chooses. To such a one Atman reveals Its own form. (Katha Upanishad. Ch-II -23-P-20)

Mundaka Upanishad: ~ This Atman cannot be attained through the study of the Vedas, nor through intelligence, nor through much learning. He who chooses Atman—by him alone is Atman attained. It is Atman that reveals to the seeker Its true nature. (3 –page-70 Upanishads by Nikilanada)

The ultimate truth has to be ascertained without the scriptures by realizing the Self is neither the waking entity not the dream entity, but the Self is a formless Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. In the realm of truth form, time, and space are created out of single stuff. That single stuff is consciousness.

The ultimate truth has to be realized first, and then only it is possible to know what the scriptures are saying.

Scriptures are being added from time to time. This process will go on. There is the final authority among them? One contradicts the other: duality reigns supreme.

I quote Scriptural citations only after verifying reality and proved the truth, to point out that the scriptures teach the same thing. If one quotes them before having demonstrated the truth, then it is scholasticism.

Sage Sankara:~ Loud speech, a profusion of words, and possessing skillfulness in expounding scriptures are merely for the enjoyment of the learned. They do not lead to Liberation."

Mundaka Upanishads:~ So-called spiritual pundits and learned are called children because a child takes whatever it thinks as truth. The question never occurs to children “Is what I have seen or thought really the truth?" (P.334 line 9)

The Scriptures' mastery, the force of religious merit--none of these lead to the realization of that Ultimate Truth or Brahman. The ultimate truth is revealed in the clear understanding and realization of ‘what is the truth and ‘what is the untruth. When one realizes the untruth (universe) is created out of single stuff, Self-awareness rises in the midst of duality exposing the unreal nature of form, time, and space.

An adherent of the orthodox philosopher may say his philosophy teaches so and so", another man may object and say “No, his religious philosophy teaches such and such." Thus, they may go on uttering contradictions in the name of philosophy. True philosophy deals only with the appeal to facts, not theories.

Where scriptures and authorities do not agree with the reason, the seeker of truth must reject them.

How is one to know that the scriptures are true? The seeker has to look into the facts, for proof of what has the worship of God done for the people! When a tsunami occurred in Japan, God did not save the believers of Japan. Thus, God saves the one who prays such an argument is of no value as truth.

People believe scripture is infallible but deeper Self-search reveals the fact that they are merely books of words. The words are merely an expression of thoughts. Then it is impossible to see if the scripture-writers thoughts are founded in fact or not.

The fallacy of orthodoxy’s appeal to scripture lies in the varying and conflicting interpretations of the same scripture, which different men feel, entitled to give or hold.

The scriptures are for the ignorant masses, who wholly accept the practical life within the practical world as it presents itself. Gnana is for those who have begun to realize that things are not what they seem.

Where scriptures and authorities do not agree with the reason, the seeker of truth must reject them.

Scriptural knowledge is conceptual divisions invented by teachers of philosophy through their excessive analysis. All these concepts are a great obstacle to the pursuit of truth. Why should confusion be created and then explained away? Fortunate is the man who does not lose himself in the labyrinths of philosophy but goes straight to the source from which they all arise. 

Remember:~

Sage Sankara strongly advocated the study of Upanishads and at the same time cautioned that the study of Upanishads alone would not lead to moksha. In matters of such as spiritual attainment, one’s own realization was the sole authority and it cannot be disputed

Sage Sankara also said the study of Upanishad was neither indispensable nor a necessary prerequisite for attaining the human goal, the moksha.

Sage  Sankara pointed out; even those who were outside the Upanishad fold were as eligible for moksha as those within the fold were. He declared that all beings are Brahman, and therefore the question of discrimination did not arise. All that one was required to do was to get rid of ignorance (Avidya or duality).

Sage Sankara: ~ VC- 59- “The study of the Scriptures is useless so long as the highest Truth is unknown, and it is equally useless when the highest Truth has already been known.

60. The Scriptures consisting of many words are a dense forest that merely causes the mind to ramble. Hence, men of wisdom should earnestly set about knowing the true nature of the Self.

Sage Sankara: ~ 'Like a servant who carries a lamp in front of you to find your way, and you have found it, so becomes the Veda to that person. What is the Veda? ~ utterances of those who have known the Truth. Here is one who has known the Truth; why should he or she depend upon the Veda further? Actual realization takes you beyond books. At a certain stage, books become a botheration. The Upanishad itself says that the 'words are only so much of distraction for such minds'

Upanishad itself says:~ vacho viglapanam hi tat~ words are only so much of a distraction for such minds'.

Scriptural citation is quoted as authoritative only after verification and which helps to acquire Advaitic wisdom.   Advaitic truth is uncontradictable and proved the truth.

Scriptures are of value only when dealing with persons who are incapable of understanding the truth. They have no value as authority for those who use reason.

The Upanishads are self-contradictory.  Scholars even give conflicting interpretations of them. Common sense says that the final authority, therefore, is using your own reason. This does not mean you need to give up the scriptures, but you should apply your reason to them. The reason is common to all.

Katha Upanishad (1.2.5) says: ~ "Caught in the grip of ignorance, self-proclaimed experts consider themselves learned authorities. They wander about this world befooled, like the blind leading the blind."

How do you know that the scriptures of any religion contain the truth, without knowing what is truth and what is the untruth? 

 How do you know that the Guru you quote knew the truth without knowing what is Gnana? And what is ignorance? 

If you say scripture is infallible then ask yourself, What is it? A book of words! What is a word? A thought; Can you see into another man’s mind? No. Then it is impossible to see if the authors of the scripture's thoughts are founded in fact or not.

How do you know that the authors of the religious holy books have spoken only the truth? How can you look into their minds when they passed away hundreds of years ago? You cannot even look into the minds even of living persons and know fully what is in them, how much less of a dead person? Observe how one religion is inimical towards another. Why has God created them so?

One part of your scriptures say Soul is changing, another that it is immortal. How to resolve the such contradiction?" Hence even by faith, you cannot arrive at fixed notions of certitude. It is possible only by reason. Scripture can be interpreted in a thousand different ways and hence can never finally determine the truth.

Remember:~

Max Muller or Sage  Sankara, each has different interpretations.  Most of the  Gurus take their own interpretations and call it Vedanta.

People take to the path of belief or authoritarianism merely because they are the easiest way. To seek proof is troublesome and time-taking.

The seeker of truth should not begin with God (Brahman).  God has to be proved, not assumed. Hence, so-called philosophers who take God (Brahman) for granted are not Gnanis at all.

The scholastic or mystic arguments are endless. If one says “God (Brahman) is Nirguna" another will say, "No, God is Saguna! If one says "This religion is higher" another will say, "No, it is lower." It is impossible to get anywhere with such talk because both sides are merely imagining.

Authoritarianism merely assumes as true what another says, but what has yet to be proved.

Most of the self-proclaimed Gurus are open liars; their trade is to exaggerate; only they want to tell pleasant lies.

Many Gurus will teach you that all is yourself, but none of them can show that this is so, none has analyzed it scientifically, and none can prove it. Sage Sankara’s method is a rational proof so that you arrive at knowing truth i.e. Advaitic Gnana.  Scholars’ knowledge is mere dogma, parrotism, and repetition of what they read in scripture.

How can the mystics know that their experience is the highest? It may not be that there is a higher one beyond their experience because the truth is prior to any experience?

You may believe in a position, but you are required to prove the truth of your belief. A belief is a feeling, and the truth is knowledge hidden by ignorance.

The Vedas talk about Brahman which refers to the ultimate truth or ultimate reality. The consciousness is the ultimate truth, therefore, the consciousness is Brahman and Brahman is God.:~Santthosh Kumaar