The thesis of the direct ancestry of Hinduism of today from Vedic religion or Sanatana Dharma is to be considered as a myth purported by orthodoxy.+

Santana Dharma deserves to be treated on its own as a distinct religion with its own sacred texts and practices without interlinking it with Hinduism.  

As we peep into the annals of religious history:~

Hinduism is surrounded by mythologies. But it does not bother the faithful in any conceivable way as they stress devotion and not reasoning. Puranas are Hindu mythologies that are mystically intriguing and to dispute, such a myth is considered blasphemy. Myology is based on myth.  In this modern age belief in Mythology is nonsensical. The religion propagated myths from one generation to the next. Belief in myology is ignorance. This was the backwardness of the ignorant populace when true knowledge disappeared. The orthodoxy took advantage of this scenario to gain wealth. This pattern of greed and ignorance became the stigma of future dogmas to come. Hinduism is the museum of diverse dogmas.  The mythology has nothing to do with Vedas and Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.

Hinduism came into existence with its own code of conduct beliefs, and rituals after the 8th century. Hinduism, as one knows it today, is of recent origin.

Hinduism did not really achieve its status as a coherent though still baffling, religious complex until after the establishment of British rule in India.

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

Superstitions in the form of religion became deeply rooted in Indian society. This had a prejudicial and adverse effect on Indian society. Idol worship gave rise to temples, which had the vested interests of the priests. The priests dominated the ideas of the masses and exploitation became rampant. The concept of non-violence started and practiced in Jainism became the foundation on which Hinduism was built. In reality, this brand of ideology reduced them to that of cowardice resulting in India's constant subjugation by foreign forces. The Hindu populace believes that all their sins are washed away by having a dip in the holy water of the Ganges. Thus it is seen that the great philosophical religion that conceived the Unity of God, in the beginning, brought up corruption and degradation of high ideas when His attributes as the Creator, the sustainer, and the Destroyer were divided and allotted to different deities possessing separate entities in different forms. Hindus perceived that heaven is very simple to achieve through devotion; e.g. taking a dip in the Ganges (in this way many animals can go too), renouncing all material wealth in old age, and going on a Holy pilgrimage. Many believe salvation can be gained from a priest through formulas and rituals and not necessarily through austerity. The heaven of the different sects of Hinduism differs in many respects. Indians have, through ignorance, fallen into the abyss of superstitions and idol worship; the source of all other religious dogmas. There are many forms of deity worship, practiced by many denominations and which consist of their numerous gods which took many forms; human (male and female) and animal (Elephants, monkeys, snakes, rats, etc.). Each form is said to represent the different attributes, characteristics, and nature of One God.  All the Hindu believers are promised an enjoyable life by means of beautiful wives. The dwelling consisted of luxurious lodging with delicious food and the nectar, the drink of the Heaven. The followers of the Puranas believe in many kinds of salvation. They find a residence in the same world as God, living with Him as his kin and becoming Godlike in nature. The closeness to God is like a servant living near his master brings an intimate union with God. To a Hindu, the chanting or listening to chants of mantras of the Puranas, Ramayana, and Gita, accompanied by music is devotion enough. For him, there is no need to enter into an intellectual debate with logic. Many of their incarnations and saints were not born but created one after the other out of thin air. The Hindus believed in polytheism, believing all of their Gods to be separate individuals, which were introduced much later by the founders of Hinduism which contains diverse beliefs caste, and creed. When the religion of the Veda knows no idols then why so many Gods and Goddesses with different forms and names are being propagated as Vedic gods. Why these conceptual gods are introduced when the Vedic concept of God is free from form and attributes. Vedic religion was modified and reintroduced with new add-ons by Sage Sri, Sankara a great Advaitin Sage to uplift the Vedic culture and Santana Dharma, which were in ruins in the clutches of Buddhism. 18 Puranas are introduced in the name of Veda Vyasa the dualists' Sages because the Puranic Gods are non-Vedic Gods. Worships of Such Gods, are barred Vedas. As one goes deeper into the annals of history, it indicates the fact that somewhere someone has added the Puranas in the name of Veda Vyasa the grandmaster of Vedas. It is impossible to accept and believe that Veda Vyasa authored and introduced Puranas which have all conceptual gods. The Avatara and caste system are not Vedic in origin. The theory of Avatara (‘descend’) of Gods which is very important to modern Hinduism is non-Vedic. The term Avatara (…) is not found in the earlier Vedic texts, and is absent from the older Sanskrit glossaries”. Vedas are not the important sacred scriptures for the Hindus. The Vedas as a body of scripture contains many contradictions and they are fragmentary in nature. For most Hindus of today, scriptures like the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas are more attractive and appealing than the Vedas. In addition, the Gods and Goddesses they worship differ considerably from the Vedic ones. The collection of hymns called Vedas are written in praise of certain deities by poets over several centuries does not seem to have much significance for the Hindus of today. Most Vedic gods do not find a place in Hinduism.  Rig Veda ~ consists of about 10,500 verses ― there is only one occasion where there is mention of a return to this world after death. What is implied here is that it cannot be taken as an important teaching of the Rig Veda.

In discussing the Vedic religion, it is also to be remembered that in the course of history, many non-Aryan elements entered into the Vedic religion. The Vedic Aryans freely borrowed elements from the culture and the society around them. But we cannot say with precision, which are the non-Aryan elements in the Vedic Religion.

Therefore, the thesis of the direct ancestry of Hinduism of today from the Vedic religion is to be considered as a myth purported by orthodoxy.

Vedic religion or Santana Dharma is distinct from Hinduism. The Vedic religion or Santana Dharma deserves to be treated on its own as a distinct religion with its own sacred texts, rites, rules of social life, beliefs, and practices without interlinking it with Hinduism. Perhaps it is right to maintain that the Mimamsa School which is concerned with the investigation of the Vedic texts, their correct interpretation, and the meticulous performance of the Vedic rituals and ceremonies has preserved and defended a part of the heritage of the Vedic tradition.

The Vedanta school also may have received a part of the inspiration from the Vedas. For the rest of the Hindu philosophical schools and religious sects, the influence of the Vedas is nominal. However, in as much as elements from the Vedas have influenced some aspects of Hinduism, it may be considered as one of the many factors influencing Hinduism.

But by no means can it be maintained that Hinduism has its direct ancestry in the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma. Therefore, Hinduism of Vedic times is an imagined community. Hinduism is of a much later origin, and a historical view of Indian religions would endorse a dichotomy between Vedic religion or Santana Dharma and contemporary Hinduism.

Hinduism does not have a long ancestry as is often presumed or propagated by the Hindu ideologues. In fact, historically, religions like Buddhism and Jainism can claim greater antiquity than the Hinduism of today. 

The so-called Hinduism began to take a systematic form from the time of Sage Sri, Sankara (8th century A.D). In this sense, he may be considered as the ‘founder’ of Hinduism.

Temple worship, pilgrimages, Gods, and Goddesses are important to the Hindus. Hindu Gods are Rama, Krishna, Kali, Ganesh, Hanuman, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, and the respective consorts of the last three, namely, Saraswati, Lakshmi, and Shakti. None of these deities figured prominently in the Vedic pantheon and some of them are clearly non-Vedic. The major gods of Hinduism like Vishnu and Shiva are non-Aryan in origin. Though they may have belonged to the Vedic tradition they played no major role in the Vedas. The more important religious sects among the Hindus, like Vaishnavism, Saivism, and so on, did not have a Vedic origin but had come into existence in much recent times.

Originally Shiva and the cult of the Mother Goddess belonged to the religion of the Indus Valley people. As one goes deeper in the annals of Indian religious history Vishnu and Shiva's cult is a melting of at least two cultures, if not three, namely, the Aryan culture, the pre-Aryan culture of the Ganges Valley, and the Indus Valley culture. These three cultures were closely knit by the first century of Christianity and in the later period underwent further developments, and probably also a fourth tradition of the indigenous tribes that stood outside the four classes of the caste system as outcastes.

Vedic worshippers did not use temples and idols as Hindus of today do. For them, the sacrificial rituals were more important than the temple or idol worship the major Hindu feasts of today are based on the epic feats of Rama and Krishna and the Puranic lore pertaining to Shiva and the Goddess.

Remember:~

Hindus are idol worshipers of a large number of non-Vedic gods and Goddesses whereas in Vedas the God has been described as ~

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: 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.

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 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.

People are not aware of the fact that there is no individual God exists, apart from the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

Thus, the Soul is the true Self. If there is no Soul, then there is no physical body, no ego, no universe, no religion, and no personal Gods.

People think that there must be a creator of this universe. If one thinks physical entity or the ego as the Self, then there is a creator, but if one thinks of the Soul as the Self, then there is nothing that exists other than the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

If one objectifies and sees a universe, then he is bound to see many things besides himself and postulate a God, the creator.

The body, the idea of God, and the world rise and set together from, and into, the Soul, the ‘Self’. If God is apart from the Self, then he would be self-less, that is, outside existence, that is, non-existent.

The Hindus 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.

When the religion of the Veda knows no idols then why so many gods and Goddesses with different forms and names are being propagated as Vedic gods. Why these conceptual gods are introduced when the Vedic concept of God is free from form and attributes.

The Vedic religion was modified and reintroduced with new add-ons by Sage  Sankara a great Advaitin Sage to uplift the Vedic culture and Santana Dharma, which were in ruins in the clutches of foreign invaders. 

The new belief system introduced by Sage Sankara is present-day   Hinduism but it was never identified as Hinduism by Sage Sankara. After the 8th century, many saints founded new sects with diverse ideologies that also came under the umbrella of Hinduism.

That is why Swami Vivekananda: ~ The masses in India cry to sixty million Gods and still die like dogs. Where are these Gods? (Swami Vivekananda ~ Delivered In San Francisco, on May 28, 1900)

As indicated in ISH Upanishads: - By worshipping 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 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.

Since it is eternal and infinite, it comprises the only truth. The goal of Vedic religion, through the various yogas, is to realize that the consciousness (Atman) is actually nothing but Brahman.

Yajurveda says: ~

If one worships what is not God: ~

Translation 1.

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

They sink deeper into 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 such as the earth, trees, and bodies (humans and the like) in place of God are enveloped in ignorance.  i 

The Vedic pantheon of Gods is said, in the Vedas and Upanishads, to be only higher manifestations of Brahman. For this reason, "ekam sat" (all is one), and all is Brahman.

Thus, the goal is to realize Atman (consciousness). If Atman (consciousness) is nothing but Brahman and realizing Atman (consciousness) as Brahman (ultimate truth) is truth realization or Self-Realization.  

There is no need to follow religion, study scriptures, or glorify Gods or gurus and follow the path of doubts and confusion by losing oneself in the labyrinths of philosophy, when there is an easier path. 

By mentally tracing the source of the mind from where it rises and subsides one becomes aware of the fallacy of the mind, which rises as waking or dream and subsides as deep sleep. The mind arises from consciousness and subsides as consciousness. :~Santthosh Kumaar