Women are barred and restricted from entering certain temples in India. It is time for the modern women's populace to realize going to the temple and worshiping non-Vedic Gods is nothing but superstition. All such worships are barred by Vedas.
Instead of women fighting for the right to enter the temples of non-Vedic Gods, it is time to realize the truth about God according to our own Vedas. Nothing has to be accepted as God other than Vedic God. Nothing is gained by women entering or not entering the temple.
It is time to discard the ignorance and help and educate the ignorant populace to discard the inherited belief superstitions, dogmas fear of Gods injected in the name of religion, and belief in non-Vedic Gods.
Religion is regarded as sacred and real by the common people, by the wise as false, and by the political class as useful.
It is time to discard the ignorance and help and educate the ignorant populace to discard the inherited belief superstitions, dogmas fear of Gods injected in the name of religion, and belief in non-Vedic Gods.
Religion is regarded as sacred and real by the common people, by the wise as false, and by the political class as useful.
A great majority of Hindus are not in contact with their religious history therefore, they believe their inherited beliefs as the ultimate truth.
Hinduism is based on myths and thus, the 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 its ritual and conduct-oriented practices has been contributed largely by the orthodox priests to suit their convenience!
Vedas are in the Vedic language which was a high-class language. Rig Veda (excluding chapters II and X) was written before the Christian Era in the Vedic language. Vedic language is not Sanskrit. It is the same language in which the Zoroastrian Scripture Zend Avesta is written – a form of Persian language. All the other scriptures of India are written in Sanskrit.
These include Rig Veda Chapters II and X and the Upanishads, Brahmanas, Puranas, and the Vedanta. These were written during the Christian Era after the Thomas ministry. As the use of this language diminished, it became a tough language for the commoners. The priests, who were supposed to be experts in this language, translated it into Sanskrit language and manipulated the meanings in time and gradually, all the practices changed.
The DaVita, Vedanta borrows the concept from Abrahamic religions, such as Eternal Damnation (of certain Souls destined to hell forever) which goes against the belief of most Vedanta schools, which state that the Soul attain liberation.
It looks like the creator-creation theory is also borrowed from Abrahamic religion and on the basis new belief system has been introduced giving it a Vedic outlook and propagating all non-Vedic rituals and worship by someone in the past.
The vast ocean of Vedic religion or Santana Dharma was consistently steady and calm for a very long period. It appears that as a consequence of the rage of the Buddhist revolution, it got suddenly disturbed and flowed down to us in disorder. Even today Vedic religion or Santana Dharma has not recovered from the onslaught of Buddhism and Jainism and is not able to settle in people's hearts in its original form in the same old measure.
Hinduism indulges non-Vedic beliefs such as idolatry, ancestor worship, pilgrimages, priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability, and child marriages. All these lack Vedic sanctions, therefore, Hinduism is not an Ancient Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.
Sage Sankara says:~ The religion is meant for ignorant people.
Vedic women:~
The Vedas entertained a respect for women amounting to worship Vedic civilization which places the woman on a level with the man and gives her an equal place in the family and in society."
In the Vedic era, women occupied a very important position, in fact, a superior, position to, men. It is a culture whose only words for strength and power are feminine -" Shakti'' means "power'' and "strength.'' All male power comes from the feminine. Literary evidence suggests that kings and towns were destroyed because a single woman was wronged by the state.
The Rig Veda also refers to women engaged in warfare.
One queen Bispala is mentioned, and even as late a witness as Megasthenes (fifth century B.C. E.) mentions heavily armed women guards protecting Chandragupta's palace.
In Vedic times, women and men were equal as far as education and religion were concerned. Women participated in public sacrifices alongside men. One text mentions a female rishi Visvara. Some Vedic hymns are attributed to women such as Apala, the daughter of Atri, Ghosa, the daughter of Kaksivant, or Indrani, the wife of Indra. Apparently, in early Vedic times, women also received the sacred thread and could study the Vedas. The Haritasmrti mentions a class of women called Brahmavaadins who remained unmarried and spent their lives in study and ritual. Panini's distinction between Acharya (a lady teacher) and acaryani (a teacher's wife), and Upadhyaya (a woman preceptor) and upadhyayani (a preceptor's wife) indicates that women at that time could not only be students but also teachers of sacred lore. He mentions the names of several noteworthy women scholars of the past such as Kathi, Kalapi, and Bahvici. The Upanishads refer to several women philosophers, who disputed with their male colleagues such as Vacaknavi, who challenged Yagnavalkya.
Modern Women are more capable of grasping truth as in the Vedic era.
Hindu idols or deities or temples have nothing to do with the Vedic religion. Vedic people ate beef. The Hindu practices of idol worship and temple worship ban on beef-eating were introduced many centuries later.
As one peeps into the annals of religious history, he finds that Hinduism which exists today is not a continuation of the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma, and it has no real historical foundation. Hinduism is of a much later origin.
As per the researchers, the two faiths the Hindu belief system has drifted miles away from the Vedic faith so the two seem to be two distinct faiths. It is not difficult to discover that there is no noticeable continuity of Hinduism from the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.
The distinctive characteristics of the Hindu belief system cannot be traced in the Vedic literature. Besides, although the Vedas are revered as sacred texts, many people in India do not know what ‘belief in the Vedas’ means. In most cases, the acquaintance of the Hindus with the Vedas is limited to the few hymns recited in temples and household liturgies.
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 ideal Gods."
Hindus are idol worshipers of a large number of Gods and Goddesses whereas in Vedas the God has been described as:-
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.
Yajurveda says:~ If you worship what is not God in place of the real 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."
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. 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.)
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ Brahman (God in truth) is in the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself’.
Thus, it refers to the formless and attributeless God, which is the Atman (Soul), the ‘Self’ within the false experience. Thus, it indicates clearly all the Gods with form and attributes are mere imaginations based on the false ‘Self’. Thus Atman or Soul, the ‘Self’ is God in truth.
The Vedas do not talk about idol worship. In fact, until about 2000 years ago followers of Vedism never worshiped idols. Idol worship was started by the followers of Buddhism and Jains. There is logic to idol worship. Vedas speak of one God that is the supreme ‘Self’ 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.
The Vedas as a body of scripture contains 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. Also, 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 and 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.)
The idols are symbols of personal Gods with form names and attributes. All idolized Gods are not God in truth. Worshipping such a god keeps one permanently in the prison of ignorance.
God has to be realized not worshipped. All beliefs and worship, rituals are meant for the ignorant populace. First, one has to realize what ‘God’ supposed to be is in actuality.
Remember:~
In Vedas, God has been described as:~
Rig Veda: ~ 'Prajnanam Brahma'- Consciousness is the ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth.
Do not accept any other truth other than consciousness. Consciousness is the ultimate truth. Nothing is real but consciousness. Realize consciousness as the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. Consciousness is everywhere and in everything. Let these words be inscribed in your subconscious.
Even in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ Brahman (God in truth) is in the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself’.
Thus, it clearly indicates that God is without the form and attributes and is ever free.
Vedic Gods, hardly have any significance in a present-day Hindu belief system. The Gods and Goddesses important to the Hindus of today are Ram, 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 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 comparatively recent times.
Originally Shiva and the cult of the Mother Goddess belonged to the religion of the Indus (Sindhu) Valley people. Vedic worshipers 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 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”. The caste system which is so integral to Hinduism was also not practiced in the Vedic times.
There is hardly any evidence of a rigid caste system in the Vedas. It is argued that the purushasukta hymn of the Rig Veda (X.90) which is often referred to as giving a religious sanction to the caste system was a later interpolation.
The Vedas, however, speak of various classes of people, which appear to have been names of professions, and they were not hereditary.
The very concepts of castes by birth, upper/lower castes, superior/inferior castes, outcastes, untouchables, Dalits, etc. are clearly prohibited by Rig-Veda”.
Avatara (‘descent’) of God, caste system, were absent in the Vedic religion. Only when the Vedic religion with its own as a distinct with its own sacred texts, rites, rules of social life, beliefs, and practices without inter-linking it with Hinduism the true essence of Vedas will be revealed.
Vedic people did not worship Hindu Gods and Goddesses.
In 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. Thus, Idolatry does not find any support from the Vedas.
What God is like? 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.
Some scholars believe that Lord Krishna has been just a Mahan yogi and not God himself. Hinduism is not a Vedic religion or Santana Dharma. Hindus do idol worship while Vedas bars idol worship. God pervades in everything and everywhere.
To be considered an orthodox Hindu one need only accept the authority of Shruti, however, there is no universal agreement among Hindus on what constitutes Shruti. Vedantins consider the Vedanta, i.e., the Upanishads as Shruti but also include the Bhagavad Gita and Brahma Sutras as authoritative. For some Vaishnavas, the Bhagavata Purana is to be considered Veda. Some consider the Tantras are considered as Veda. Thus, we find that there is ample scope for different philosophies and practices under the very broad umbrella of Hinduism.
All Hindus indulge in non-Vedic practices barred by the Vedas introduced by the different founders of the different sects of Hinduism.
First, one must know what God is supposed to be in actuality according to Vedas and Upanishads and reject all non-Vedic Gods to realize that Atman is the real God.
First, one must know what God is supposed to be in actuality according to Vedas and Upanishads and reject all non-Vedic Gods to realize that Atman is the real God.
Remember:~
The beef was an important part of the Vedic diet. In ancient India, cow slaughter was considered auspicious on the occasions of some ceremonies. The bride and groom used to sit on the hide of redox in front of the ‘Vedi’ (alter).”
Many scriptures are witnesses to such sacrifices and killings of animals for consumption. References to such commands are replete in Hindu scriptures like Manusmriti, Vedas, Upanishads, Brahmins, Grip sutras, Dharma-sutras, and others.
This column would not suffice for quoting all such references but a few from different scriptures are imperative to bring home the point and clear the misconceptions:~
Manusmriti says, “It is not sinful to eat the meat of eatable animals, for Brahma has created both the eaters and the eatables.” (Chapter 5 / Verse 30)
Manusmriti:~When a man who is properly engaged in a ritual does not eat meat, after his death he will become a sacrificial animal during twenty-one rebirths. (5 / 35)
Maharishi Yagyavalkya says in Shatpath Brahmin:- “I eat beef because it is very soft and delicious.”(3/1/2/21)
Apastamb Grihsutram:~ “The cow should be slaughtered on the arrival of a guest, on the occasion of ‘Shraddha’ of ancestors and on the occasion of a marriage.” (1/3/10)
Rigveda: - “On the occasion of a girl’s marriage oxen and cows are slaughtered.”(10/85/13)
Rigveda: - “Indra used to eat the meat of cow, calf, horse, and buffalo.”(6/17/1)
Vasistha Dharma-sutra: - “If a Brahmin refuses to eat the meat offered to him on the occasion of ‘Shraddha’ or worship, he goes to hell.” (11/34)
Swami Vivekananda said:~ “You will be surprised to know that according to ancient Hindu rites and rituals, a man cannot be a good Hindu who does not eat beef”. (The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda, Vol.3, p. 536)
Dr. Pandurang Vaman Kane says:~“Bajsancyi Samhita sanctifies beef-eating because of its purity”. (Dharmashastra Vichar Marathi, page 180)
Sage Sankara's commentary on Brihadaranyakopanishad 6/4/18 says: ‘Odan’ (rice) mixed with meat is called ‘Mansodan’. On being asked whose meat it should be, he answers ‘Uksha’. ‘Uksha’ is used for an ox, which is capable to produce semen.
The book ‘The History and Culture of the Indian People’, published by Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan, Bombay and edited by renowned historian R.C.Majumdar (Vol.2, page 578) says: “This is said in the Mahabharata that King Rantidev used to kill two thousand other animals in addition to two thousand cows daily to give their meat in charity”.
Many centuries back orthodoxy barred and restricted women from studying scriptures restricted women only to household and bearing children. In modern days women are capable has more capable of grasping truth like in the Vedic era.
Women Saints and sages of India have been given less importance, for several reasons obvious to anyone studying history...
In the medieval period, women were confined to homes and according to some moral codes, women were not allowed to study scriptures and chant mantras while mantras were invoked as female deities or Goddesses
The Vedic rishis had wives who were learned women and took part in philosophical discussions. The crippling social practices for women, considering them inferior, and unfit for scriptural studies were introduced by male-dominated societies...While women's monastics or nuns were introduced in Buddhism; it was not a common practice to have nuns in Hindu monastic orders until recent times.
Sage Sankara has philosophical disputes and debates with an equally great scholar, Mandana Mishra. Mishra's learned wife Bharathi served as the umpire. She was taken as the incarnation of the Goddess of learning Saraswati.
If one realizes the words and the world in which we exist are created out of single stuff, and that single stuff is consciousness then no word is required to explain the Soul, which is the ultimate truth, Brahman, or God. All the words and experiences are of the duality. The duality is not reality.
Sage Sankara says, and also in Vivekachoodamani, that even women can realize the truth if they persist. (Mand.P.351)
Thus, it proves that Sage Sankara wanted even women to acquire Advaitic wisdom, whereas the orthodox Advaitins bars women from indulging in the path of wisdom even in these modern days.
Orthodoxy is based on the experience of birth, life, death, and the world as a reality whereas the ultimate truth is based on the formless Soul, the Self. Thus, Advaitic wisdom is for the whole universe irrespective of any gender, race, creed, or religion.
Remember:~
Sage Sankara pokes fun at ascetics and points out that all their austerities do not cause desires to go (Altar Flowers" Page 205, v.2 P.207 v.4)
As regards the rituals, Sage Sankara says, that 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, 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).
First Mundaka - Chapter 2 (10) - Ignorant fools, regarding sacrifices and humanitarian works as the highest, do not know any higher good. Having enjoyed their reward on the heights of heaven, gained by good works, they still remain in ignorance of the Atman the real God.
Remember:~
Temple Gods are not Vedic Gods because the Vedic God is Atman the Spirit. The temples and temple Gods and temple worships have nothing to do with Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion.
The religion of the Veda knows no idols. All the idol worship belongs to Hinduism. Hinduism is not ancient Santana Dharma or Vedic Religion.
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 ideal Gods."
Therefore, there was no individual God or temples and worship in the Vedic religion, which existed prior to Buddhism. Thus the individualized Gods and temples must have been built later on when the worships of the idol were introduced. Thus the Vedic religion which existed in the past was free from idol and nature worship and idol worshiping rituals.
Thus, the present day’s worship of individual Gods, created things, nature, and humans is against Vedic teachings, and it looks like it has been fabricated and introduced by priestcraft. Since it, has passed on from one generation to the next it is hard for people to believe the truth of their own religion, because they are sentimentally and emotionally involved in it and they refuse to accept anything else other than their inherited beliefs.
It is impossible to find and realize the truth via religion and scriptural study. Even Upanishads confirm this.
Theism is in the traditional sense; it is the belief in at least one God. Monotheism is defined as the belief in only one God and polytheism is defined as the belief in many Gods.
Some organized religions follow monotheism where God is supreme and none except him. These God-centric faiths follow a particular code of conduct that the ‘believer’ has to follow without questioning. He cannot question those rules, the life of the Sage, or the ultimate God.
The individualized Gods God is isolated from nature and everything is GOD’s. Thus, an element of attachment to a name and gender, obstruction to free thinking and free will can be seen in all belief systems.
History speaks that in the past those who questioned the validity of this religious authority were exiled, killed, or termed as irreligious and condemned.
Theism, in this specific sense, conceives of God as personal, present, and active in the governance and organization of the universe.
The religious sects like Dvait and Visishita Advaita including the orthodox Advaita have nothing to do with the ultimate truth or Brahman because they worship idols, human worship, and symbol worship and indulge in non-Vedic rituals barred by Vedas.
Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (Soul or Spirit) 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
That is what Yajurveda says: Not to worship the things that are part of the creation, which is the dualistic illusion of Maya.
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.) (Yajurved 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:-
They sink deeper in darkness 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 prakrti, 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.)
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 spend 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 one has to indulge in rituals and Bhakti to 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.
Remember:~
Fortunate is the man who does not lose himself in the labyrinths of paths and practices but goes straight in search of the truth. .... Bhakti is an important component of many branches of Hinduism, defined differently by various sects and schools are non-Vedic introduced several centuries back.
All the idolized Gods are non-Vedic Gods. Vedas clearly mentions not to accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman.
The Bhagavad Gita says: ~ “Among thousands of men, scarcely one strives for perfection; and of those who strive and succeed, scarcely one knows the ‘Self’ (God) in truth.
Bhagavad Gita says: ~ “Don't unsettle the minds of the ignorant by revealing the esoteric truth." The esoteric God in truth.
The real God is stolen by ignorance and people worship ignorance as God. God is hidden by the ‘I’. The ‘I’ is the dualistic illusion. You are part and parcel of the dualistic illusion. The Soul is the cause of the dualistic illusion but itself is uncaused. The dualistic illusion is present in the form of form, time, and space. The form, time, and space are present in the form of the universe. The universe appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (nonduality).
Your existence is limited to the illusory form, time, and space. The form, time, and space are made of the same clay. That clay is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Knowledge of the single clay is Self–knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Self–knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana helps the seeker to unfold the truth (God in truth) hidden by the ‘I’, which is the dualistic illusion.
You must draw your attention back every time it turns worldliness (I) and fix it in the Soul the Brahman or God in truth.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ Brahman (God in truth) is in the form of the Athma, and it is indeed the Athma itself.
When Upanishads and Vedas declare that, “God is in the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself’ then why accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman.
Yajur Veda indicates that: ~ They sink deeper in darkness 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 prakrti, 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.)
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 drop all non-Vedic Gods, which belong to the dualistic illusion. Thus, it is necessary to realize God, which is hidden by the ‘I’ which is the dualistic illusion.
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.
Bhagavad Gita: ~ “All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship many Gods. (7- Verse -20)
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.
When Bhagavad Gita says, that 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.
Lord Krishna Says Ch ~V: ~ “Those who know me 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.
So, from the Vedic perspective, Lord Krishna is not a Vedic God because Rig Veda says: May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?"
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.
Thus, it is necessary to realize the Soul, the Self itself is GOD. The seeker of truth should not accept another God in place of the Soul nor worship other than the Soul as God. Self-realization is God-realization and God-realization is real worship.
Remember:~
Sage Sankara:~ ‘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)
All the orthodox ideas were rejected by Sage Sankara. There is no need to indulge in rituals, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman. There is no need to study philosophy, to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman so why indulge in studying philosophy.
Sage Sankara pokes fun at ascetics and points out that all their austerities do not cause desires to go (Altar Flowers" Page 205, v.2 P.207 v.4)
Sage Sankara pointed out that those rituals could in no way bring about wisdom, much less moksha.
Sage Sankara says the rewards of the rituals are not a matter of direct realization. Advaitic wisdom is based on personal realization.
The orthodox Advaitin believes that rituals alone would lead one to higher levels of attainment. Further, the deities would reward only those entitled to perform the rituals alone. The entitlement involved caste, creed, and other parameters.
The scriptural authority and value of rituals are part of the Advaitic orthodoxy, which is meant for ignorant people.
The Advaitic wisdom of Sage Sankara has nothing to do with the caste, rituals, worship, 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 appears and tells 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 a happy life in the next life.
As regards the rituals, Sage Sankara says, that 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, 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).
First Mundaka - Chapter 2 (10) - Ignorant fools, regarding sacrifices and humanitarian works as the highest, do not know any higher good. Having enjoyed their reward on the heights of heaven, gained by good works, they still remain in ignorance of the Atman the real God.
As a person, one performs rituals throughout his life. The person who performs rituals and aspires for rewards will view the world in which he exists as a reality. However, the Soul, the 'Self' is unborn and eternal hidden by the world in which he exists. From the standpoint of the Soul, the world in which he exists is merely an illusion. :~Santthosh Kumaar
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