Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is the pure Vedic essence of the Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.+

As we peep into the religious history of India.

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, people of Indian 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!

The people on the Indian side of the Sindhu were called Hindu by the Persian and the later western invaders. That is the genesis of the word `Hindu'.

 When we think of the Hindu religion, we find it difficult, if not impossible, to define the Hindu religion or even adequately describe it. Unlike other religions in the world, the Hindu religion does not claim any one prophet; it does not worship any one God; it does not subscribe to any one dogma; it does not believe in any one philosophic concept; it does not follow any one set of religious rites or performances; in fact, it does not appear to satisfy the narrow traditional features of any religion or creed. It may broadly be described as a way of life and nothing more.

 Hinduism seems to be a name without any content. Is it a museum of beliefs, a medley or rites, or a mere map, a geographical expression. 

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.

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.

Hinduism is based on mythology or Puranas. Vedic Gods like Indra, Varuna, Agni, Soma and the like, whom the Vedic people worshipped, hardly have any significance in present-day Hinduism. 

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 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.

Thus it is important to bifurcate Hinduism from the Ancient Vedic religion or Santana Dharma the importance of ‘going back’ to the Vedas’ in order to realize the Vedic religion is nothing to do with the Hinduism, which is based on diverse belief in non-~Vedic Gods, dogmas, ritual, and worship of human being, which is   barred by Vedas.

Indian people are sentimentally attached to religion because they have inherited an adulterated version of religion in the name of Vedism. Hinduism is founded by the different founders of sects and castes from time to time.   Thus, understanding our religion is necessary to realize Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma was cast free, temple free, priest free, free of dogmas. 

People dwelling in India belonged to different castes and communities, worshipped different Gods, and practiced different rites and different dogmas. all these castes and their ideologies are nothing to do with Vedas and Vedic Religion or Sanatana Dharma.  

Remember:~

Vedas are in the Vedic language which was a high-class language. Rig Veda (excluding chapters II and X) were written before the Christian Era in 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 Chapter II and X and the Upanishads, Brahmanas, Puranas and the Vedantas. 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 an expert 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 Damanation (of certain Souls destined to hell forever) which goes against the belief of most Vedanta schools, which states that Soul attains liberation.

It looks like the creator-creation theory is also borrowed from Abrahamic religion and on the base new belief system has been introduced giving it Vedic outlook and propagated all non-Vedic rituals and worships 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 sanction, therefore, Hinduism is not Ancient Vedic religion or Santana Dharma.

All Hindu Gods are non -Vedic God. The Vedas exclaim from time immemorial: ~

In Yajurveda – chapter- 32:~ It has been said that God Supreme or 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.

The Vedas exclaim from time immemorial: ~

Rig Veda, 1-164-146:~ Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti, Existence is One 

God is one and universal.

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

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

Rig Veda: ~ The Atman (God in truth) 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)

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 (Gita 14.27)

The Upanishads say in effect that ~ If you believe that the Soul is one and God (Brahman) is another you cannot understand Truth.

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

Religion advocates extreme asceticism. Asceticism is a waste of time. Religion is nothing but remaining in a false belief, dogmas, and superstition.

Mundaka Upanishad:~ The rituals and the sacrifices described in the Vedas deal with lower knowledge. The sages ignored these rituals and went in search of higher knowledge. ... Such rituals are unsafe rafts for crossing the sea of samsara, of birth and death. Doomed to shipwreck are those who try to cross the sea of samsara on these poor rafts.

Ignorant of their own ignorance, yet wise In their own esteem, these deluded men Proud of their vain learning go round and round Like the blind led by the blind.

Sage Sankara says ~ “The scriptures dealing with rituals, rewards are therefore addressed to an ignorant person. Thus, the rituals are meant for ignorant people.

Sage Sankara: ~ "Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread."

~ this shows he was wearing the religious robe only for the sake of bread." Thus, it means those who are wearing religious robe for the sake of bread.

All the rituals based on the false belief of Gods will not yield any fruits and they are meant for the ignorant populace who are unable to grasp the God beyond the form, time, and space.

One of Sage Sankara’s missions was to wean people away from a ritualistic approach advocated by Mimamsakas and to project wisdom (jnana) as the means of liberation in the light of Upanishad teachings.

Sage Sankara criticized severely the ritualistic attitude and those who advocated such practices. However, the orthodox texts that combined rituals with wisdom (jnana_karma_samucchaya) more in favor of the Mimamsaka position came into vogue, projecting Sage Sankara as the rallying force of the doctrine.

Supreme Court of India:~ Hinduism, as a religion, incorporates all forms of belief without mandating the selection or elimination of any one single belief,“ It is a religion that has no single founder, no single scripture and no single set of teachings. It has been described as Santana Dharma, namely, eternal faith, as it is the collective wisdom and inspiration of the centuries that Hinduism seeks to preach and propagate,” ---Hinduism has no single founder or scripture: - SC, The Times of India (Delhi) Dec 17, 2015

The Vedic system did not have castes system. The caste system was a fake created in the name of Hinduism. This non~Vedic belief system called Hinduism created hatred in the low caste Hindu for the higher caste.

Conclusion: ~ Sage  Sankara gave ritual, karma, and Upasana to people of lower and middling intellect which is followed by the Hindus of today is dualistic. Many founders of sect and caste and groups of Hinduism was introduced with different scriptures different non-Vedic Gods and Goddesses and rituals.

Hinduism is nothing to do with Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom, which is nondualistic. Those who want to acquire self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana have to drop all the non-Vedic beliefs, which is a hindrance in the path of wisdom.

Sage Sankara's  wisdom is nothing to do with Hinduism. Sage Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is the pure Vedic essence of the Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma.

This is information is for the seekers of truth to help them to drop what is not needed for to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar