Vedas never accept another God in place of the Atman. All Hindu Gods are Puranic Gods. Puranas deals with symbols Puranas are not history; it is concerned with objective reality. Puranas are not concerned with subjective reality. These Puranic Gods do not exist outside the physical existence, but they have a psychological existence and that psychological existence is a great hindrance to realizing the reality beyond the form, time, and space.
So the first thing to be understood is that Puranic Gods are not real persons in the world, but they are mere belief. The belief creates a barricade and hides the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space.
Lord Krishna says: ~ “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. (Ch~ V.)
“Know me in truth”: ~ It means to know God without the form, time, space and name.
On Vedic perspective, Lord Krishna is not Vedic God because Rig Veda says: May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?"
The 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. (14.27)
People, who worship the belief of God, are hallucinating that they become one with such God.
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 innermost self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)
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.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ Brahman (God) is the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself.
When Upanishads and Vedas declare that “God is the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself” then why to accept another God in place of the Atman or worship other than the Atman.
People, who worship the belief of God, are hallucinating that they become one with such God.
According to Yajur Veda: ~ They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, idol, etc. - (Yajurved 40:9)
Those who worship visible things born of the Prakriti, 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.)
Then why anyone has to indulge in idol worship which is not God when Rig Veda clearly says: “May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)
Worshipping non~Vedic Gods in place of real God they fall into an awful hell of pain and sorrow, and suffer terribly for a long time (Yajur Veda 40:9.).
Santana Dharma or Vedic religion emphasizes on Self-realization is quintessence.
Thus, Self-realization is God realization. The Self-realization is real worship. There is no other worship other than Self-realization.:~Santthosh Kumaar
