Sacrifices and humanitarian works or Good or bad conducts are not a yardstick to judge the ultimate truth or Brahman.*****

Sacrifices and humanitarian works or Good or bad conducts of a person is not a yardstick to judge the ultimate truth or Brahman. The spiritual journey is a personal journey.  It is better to verify the claims made in the teachings and highlight in what way the teachings are inadequate useless, instead of highlighting the personal life of the spiritual personalities.

Most of the spiritual teachers or gurus of the past and present are involved in some controversies or other.   It is better to concentrate on the subject matter of the teachings and do research on it, and accept only the uncontradictable truth in their teachings and reject what is not the truth, rather than focusing attention on the personal life of the author of the teaching.

Personal conduct cannot be used as a yardstick in pursuit of truth.   All the societal or religious code of conduct is meant for the physical plane. Deeper inquiry and reasoning reveals the fact that the waking entity (you)  is not the self, but the true self is the formless soul, therefore, one has to view and judge the truth on the base the formless soul, in order to acquire nondual wisdom.

Mundaka Upanishad:~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 enter again this world or a lower one. - First Mundaka -10-   Chapter I [Source: "the Upanishads - a new translation" by swami nikhilananda in four volumes]

The whole universe in which we exist is dependent on the soul for its existence. Thus, it is erroneous to view and judge the truth on the base of ‘waking entity’ or ‘ego’, which is the false self within the false experience(waking).  Thus, it is necessary to know the true self is not ‘waking entity or ego’, but the formless soul or consciousness, in order to understand, assimilate, and realize the ultimate truth or Brahman. 

It is erroneous to view and judge the ultimate truth, on the base of the false self, within the false experience, without verifying the facts about our present experience of form, time and space are mere illusion.     Whatever viewed and judged on the false self (waking entity) within the false experience (waking) is bound to be a falsehood. Thus, it is necessary to have the mental yardstick realize   ‘what is real’ and ‘what unreal’, and to mentally accept the truth and reject the untruth.

On the standpoint of the Soul or consciousness, the innermost self, the mind is mere illusion. The mind is present in the form of the whole universe. The universe appears as waking or dream (duality) and disappears as deep sleep (Nonduality).

Whatever has seen, known, believed experienced as a person within the world is a reality within the waking experience.   But waking experience is bound to be falsehood because the waking entity is not the self. The self is the soul or consciousness. The consciousness is the formless substance and witness of the three states.  Consciousness is real and eternal.  

By adopting orthodox lifestyle and orthodox code of conducts are meant for the religious people. And religion is nothing to do with Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana because religion is part of the illusion.  Thus, individual conducts are reality nothing to do with the path of wisdom.    Therefore; it cannot be accepted as a qualification to Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. 

Sage Sri, Sankara:~ VC-  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 (6)

It is clear that the liberation cannot be the result of good works, for Sruti itself declares that there is no hope for immortality by means of wealth.  (7)

Actions help to purify the mind, but they do not, by themselves, contribute to the attainment of Reality. The attainment of the Reality brought about only by Self Inquiry and not in the least by even ten million acts. (11)

The fear and sorrow created by the delusory serpent in the rope can be ended only after fully ascertaining the truth of the rope through steady and balanced thinking. (12)

Neither sacred baths nor any amount of charity nor even Hundreds of pranayamas* can give us the knowledge about our own Self.  The firm experience of the nature of the Self is seen to proceed from inquiry along the lines of the salutary advice of the wise. (13)

Ultimate success in spiritual endeavors depends chiefly upon the qualifications of the seeker.  Auxiliary conveniences such as time And place all have a place indeed, but they are essentially secondary. (14)

He alone is considered qualified to enquire after the supreme Reality, who has discrimination, detachment, qualities of Calmness, etc., and a burning desire for liberation. The four-fold qualifications (17)

Until and unless one learns to view, judge and reason the three states on the base of formless Soul,  the Self, the truth will not be revealed.  :~Santthosh Kumaar 

Sage Sri, Sankara: - VC- Let erudite scholars quote all the scripture, let gods be invoked through sacrifices, let elaborate rituals be performed.*****

A Gnani imparts Knowledge to others. A Yogi lies in Samadhi like a wooden log so he does not know yogic Samadhi is not wisdom.  Gnani is fully aware of the about all things, either permanent or perishable and he has realized both permanent and perishable to be consciousness.  Thus, consciousness alone is real and eternal all else is merely an illusion.

The one, who realizes Brahman becomes a Gnani.  A Gnani would be there to show the way to freedom from experiencing the duality as reality. A Gnani does not identify himself as Guru or swami or yogi or sadhu.

A Gnani imparts Knowledge to others. A Yogi lies in Samadhi like a wooden log so he does not know yogic Samadhi is not wisdom.  Gnani is fully aware of the about all things, either permanent or perishable and he has realized both permanent and perishable to be consciousness.  Thus,  the consciousness alone is real and eternal all else is merely an illusion.

Sage Sri, Sankara:~VC-  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 (6)

It is clear that the liberation cannot be the result of good works, for Sruti itself declares that there is no hope for immortality by means of wealth.  (-7)

Actions help to purify the mind but they do not, by themselves, contribute to the attainment of Reality. The attainment of the Reality brought about only by Self Inquiry and not in the least by even ten million acts. (11)

The fear and sorrow created by the delusory serpent in the rope can be ended only after fully ascertaining the truth of the rope through steady and balanced thinking. (12)

Neither sacred baths nor any amount of charity nor even Hundreds of pranayamas* can give us the knowledge about our own Self.  The firm experience of the nature of the Self is seen to proceed from inquiry along the lines of the salutary advice of the wise. (13)

Ultimate success in spiritual endeavors depends chiefly upon the qualifications of the seeker.  Auxiliary conveniences such as time And place all have a place indeed, but they are essentially secondary. (14)

He alone is considered qualified to enquire after the supreme Reality, who has discrimination, detachment, qualities of Calmness, etc., and a burning desire for liberation. The four-fold qualifications ( 17)

Great sages have spoken of four qualifications for attainment which, when present, succeeds in the realization of Brahman and In the absence of which the goal is not attained. (18)

(While enumerating the qualifications), first we count the ability to discriminate between the Real and the unreal; next comes a spirit of detachment from the enjoyment of the fruits of actions here and hereafter; after that is the groups of six virtues beginning with  Calmness, and the last is undoubtedly an intense desire for liberation. (19)

 A firm conviction that Brahman alone is Real and the phenomenal World is unreal is known as discrimination between the Real and the unreal. (20)

They have crossed the dreadful ocean of (embodied) existence through their own efforts and without any (personal) motives; they help others to cross it. (37)

Swami Vivekananda:~ The Higher your ideal is, the more miserable you are,' for such a thing as an ideal cannot be attained in the world — or in this life, even. He who wants perfection in the world is a madman — for it cannot be. How can you find the infinite in the finite?

It has not been possible to preach Advaitic Truth entirely free from the settings of dualistic weakness it has not been more operative and useful to mankind at large because only few will be able to grasp and realize it.

'To realize the Advaitic Truth a freer and fuller scope the seeker has to realize the form, time and space are one in essence. And that essence is consciousness. And the soul, the innermost self is present in the form of consciousness.    

To realize the Advaitic truth the seeker has to be free from all superstitions and orthodox contaminations. The seeker has to be dedicated to acquiring Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana   alone.':~Santthosh Kumaar 

Sage Sri, Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is one of the 'most majestic structures.*****

From the standpoint of the formless soul, the innermost self, the effect is non-different from the cause. However, in the realm of duality cause is different from the effect. The non-difference of the effect from the cause has to be grasped perfectly to realize from the ultimate standpoint there is neither the cause nor the effect because the cause and effect are one in essence. That essence is consciousness.

 Sage Sri, Sankara says: - If the cause is destroyed, the effect will no longer exist. For example, if from the effect, cotton cloth, the cause, threads, are removed, there will be no cloth, i.e., the cloth is destroyed. Similarly if in the effect, thread, the cause, cotton, is removed, there will be no thread, i.e., the thread is destroyed. (Brahmasūtra Bhashya, commentary on the Brahma Sutra, ^[9] 2.1.9)

Despite the non-difference of cause and effect, the effect has its self in the cause but not the cause in the effect. The effect is of the nature of the cause and not the cause the nature of the effect. Therefore, the qualities of the effect cannot touch the cause because the cause and effect are present only when the duality is present. The duality is present only when there is an illusion. The illusion is there only when there is ignorance. When there is no ignorance then there is no illusion. When there is no illusion then there is no duality. When there is no duality then there is no cause and effect. When there is no cause and effect then there is the nondualistic reality.    

Sage Sri, Sankara says:~ During the time of its existence, one can easily grasp that the effect is not different from the cause. However, the cause is different from the effect is not readily understood. As to this, it is not really possible to separate cause from effect. But this is possible by imagining so. For example, the reflection of the gold ornament seen in the mirror is only the form of the ornament but is not the ornament itself as it (the reflection) has no gold in it at all. (Chāṃdogya Upaniṣad Bhāṣya, commentary on the Chandogya Upanishad, 6.3.2)

All names and forms are real when seen with the Sat (Brahman) but are false when seen independent of Brahman. This way the seeker of truth establishes the non-difference of the effect from the cause.

In the context of Advaita Vedanta:~ Jagat (the world) is not different from Brahman; however, Brahman is different from Jagat.

It has not been possible to preach Advaitic Truth entirely free from the settings of dualistic weakness it has not been more operative and useful to mankind at large because only a few will be able to grasp and realize it.

'To realize the Advaitic Truth a freer and fuller scope the seeker has to realize the form, time and space are one in essence. And that essence is consciousness. And the soul, the innermost self is present in the form of consciousness.   

To realize the Advaitic truth the seeker has to be free from all superstitions and orthodox contaminations. The seeker has to be dedicated to acquiring Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana   alone.'

A  Gnani will easily appreciate the high flights of Sage Sri, Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is one of the 'most majestic structures and valuable products of the Genius of the man in his search for ultimate truth or Brahman or God. :~Santthosh Kummar 

The beliefs in God, religion, yoga are based on the false self, is nothing to do with the mental (inner) journey.*****

Yajur Veda says:~   "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. Therefore, all these add-ons prove that the form and attribute based concepts are introduced by some sages of the past with a new belief system and code of conducts in the name of Vedas, which is present today in the form of Hinduism. Hinduism is nothing to do with Vedas and Vedic religion because Hinduism is indulging in all the activities barred by Vedas under the banner of Vedas and Vedic religion. 

Upanishads clearly indicates that the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. If the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana then why one has to indulge in rituals and glorifying the conceptual gods and goddesses to go into deeper darkness. Instead,    spend that time moving forward towards Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, 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.

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 the Atman (consciousness).  If the Atman (consciousness) is nothing but Brahman and by realizing Atman (consciousness) as Brahman (ultimate truth) is truth realization or Self-Realization, then there is no need to follow the religion, study the scriptures or glorifying the Gods and the 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 raises form consciousness and subsides as consciousness.

Sruti is made the final or exclusive authority in apara Vidya and that for supporting the tenet of the CAUSAL relation or creatorship of Brahman, Nirguna Brahman = the "Absolute beyond qualities," which can be defined only in a negative way. For the Sankarian school = the Ultimate Reality, higher than the Lord. i.e. of Saguna or apara Brahman ... The support of Scriptural Revelation is, therefore, absolutely necessary for this hypothesis of cosmology, this Saguna or apara (= inferior) Brahman, but not for the absolute truth of Nirguna Brahman.  The Sruti itself says: "This Atma is NOT to be attained by a study of the Vedas.  (Katha Upanishad I, 2, 23.)    

           

Therefore, all the add-ons and attribute based knowledge, which are inferior, have to be bifurcated and excluded to know the ultimate truth. 

Gaudapada says that:~ The merciful Veda teaches karma and Upasana to people of lower and middling intellect, while Jnana is taught to those of higher intellect.

Mundaka Upanishad: - The study of the Vedas, linguistics, Rituals, astronomy and all the arts can be called lower knowledge. The higher is that which leads to Self-realization. The eye cannot see it; the mind cannot grasp it. The deathless Self has neither caste nor race, neither eyes nor ears nor hands nor feet. Sages say this Self is infinite in the great and in the small, everlasting and changeless, the source of life.

Sage, Sri, Sankara gave religious, ritual or dogmatic instruction to the mass, but pure philosophy only to the few who could rise to it. Hence, the interpretation of his writings by commentators is often confusing because they mix up the two viewpoints. Thus, they may assert that ritual is a means of realizing Brahman, which is absurd.

This clearly indicates that religion, which is based on individual conduct, prescribes karma and Upaasana to people of lower and middling intellect, therefore religion is for the lower intellect. And wisdom is for those are capable of inquiring into their own existence to know and realize the ultimate truth, which is Brahman.

Bhagavad Gita:~brahmano hi pratisthaham- Brahman is considered the all-pervading consciousness, which is the basis of all the animate and inanimate entities and material. (14.27)

Sage Sri, Sankara’s notion of Maya, the cosmic illusion, which must be transcended in order to realize the truth of Brahman, which means the ultimate truth.  

If Brahman is considered the all-pervading consciousness then, it is necessary to realize, the consciousness as self, which pervades all the three states, to realize the fact that there is no second thing exists other the consciousness. Thus, consciousness (Atman) is the ultimate truth (Brahman).  

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 the darkness.

It clearly indicates that:-If the human goal is to acquire Self-Knowledge then why one has to indulge in rituals and glorifying 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.

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 by realizing Atman (consciousness) as Brahman (ultimate truth) is truth realization or Self-Realization , then there is no need to follow religion, study scriptures or glorifying 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 raises form consciousness and subsides as consciousness.

They alone in this world are endowed with the highest wisdom who are firm in their conviction of the sameness and birthlessness of Atman. The ordinary man does not understand his way. (Chapter IV — Alatasanti Prakarana 95-P-188 in Upanishads by Nikilanada)

Therefore, if one is seeking truth he has to know his true self is not physical but it is the Atman, which is in the form of consciousness. 

Self-knowledge cannot be attained by the study of the Vedas and intellectual understanding or by bookish knowledge.  Therefore, there is no use of studying the Vedas and other scriptures in order to acquire the non-dual wisdom.  That is why Bhagavan Buddha rejected the scriptures, and even Sage Sri, Sankara indicated that the ultimate truth lies beyond religion, the concept of God and scriptures.

There is only one Reality to be known, the same for all the seekers, but the ways to it, are hidden by the religion.  Self-discovery is the only way, towards non-dual Absolute without any religious doctrines, which will help the seekers to unfold the mystery of the illusion in which we all are searching the truth of our true existence.

The beliefs in  God, religion, yoga are based on the false self, is nothing to do with the mental (inner) journey.   The religious, rituals, worship, prayers god and guru glorification may be useful in the worldly life, for those who believe in the birth, life, death, and the world as reality, but they are not useful tools in realizing the ultimate truth. On the base of consciousness (soul) as self, everything other than the consciousness is a mere mirage.  Thus, man and his experience of the world and his belief in religious Gods and religion are part and parcel of the mirage created out of consciousness. 

Arguing with believers is fruitless. Belief in tradition and scripture as if they were true or factual quite clearly is delusion, but the payoff for holding such delusions is, for those who hold them, extremely compelling--the avoidance of the "wrath of God," the hope of heaven or salvation, or the imagined "end of suffering."

When Sage Sri, Sankara says the world is an illusion, it includes birth, life,  and death, which happens within the world.  Thus, seekers main aim is to mentally trace the formless substance of the illusion, which is also the witness of the illusion. The formless substance and witness of the illusion (world),  is the Atman, and this Atman itself is Brahman.  This Brahman cannot be attained by indulging in egocentric religious orthodoxies. The knower of Brahman is Brahmin,  not the Brahmin who indulges in priestcraft, which leads one to utter darkness as per Yajur Veda. :~Santthosh Kumaar 

The nature of the Soul and the nature of the God is same.+*****

Self-realization itself is God-realization: ~

In Vedas, God has been described as: ~

v Sakshi (Witness)

v Chetan (conscious)

v Nirguna (Without form and properties).

v Nitya (eternal)

v Shuddha (pure)

v Buddha (omniscient)

v   Mukta (unattached).

The nature of the Atman (Soul) is: ~

   

v Witness

v  Conscious

v  Without form and properties

v  Eternal

v  Pure

v Omniscient

v  Unattached

 The nature of the Soul and the nature of God is the same. 

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 in the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself.

In Advaita Vedanta: ~Brahman is without attributes and strictly impersonal. It can be best described as infinite Being, infinite Consciousness.

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)

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."

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.

 Rig-Veda 1-164-46 and Y.V 32-1 clearly mention that God is “One”.

Thus, all the scriptures refer to a formless and attributeless God, which it the Atman (Soul), the innermost Self.  It indicates clearly all the Gods with form and attributes are mere imagination based on the false self.  Thus Atman or Soul, the innermost Self, is God.

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 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. 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 Prakriti -- the material cause of the world -- in place of the All-pervading God, But 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.)

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 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.)

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 form and name are being propagated as Vedic Gods. Why these conceptual Gods are introduced when the Vedic concept of God is free from form and attributes.

Someone has introduced the concept of God with attributes and attributeless Gods are non-Vedic Because Yajur Veda says: ~ 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. Therefore, all these add-ons prove that the form and attribute-based concepts are introduced by some sages of the past with a new belief system and code of conducts in the name of Vedas. 

It clearly indicates that: -If the human goal is to acquire the Self -Knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, then why one has to indulge in rituals and glorifying the conceptual Gods and Goddesses to go into deeper darkness. Instead, spend that time moving forward towards the Self -knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, which is one’s prime goal.:~Santthosh Kumaar   

People who are saying ‘I AM GOD’ are hallucinating that they become God. First, you must know what is God.+*****

The man alone does not become Brahman (God) because the world in which man exists is merely an illusion.  The illusion is created out of the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.  Consciousness is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God.

The Self is not you because you are bound by the experience of the birth, life, death, and the world.

The experience of birth, life, death, and the world is nothing to do with the Soul the innermost Self. When you are not the Self, then how can you relate the Self with your experience of birth, life, death, and the world. When the Soul wakes up with its own awareness, then you and your experience of the world becomes unreal same way as the dream becomes unreal when the waking takes place.

It is foolish to say ‘I AM GOD’ when the Self is not you,  but the Self is the Soul. Therefore, the Soul, the innermost Self,  is God.

People say Aham Brahmasmi ~ I am God, I am Brahman. But when Brahman is, how can "I" remain? Only Brahman remains, not the ‘I’.

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)

Rig-Veda 1-164-46 and Y.V 32-1 clearly mention that God is “One”.

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 in the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself.

People who are saying ‘I Am GOD’ are hallucinating that they become God. First, you must know what is God. 

That is why Ashtavakra Gita 16:10:~ If you desire liberation, but you still say "mine," If you feel the ‘Self’ is the ‘I’, You are not a wise man or a seeker. You are simply a man who suffers.

Only religious Godmen declare: I AM GOD. Gnanis say the Soul, the  Self is God. :~Santthosh Kumaar