Sage Sri, Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.+*****

Sage Sri, Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

The Vedas and the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita speaks of the truth with a weak voice and they do not have the majesty found in the Sage Sri, Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom ~ it is simply unparalleled. The influence of Sage Sri, Sankara’s wisdom is nothing to do with Advaitic orthodox belief systems.

The Advaitic wisdom has been lost: people misinterpret and falsify it, Advaitic wisdom is not yoga but it is the truth, which is hidden within the form, time and space, but nobody knows it. The teachers of philosophy and religious Gurus and yogis do not want to inquire into the hidden truth and have no time for it.

Neither by the practice of yoga nor philosophy nor by good works nor by learning does freedom from experiencing the dualistic illusion come, but only through the Advaitic wisdom.

The most important thing is that neither society nor politics nor any other institution of human life has had any influence on the Sage Sri, Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom.

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 Advaitic wisdom there shall be no freedom for the Soul, which is caught up in the dualistic illusion.

The ultimate Truth which has no basis is usually religion or a merely a catalog of ignorant opinions; people prefer it because it can be got more easily. All religious doctrines are based on the ego. Whatever based on the ego is worthless because the truth is based on the Soul, the ‘Self’.

Sage Sri, Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom is such a pure expression ~ transcending the form, time and space ~ there is nothing comparable.

Religion has been very influential. The first reason is that religion is a synthesis. Religion is more concerned with synthesis than with truth. The desire for synthesis is so strong that if necessary, religion doesn't mind sacrificing the truth to propagate the belief.

Religion is a hodgepodge containing everything; hence it suits everyone because there is something in it for everyone.

The truth does not belong to any religion. Religious truth is individual truth based on the false self’.

The ignorant populace takes solace in their inherited religion. For the religious people Sage Sri, Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom will prove very difficult.

The seeker has to know God in truth. The truth is ignored by religion. The difference between the religious concept of God, which is based on the blind belief and the truth about God, is based on the core of the existence.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

When the Self is not you but the Soul then what is the use of inquiring WHO AM ‘I’? because you are part of the dualistic illusion or Maya.+*****

You and your experience of the birth, life, death and the world are a reality within the dualistic illusion or Maya.

When the Self is not you but the Soul then what is the use of inquiring WHO AM ‘I’? because you are part of the dualistic illusion or Maya. What is the use knowing who you are because the Self not you or not within you? 

The Soul, the Self is not an entity or identity within the dualistic illusion or Maya but the Soul, the Self is hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya. The Soul, the Self hidden, because, the dualistic illusion or Maya because the dualistic illusion or Maya is created out of the Soul, the Self, which is present in the form of the consciousness.    

That is why Sage Sri, Sankara says: ~ A buried treasure is not uncovered by merely uttering the words: “Come forth.” You must follow the right directions, dig, remove the stones and earth from above it, and then make it your own. In the same way, the pure truth of the Atman, which is buried under Maya and the effects of Maya, can be reached by meditation, contemplation, and other spiritual disciplines but never by perverse arguments.

Remember: ~

Sage Sri Sankara: ~ “VC~ All this universe which through ignorance appears as of diverse forms are nothing else but Brahman (Consciousness) which is absolutely free from all the limitations of Maya.

When you finally realize the ‘‘Self’ ‘is not you but the ‘‘Self’’ is the Soul, then you will realize the world in which you exist is merely an illusion created out of the Soul. The Soul is present in the form of consciousness.

Sage Sri, Sankara says: ~ VC-47- All the effects of ignorance, roots, and branches are burnt down by the fire of knowledge, which arises from discrimination between these two—the Self and the non-Self.

Remember: ~ 

All is consciousness. The whole universe is consciousness. From consciousness, the universe comes. When the universe disappears, the consciousness still remains without form, time and space

Till you think you are an individual separate from the world and the world existed prior to you and you are born in it afterward the ignorance will prevail as a reality. Till ignorance is there the universe prevails as reality.

Sage Sri, Sankara says: ~ “The exercise in discrimination between real and unreal and renunciation of the false is real meditation, then why you are indulging in other types of meditation.

Perfect understanding and realization of ‘what is what’ leads to Self-awareness. By holding onto theories, one remains in the realm of duality.

You have to mentally go on dropping what is not the truth through deeper Self-search. Finally when you become aware of the fact that, your ego, your body, and the world are one in essence then there is Self-awareness in the midst of duality. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

Sage Sri Sankara: ~ Karma cannot destroy ignorance, for it is not in conflict with or opposed to ignorance. Self-Knowledge does verily destroy ignorance as light destroys deep darkness.+*****

Those who strongly believe in Karma theory are unfit for the Advaitic Gnana. Karma theory is meant ignorant people who are incapable of grasping the truth hidden by the Maya.  

Sage Sri Sankara: ~ “Action (karma) cannot destroy ignorance, for it is not in conflict with or opposed to ignorance. Self-Knowledge does verily destroy ignorance as light destroys deep darkness. -Atma Bodha

According to Advaita Vedanta, the Veda addresses itself to two kinds of audiences - the ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of Karma and the more advanced seeker who seeks to know Brahman. Thus, the purva mimam.sa, with its emphasis on the karma kanda of the Vedas, is meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. However, the Vedanta, with its emphasis on the jnana kanda, is meant for those who wish to go beyond such transient pleasures.

All the orthodox ideas of karma rejected by Sage Sri, Sankara. There is no need to indulge karma in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman. There is no need to study philosophy, in order to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman then why you indulge in studying philosophy.

Sage Sri 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 Sri, Sankara pointed out that karmas could in no way bring about wisdom, much less moksha.

Sage Sri, 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 the karmas 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 the 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 Sri, Sankara is nothing to do with the religion, caste, rituals, worships, yoga and other practices. Therefore an obvious disparity between what Sage Sri, Sankara‘s path of Gnana and path of Karma. Path of Gnana is meant for the advanced seeker of truth and path of Karma is meant for the ignorant populace.

Even Sage Sri, Sankara appear and tell  the orthodox people  the path of Karma s 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 happily life in the next life.

A person who performs karma 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 good deeds 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 Karma and rewards, etc. are therefore addressed to an ignorant person.  

The orthodox people only teach and preach their knowledge of ignorance but none of them wants to know God in  Truth, which is  hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya.

 

Remember:~

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.

First Mundaka - Chapter 2 (9) ~ Children, immersed in ignorance in various ways, flatter themselves, saying: We have accomplished life's purpose. Because these performers of karma do not know the Truth owing to their attachment, they fall from heaven, misery-stricken, when the fruit of their work is exhausted.

First Mundaka - Chapter 2 (8) ~ Fools, dwelling in darkness, but wise in their own conceit and puffed up with vain scholarship, wander about, being afflicted by many ills, like blind men led by the blind.

Ish Upanishad declares:~ Those people who have neglected the attainment of Self-knowledge and have thus committed suicide 10/11/12

The religious orthodox people who have neglected the attainment of Self-knowledge and have thus committed suicide, as it were, are doomed to enter those worlds after death.

This is a condemnation of people who do not try to attain Self-knowledge. They are, in a real sense, committing suicide, for what can be worse than being a slave to sense enjoyment, completely oblivious of the real purpose of life, which is to be one’s own master?

Sage Sri, Sankara says “he who knows the Brahman (God) is one and the ‘Self’ is another does not know Brahman (God).”

Sage Sri, Sankara also asserts that Self is realized when All the effects of ignorance, root, and branch, are burnt down by the fire of Self-  knowledge, which arises from discrimination between these two—the Self and the non-Self.

Remember:~ 

Religious people believe the Karma theory is a universal theory but the Karma theory is a religious and yogic fable.

The Karma theory is a universal theory for those who believe the dualistic illusion as a reality. 

The karma is a reality only for those who believe the false ‘Self’ (ego or you) as the real ‘Self’ and the false experience (waking or universe) as a reality.

The Karma theory is a reality for those who believe the experience, the form, time and space as a reality. Karma theory is a reality for those who believe in individualized God. The Karma theory is a reality for those who believe in the experience of birth, life, death and rebirth, and the world as a reality.

The karma performed in the dream becomes unreal when the waking takes place. Similarly, the waking karma becomes unreal when wisdom dawns. The karma theory is the universal theory when the karma is limited to the waking experience alone.

The wisdom dawns when you (doer of karma) realize you are not the ‘Self’, but the ‘Self’ is the formless Soul. Thus, all theories based on you (form) is falsehood because of the Soul, the ‘Self’ is ever formless, timeless and spaceless existence.

If the ‘Self’ is not the waking entity but the ‘Self’ is formless Soul then how anyone can accept the theory of karma, which is based on false ‘Self’ within the false experience.

Thus, whatever theories are based on the false ‘Self’ (waking entity or ego) and false experience (waking or the world) is bound to be a falsehood.

Karma is a reality only for those who are stuck with the reality of practical life within the practical world because they have accepted the world as a reality.

Thus, without knowing what witnesses the coming and going, of the three states how can one say the karma theory is the universal theory when the karma is limited to waking experience alone.

If the ‘Self’ is not the waking entity but the ‘Self’ is formless Soul then how anyone can accept the theory of karma, which is based on false ‘Self’ within the false experience.

Thus, whatever theories are based on the false ‘Self’ (waking entity or ego) and false experience (waking or the world) is bound to be a falsehood.

Karma is a reality only for those who are stuck with the reality of the practical life within the practical world because they have accepted the world as reality.

What is the doer, what is the enjoyer, what is a cessation of thought and rising of thought, what is immediate perception and its result, to the Soul, the  ‘Self’, the ever impersonal?

What is this world, what is meant by the aspirant for liberation; what is the contemplative man and what is a man of knowledge; what is the Soul in bondage and what is liberated Soul to the innermost ‘Self', which is ever formless and nondual.

What is Prarabdha Karmas, what is even liberation in life, and what is that and where is liberation at death for the Soul, the innermost ‘Self', which is ever attributeless?

Nearest state to understand the Soul by itself is to eliminate the whole waking experience, as in deep sleep. Once this is grasped one has to understand that the three states are Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness, that the Soul is the ‘Self’.

Whether the karma theory existed prior to Buddhism or time immemorial is not the question. Karma theory is based on the form, time and space whereas as the ultimate truth or Brahman is based on formless, timeless and spaceless existence.

Thus, one has to decide whether the ‘Self’ is in the form of ‘Self’ is formless. If ‘Self’ is the form then the karma theory has value but if the ‘Self’ is formless then the karma theory has no value.

Deeper self -search reveals the fact that the karma theory is meant for those who are immersed in worldly life thinking the individual life within the particle world as reality. In the path of the truth, the karma theory becomes a great obstacle in realizing the truth.:~Santthosh Kumaar

The seekers must have an intense urge to know and realize the truth and ready to investigate and accept only the truth derived from deeper investigation.+*****

Millions are searching for truth, but one in million will realize it. If you are a truth seeker then you are, one from that million. 

The Soul, the  'Self' reveals ‘what is real’ and ‘what is unreal” when the seeker is receptive and ready.

It takes time for the seeker to gain the perfect understanding of ‘what is the truth’ and ‘’what is untruth’.

It takes time for the Soul, the Self to wake up from the sleep of ignorance, and it takes time for one realizes the 'Self"(truth), hidden by the ignorance (I).

Slowly but surely you must imbibe the truth, which is beyond the form, time and space by realizing the form, time and space are one in essence.

When you enthrone the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness in your subconscious, you will realize the world in which you exist is merely an illusory play of the consciousness.

The consciousness is ‘One’, and all divisions of the form, time and space are illusory. Be established in this Advaitic Truth, which is eternal. 

The Soul, the inner Guru reveals ‘what is real’ and ‘what is unreal” when the seeker is receptive and ready.

Come ye slow, or come ye fast; it is but the Soul, the Advaita that reveals itself at last.

Remember:~ 

If a serious and sincere seeker carefully reads my posts and blogs then he will come to know the truth which is hidden by the dualistic illusion or Maya. He will be directed toward reality, which is hidden by the illusory form, time, and space.

The seekers must have an intense urge to know and realize the truth and ready to investigate and accept only the truth derived from deeper investigation and drop the untruth after realizing the truth, which is hidden by  the illusory form, time and space.

Heredity habitual beliefs and inherited religious knowledge are based on the ego. The ego is the false ‘Self’ (you) within the false experience (waking).

The three states are based on the ego, which is the false ‘Self’ within the false experience. Whatever is based on the ego is a falsehood, because ego (you) is not the ‘‘Self’’.

Seeker of truth must have an independent attitude is not accepting anything as truth without verification and verifying the facts through inquiry, analysis followed by sound reasoning.

An independent attitude has been discouraged by the organized religion, for fear of destabilizing the obedient faith that has been needed to maintain their social order in the society. Accordingly, there has been a tendency to discourage the truth other than religious truth based on the blind belief in the past. Thus, the ultimate truth was systematically kept away from the mass.

In the modern world, education is far more widespread, and independent questioning is encouraged from a much earlier stage of education. More and more people started getting interested in acquiring Advaitic Gnana or Self -knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana.

One has to discover the truth, understand, assimilate and realize the truth. The seeker has to pave his own spiritual path towards the unspeakable nature of the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness.

By considering the ‘Self’ as an individual person or ego misleads and confuses one. And one thinks the ‘Self’ to be the physical entity. Inquiring, analyzing with soul-centric reasoning is turned directly in, reflecting back from physical existence (mind) to the innermost core of the existence, which is the consciousness.

By verifying each state of experience from the Soul, the innermost standpoint of the complete reality of the three states is reduced to consciousness, where mind and consciousness are found identical.

The verification is carried out without the need of recourse to religious rituals, scriptural studies, glorifying God and Guru and yogic meditation. Such exercises are discouraged in pursuit of truth because they are egocentric. And egocentricity is the greatest obstacle in the pursuit of truth.

That whose conditioning was already involved with the belief system it becomes very difficult to understand and assimilate and realize the nondual truth. Clearly, this approach is not suited to everyone. Traditional practices of religion and meditation are needed for the populace that is incapable of inquiring and reason. ‘Self’-knowledge is meant specifically for serious seekers who want nothing but the truth.: ~ Santthosh Kumaar

All three states are created out of single stuff.+*****

Where is the dream world when the waking takes place? Where is the waking world in which you exist when the dream is going on?

The dream people and dream world disappeared when the waking reappears, then what substance this waking and the dream and the deep sleep are made of?

What is it that was aware of this coming and going of the three states?

What is it that becomes the waking experience?

What is it that becomes the dream?

What is it that remains without the waking or dream in deep sleep?

~ The Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness, becomes the waking experience. It is the Soul that becomes the dream and it is the Soul that remains without waking or dream in deep sleep.

All three states are created out of single stuff. The Seer of the Seen (three states) are one in essence. So, there is no second thing exists other than the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. Rest in consciousness by realizing everything is consciousness. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar

By eliminating the thoughts, the ignorance will not vanish. Yogi eliminates all thoughts until he reaches the Samadhi.+*****

Some Gurus say the duality is a thought without knowing what duality is and what is nonduality.

By eliminating the thoughts, the ignorance will not vanish. Yogi eliminates all thoughts until he reaches the Samadhi. The difference between the yogi and a Gnani both is vital, however: the Gnani inquiries into the world in which he exists and then regards it, arriving at the Soul ultimately: the yogi refuses to consider the world in which he exists and, therefore, arrives at a mere cipher, nothing, blankness, for he has not reduced the world, in which he exists into the consciousness.

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Every Yogi has to come out of the Samadhi and immediately dualistic illusion confronts him again. His peace goes, for it depended on the non-duality of Samadhi-sleep. Hence, no yogi realizes the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space, but he only hallucinates about the formless nature of the Soul.

When one sees the second thing and though seeing it know it to be none other than the consciousness, then he gets the Advaitic Gnana. On the other hand, yogic Samadhi is the non-seeing of the second thing; hence cannot yield Gnana, for the yogi does not see and does not know what the world is.

Remember:~ 

The thoughts arise to the dream entity within the dream world. The dream becomes unreal when the waking takes place. Similarly, the thoughts arise to the waking entity (you) within the waking world. The waking becomes unreal when wisdom dawns.

Wisdom dawns when you realize the ‘Self’ not you but the ‘Self is the Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness. On the standpoint of the Soul, the world in which you exist is an illusion. Thus, the thought and the thinker and the world in which the thinker exists is the dualistic illusion. the dualistic illusion is created out of a single clay. That clay is Soul, which is present in the form of consciousness.

The thought, thinker and the world in which the thinker exists is nothing to with the Soul, which is the witness of the dualistic illusion.

There is no need to know to whom the thoughts come? Why the thoughts come? All such questions have no meaning because the thoughts, thinker, and the world belong to the dualistic illusion. Whatever belongs to dualistic illusion has no value from the nondualistic perspective. Stick to the Soul, which is real and eternal and drop the illusion. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar 

You and your experience of pleasure and pain and the world in which you exist are bound to be an illusion.+*****

If you hold the Self as 'you' then the ignorance will be more and more deep-rooted.  pleasure and pain belong to you not the Soul, the Self, which is ever formless, timeless and spaceless existence. 

Pleasure and pain are a reality within the domain the form, time and space. From the standpoint of the Soul, the Self, the form, time and space are merely an illusion. Thus, you and your experience of pleasure and pain and the world in which you exist are bound to be an illusion.    

Pain and pleasure and the world belong to the domain of the ‘I’. Without the ‘I’, pain and pleasure and the world cease to exist.

The ‘I’ is nothing to do with the Soul, the Self, which is the witness of the coming and going of the ‘I’.

Until you hold the Self as ‘I’ you will remain in the domain of the ignorance because the ‘I’ itself is ignorance.

Getting rid of the ignorance is necessary to unfold the ‘Self’ hidden by the ‘I’. The ‘I’ is not permanent because it appears and disappears. The Soul, the witness of the coming and going of the ‘I’ is permanent and eternal.

The Soul, the Self is prior to the ‘I’.

It is foolish to say I AM THIS or I AM THAT’ because the ‘Self ‘is not ‘I’. The ‘Self is the Soul, which witnesses the ‘I’.

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

Even after knowing the ‘Self’ is not ‘I’ people are stuck to ‘I-centric teaching and Gurus. Those who are stuck with ‘I’ or ‘I AM’ will never be able to get rid of ignorance. :~Santthosh  Kumaar 

Avadhuta Gita: ~ “The Atman cannot be purified through the practice of the six limbs of yoga, or through the annihilation of the mind, or through the instruction of a teacher.+*****

Avadhuta Gita: ~ “The Atman cannot be purified through the practice of the six limbs of yoga, or through the annihilation of the mind, or through the instruction of a teacher. The Atman is the Reality Itself and It is Purity itself."

From the standpoint of the Soul, the ‘Self’, the visions and Samadhi belong to the illusion because they are based on the false ‘Self’ (ego) within the false experience (waking).

It is not possible to stop thought for more than a half-second whilst in the waking state. If one succeeds in controlling thought and then banishes it, one passes into Nirvikalpa Samadhi, which is identical with deep sleep. The only difference between ordinary deep sleep and Samadhi, therefore, is that the ordinary man falls asleep involuntarily whereas the yogi has the satisfaction of knowing that he has passed into sleep by his own effort of will in banishing thoughts.

Yogic Sage Patanjali warns against sleep as a hindrance to yoga, he means when it occurs in the early stages of the practice before one has obtained the power of control and consequently to banish the thoughts. This fact that Samadhi is deep sleep is kept secret because people would not be tempted to take up yoga.

The yoga sharpens the ego, to enable it to keep away all extraneous thoughts when one gets out to reason in the practice of the next higher stage, i.e. Gnana. Yoga is thus simply a sharpening stone for the ego to enable it to take up Advaitic Gnana.

In Sutra Bashya and Mundaka: ~ Samadhi and sleep are identical. Brihad Upanishad does not advocate Samadhi.:~Santthosh Kumaar

Mythology breeds superstition, blind belief, and senseless rituals and most irrational and gives them divine outlook.+*****

Sage Sri, Sankara’s Advaitic wisdom will one day replace all the religion of the world, because Advaitic wisdom is the knowledge of God in truth. 

Mythological gods are religious propagated Gods. Those who know the 'Self' in truth. will realize what God supposed to be in actuality. there is a need to realize the difference between the religious God and God in truth. 

Mythological stories are a myth. Mythological Gods are a myth.  Whatever is based on myth is merely a superstition. Mythology was introduced in the past for the ignorant masses. It has to be discarded as one progress in his spiritual advancement.

Mythology breeds superstition, blind belief, and senseless rituals and most irrational and gives them divine outlook.  By worshipping mythological heroes as God produces only myth.

There is a need to realize ‘what God supposed to be in actuality. Religion has been very influential. Mythology is a synthesis. They are more concerned with synthesis than with truth. The attraction for synthesis is so strong that people accept it blindly without verifying their validity.

Mythology is a hodgepodge containing everything; hence it suits everyone because there is something in it for everyone. It is difficult to find any tradition whose voice is not found in the mythology. It is difficult to find anyone who does not take solace in the inherited mythical beliefs.

From the Vedic perspective, all mythological Gods are not Gods in truth because Rig Veda says: May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman.

In Vedas, 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 innermost self. May ye never accept another God in place of the Atman nor worship other than the Atman?" (10:48, 5)

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.

Yajur Veda indicates that: ~

They sink deeper in darkness those who worship sambhuti. (Sambhuti means created things, for example, table, chair, idol, etc (Yajurveda 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.).

Upanishads: ~

Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ Brahman (God) is in the form of the Athma, and it is indeed Athma itself.

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad: ~ "He who worships the deities as entities entirely separate from him does not know the truth. For the Gods, he is like a pasu (beast)". (1. 4. 10)

Bhagavad Gita Chapter: ~ ‘All those whose intelligence has been stolen by material desires, they worship many Gods. (7- Verse -20)

Bhagavad Gita: 7: 19:~ 'Everything is Atman, there exists nothing except Atman.”

There is neither Shiva nor Shakti but only the consciousness. The consciousness is real God.

Bhagavad Gita itself says: ~ 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).

 
When Bhagavad Gita says, 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.

Sage Sri, Goudpada: ~ “Whatever is seen, whether external or internal, whether by the ordinary persons or yogis, is unreal.

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.

The dualistic worship of "God” is only for the ignorant populace. The God in truth is only Atman, the innermost ‘Self’. In reality, there is no duality, no differentiation. Only Atman exists.

The Vedas confirms God is Atman (Spirit), the ‘Self’.

Shiva and Shakti are religious concepts. Whatever seen, known, believed and experienced as a person within the dualistic illusion (world) is a falsehood.

Sage Sri, Goudpada: ~ "There's no plurality here"; "The God (Atman) through his powers appears to be many"; "those who are attached to creation or production or origination go to utter darkness"; "the unborn is never reborn, for who can produce God (Atman)?” : ~ Santthosh Kumaar