The dualists Gurus brought all the mythological entity introduces a new version of scriptures with non-Vedic entities of male and female Gods.+

Sage Sankara gave religious, ritual, or dogmatic instruction to the ignorant populace but the Advaitic wisdom 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. 

Advaita is misrepresented by the orthodoxy because they preach the ritualistic side of Advaita, which is nothing to do with the Advaitic wisdom.

Advaitic orthodoxy is based on the dualistic perspective whereas the Advaitic wisdom is based on the nondualistic perspective.

The world is an illusion means the experience of birth, life, and death also is part and parcel of that illusion.  The illusion hides the reality because the illusion is created out of reality.

All individuals exist within the illusory reality.  The seeker has to rise to see the universe as the consciousness.

The seeker must first see the ‘I’ as illusory before he sees others as illusory by realizing the ‘I’ is nothing but the illusion created out of the Soul, the Self.

The dualists' Gurus used the word ‘I’ for the Soul, the ‘Self. They brought all the mythological entity introduced a new version of scriptures with non-Vedic entities of male and female Gods, which has no Vedic sanction.

This all the pundit's interpretation of the scriptures are based on ‘self as the ‘I’. Thus, they glorified the ‘I’ without the body is the Self.  They propagated that ‘I’ is within the physical heart without realizing what this ‘I’ is supposed to be in actuality.  Thus, many people

The seeker has to understand the fact that ‘I’ is not the Self but the witness of the ‘I’ is the true Self, which is eternal. 

One who realizes the Self is not the ‘I’ but the Self’ is the Soul, which is present in the form of the consciousness, discovers that form, time, and space are nothing but consciousness.

Sage Sankara says:  VC- How can the talk of diversity, dvaita, apply to the Supreme Reality which is one and homogeneous, Advaita? Who has ever observed diversity, dvaita, in the unmixed bliss of the state of profound sleep?

Sage Goudpada: ~ “To establish the truth of Non-duality by sheer reasoning alone. He begins by defining "What is real?" "What is unreal?" etc, because that is the right way to discuss or teach. People must first know what they are talking about. (Manduka Karika)

It is very much necessary for the seeker of the truth to realize what God is supposed to be in actuality according to Vedas and Upanishad and Bhagvad Gita.

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

Religious Gods are based on blind belief. Religious God cannot be considered as a center because the Soul and the  ‘Self’ are the center of all that exists. Without the Soul the world in which you exist ceases to exist, which means the religious God is dependent on the Soul for his existence.

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

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

No worship of religious Gods helps to get rid of ignorance. All the worships and rituals are based on the non-Vedic Gods. Non~Vedic Gods are not God in truth.   

Even Bhagavad Gita 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 other than consciousness a God. 

There is no God but God because the universe is merely an illusion created out of God. There is nothing that is not God. God is the whole,  not the part. The part is an illusion.

A Gnani sees the world in which he exists as the consciousness, just as the goldsmiths view the ornaments as nothing but the gold.

Religion is meant for the ignorant populace, which strongly believes, the world in which he exists as a reality.

For one who wants to acquire Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana, the mantas will not help to realize the truth, which is beyond form, time, and space.

That is why Sage Sankara says: ~  “VC- v6~ 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.

VC~.61:~ “For one who has been bitten by the serpent of Ignorance, the only remedy is the knowledge of Brahman. Of what avail are the Vedas and (other) Scriptures, Mantras (sacred formulae), and medicines to such a one?

Sage Sankara goes on to say: ~A sickness of not cured by saying the word “medicine.” You must take the medicine. Liberation does not come by merely saying the word “Brahman (God).” Brahman must be realized. Until you allow this apparent universe to dissolve from your consciousness until you have realized Brahman, how can you find liberation just by saying the word Brahman? The result is merely noise. Until a man has destroyed his enemies and taken possession of the splendor and wealth of the kingdom, he cannot become a king by simply saying “I am a king.”

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 subtle arguments.

Sage Sankara’s wisdom reveals: ~ Atman is the only ultimate reality or Brahman or God in truth

Advaita means the Soul, the Self, which is second to none. The Soul, which is present in the form of the Spirit or consciousness, is the ultimate truth or Brahman or God in truth. Advaita is the nondual nature of God, the Soul, the  Self. Advaita is God in truth. Advaita is the fullness of consciousness. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar