Sage Sankara says:~ Of what avail Mantras based on personal Gods when the God in truth is impersonal.+

Sage Sankara says:~For one who has been bitten by Ignorance, the only remedy is Self -knowledge. Of what avail  Mantras based on personal Gods when the God in truth is impersonal.  

First, make sure by repeating the name of God without knowing what God suppose to be in truth will not yield any fruit.   

Why waste time discussing yoga, religion, worship of the religious Gods glorifying of the Gurus in the Atmic Path. 

Self-knowledge is not for those who believe in religion and its beliefs like mantras and worship of personal Gods.   Mantras and prayers are nothing to do with the Atmic path. 

Those who are attached to  Mantras and prayers and worship must continue in their chosen path the Atmic is not for those who are stuck with religious dross. In the Atmic path, the discussion is unimportant. 

One must think deeply and reflect on the subject. Passing their opinion with their accumulated knowledge will not help anyone.  

Mythology deals with symbols. It is not history; it is not concerned with objective reality. But that does not mean that it is not concerned with reality itself. It is concerned with subjective reality. These Gods, these mythological symbols, do not exist outside you, but they have a psychological existence and that psychological existence can be helpful, can be used. So the first thing to be understood is that they are not real persons in the world, but they are real symbols in the psyche of man.

Mythological Gods are a  myth. All mantras are based on the mythological Gods that keeps one in the prison of the dualistic illusion.   The mantras never help to cross the trash hold of the form, time, and space.  Mantras meant for the ignorant populace who believe the form, time and space as reality.  What is the use of the mantras based on the false God that will yield false fruits?

That is why Sage Sri, Sankara says:~   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?

62. A disease does not leave off if one simply utters the name of the medicine, without taking it; (similarly) without direct realization one cannot be liberated by the mere utterance of the word Brahman.

Some Saints recommended repeating God’s name as a spiritual practice but what is the use of such practice without knowing ‘what God is in actuality. Such practices based on religious God. The God in truth is without the form, without time, and without space, and without the name. Religious Gods are not God in truth.

If you repeat the name of nameless God you will remain in the prison of ignorance. Thus, it is necessary to realize ‘what God supposed to be in actuality. All priestcrafted prescription keeps one in the domain of ignorance.   

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).

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.

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 Vedas confirm God is Atman (Spirit), the Self.

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)

The Vedas talk about Brahman which refers to the ultimate truth or ultimate reality. The consciousness is the ultimate truth, therefore, the consciousness is Brahman and Brahman is God.

Vedas do not permit idol worship. All the idols are of the Puranic Gods Priests are referring to the Puranic Brahma as God they are ignorant of the God in Vedas even though they speak of Vedas.

Priests do not understand the meaning of the Brahman (God), which is present in the form of consciousness.

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 the real exists.

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad declares: "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)

That is why Sage 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 (verses-6)

The mantra-yoga consisting of repeating the name of God, or even the AUM; thousands of times yield nothing. It can appeal only to the ignorant, to those who cannot think deeper. It is a mere religious fable. The real exercise is to think of the meaning of the name or the AUM and then only do you get something.

That is why Sage Sankara:~ VC- 63. Without causing the objective universe to vanish and without knowing the truth of the Self, how is one to achieve Liberation by the mere utterance of the word Brahman? — It would result merely in an effort of speech.

The religion preaches that Gods have forms of attributes and the ways to God are many. It simply tries to lead them to darkness with its dogma and idea of many Gods, which is apart from the Self. : ~ Santthosh Kumaar