The seeker in order to realize the Self has to approach one who is well versed in the Advaitic wisdom and always devoted to sharing knowledge of Brahman or God in truth.+

A Gnani, after having examined the nature of the universe acquire freedom from ignorance. Nothing that is eternal can be produced by what is not eternal. 

The seeker in order to realize the Self has to approach one who is well versed in the  Advaitic wisdom and always devoted to sharing knowledge of  Brahman or God in truth. 

A Guru or yogi who pretends himself to be Self- realized and plays with the emotions and sentiments of the seeker, is a fraud, not a Gnani. Every Guru or yogi makes his own cocktail ideas and propagates them as Self-realization.

Most of the Gurus and yogis project themselves as Gnanis, and they glorify themselves as Gods,  such Gurus and yogis belong to religion,  not spirituality. Spirituality is nothing to do with religion. 

All the Guru Parampara is for the religious people. There is no need for a Guru in the path of wisdom.

Even Swami Vivekananda was Ramakrishna Paramahansa disciple. Swami Vivekananda himself said: ~ “You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher, but your own Soul.”

There are two kinds of audiences - the ordinary ones who desire the transitory heaven and other pleasures obtained as a result of ritual sacrifices, and the most advanced seeker who seeks to realize the ultimate truth or Brahman or God. 

The Guru and Guru paramparas are meant for the first audience, to help lead its followers along the way. However, there is no need to follow any parampara and follow any Guru those who wish to realize the truth which is beyond the form, time, and space. 

We should not mix religion with spirituality because religion is based on the ego and spirituality is based on the Soul. Religion is concerned with its paramparas, not truth whereas spirituality is concerned only with the truth, which is beyond the form, time, and space. Religion is not spirituality.

Sage Sankara: ~ "Though I wear these robes of a Sanyasin, it is only for the sake of bread." (Select Works of Sage Sankara" also his commentary on Brihad)

Thus, the above passage proves that all those who were the sanyasin robes are wearing it for the sake of bread belongs to the religion; they are nothing to do with the ‘Self’-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. There is no need to criticize and condemn the Gurus, yogis, and swamis because they are needed for the welfare of ignorant masses in the dualistic world.

Sage Sankara in Viveka Chudamani (2), states that the Knower of the Atman (i.e., a Gnani) "bears no outward mark of a holy man" (Stanza 539).

It means the Gurus, Swamis, and Yogis who identify themselves as holy people are not Gnanis.

Those who are seeking truth need not follow any Guru or any teaching. Those Gurus and Yogis who make them make the seeker sentimentally get involved in the name of love are playing with the feelings of the seeker.

Emotionally getting stuck with the Gurus or yogis leads to hallucination, emotionally getting involved with the Guru will not yield truth. If you are the seeker of truth then you must know the Gurus and Yogis are not Gnanis. If you want to tread the path of wisdom you must be free from the Gurudom.

That is why Sage Sankara page On Gnani wears no signs. Gives up the insignia of a monk's life…his signs are not manifest, nor his behavior."

A Gnani wears no signs it means he does not identify himself as Guru or Yogi or teacher or Swami. Thus, Gurudom is meant for the ignorant populace not meant for the seekers of truth. : ~Santthosh Kumaar