Acharya Prashant explains that a 'Devta' (deity) is certainly an enhanced version of a human being, but not 'Brahman' (the Absolute). The Upanishads and Indian philosophy are special because they gave the world something that did not come from anywhere else: a concept that is dimensionally different from you, not just a thousand-fold expansion of yourself. This is called 'Atman' (the Self) or 'Brahman'. The Upanishads state two things. First, the Truth is dimensionally different from you. Second, this Truth is within you. Because you are the ego, if you become purified, you will become that very Truth. This is the uniqueness of the Upanishads: the supreme, the true, the first, is not at all like you; it is dimensionally different. Yet, despite being so far away dimensionally, it is very close to you. You just have to let go of your delusions. Otherwise, it is easy to create a children's story where you imagine your 'Ishwar' (God) just as you imagine a great landlord or king. You see a king on a high throne, so you imagine God on an even higher throne in the sky. This is a childish idea. Just as a king rules, bestows blessings when pleased, and punishes when angry, you have imagined your God. This is the work of kings and landlords. The common conception of God is a continuation of this tradition. The Upanishads say something entirely different: you, your imaginations, your kings, your deities, everything from the greatest to the smallest, are all on the same plane of 'Prakriti' (nature/matter), and all are different from the Truth. 'Brahman' is beyond 'Prakriti'; it is its source. This is why 'Brahman' is not God. The closest translation for God is 'Ishwar', which Vedanta calls 'Maya' (illusion). The purpose of life is not to attain 'Ishwar' but to merge into 'Brahman' ('Brahma-leen'), which means the dissolution of the ego. 'Brahman' does not act or speak, has no temples or idols, and did not create the world. The world is a creation of the ego. Quoting Kabir Saheb, the speaker explains that everything, including peers, prophets, yogis, kings, and even the thirty-three crore deities, is perishable because they are all within the realm of 'Prakriti' and time. The only imperishable is That which is beyond time. Therefore, the worship of deities or 'Ishwar' are makeshift arrangements. In Vedanta, they have no special importance, or their importance is only as a medium. By coming close to them, one might get the inspiration to go higher, but they are not the end in themselves. The ultimate goal of spiritual practice is not the attainment of a deity but the dissolution of the ego.
