Acharya Prashant addresses the issue of meaningless devotional practices, particularly those involving Lord Shiva. He states that unfortunately, at present, Mahadev (Shiva) is being disrespected more than anyone else. Shiva has been turned into a joke, with people saying whatever they want and spreading their own ideas in his name. There is a complete lack of understanding of what Shiva or "Shivatva" (the essence of Shiva) truly is. The speaker calls this a very bad sign, a sign of a great calamity. When the highest is made a mockery of, nothing is left. He gives an example of the ritual of offering milk on a Shivling, criticizing the absurd justification that the milk's fat prevents the stone from cracking. He explains that when such things are said in the name of religion, it means everything is in danger. The speaker clarifies that "Ling" means a symbol that points to the real. The practice of offering milk began in an agrarian society where milk was the most valuable commodity. The sentiment was to offer one's most valuable possession to God. As society evolved, offerings changed to gold and silver, but the underlying principle of dedicating the most valuable thing remained. He laments that people today follow the ritual blindly and invent ridiculous reasons for it, asking, "Who are you fooling?" He expresses pain over the things being done in the name of Shiva and Shri Krishna. People neither read nor understand scriptures like the Gita, Ribhu Gita, or Shiva Gita. Instead, gurus who talk about Shiva avoid mentioning these texts because the real knowledge within them would destroy their business of spreading false narratives. The democratization of content creation via social media has worsened the situation, as the baser the content, the more popular it becomes. People avoid the real truth of "Shivatva" because it would force them to change. By doing this, they are not insulting Shiva, but inviting misfortune upon themselves.