Respected  Rajesh Acharya, There was an article in the Deccan Chronicle dated 12-09-2016 by Mr.Rahul Easwar on the difference between God & Deity.The copy of a letter addressed to Rahul Easwar responding to his comments is pasted below,for your kind reference and remarks.   Respected Rahul Easwar, Happened to note your differentiation of God & Deity notions and the two branches of Indian religious body-Vedic & Tantric. While Vedic is  Darshana, philosophical, intellectual  understanding ,textual & scriptural; Tantric is Sadhana, Experiential learning and Guru swami-oriented,dealing with practice of religious  rites, worship & attainment or fulfilment of desires. Is it not that Vedic is seeking “Sreyas” and Tantric is seeking “Preyas”?.If so, most people of all cultures are bound by “preyas” and only a few are bound by “Sreyas” 1. I am now reminded of a comment from Vivekananda which states “All are mad, some are mad after Gold & some are mad after Sex and a few are mad after God; and that is the right kind of madness”. We  are directed to take scriptures as the authority in deciding what ought to be done and what ought not to be done and not to cast aside the ordinances of the Scriptures, and act on the  impulse of desires 1a.May I therefore request you to recall your memory to the following relevant verses from Scriptures. The verses are so selected as to highlight the common principles and the base on which almost all Vedic religions are based i.e.-prefer “Sreyas” to “preyas” and practice “Damam” “Daya”& “Dhanam 2to get the golden disk3 (symbolic of the tempting objects of desire), covering the face of truth removed and to enjoy peace and bliss in this life and eternal life in Paraloka in a state of sat-chit-anand.                     Whatever form or “moorthi” a particular devotee wishes to worship with faith-I, the unborn and immutable God, will make the devotee’s faith in that deity unflinching. The desires attained through the worship of the particular deity are actually ordained by me only and are perishable in nature. Such devotees will reach only the particular deity or aspect and not God , because of their unshakable faith . This faith will most likely continue to the time of death which will be the deciding factor of their state beyond death4.                 The sadhana based tantric branch of Indian religious body is the most common notion in all cultures of the world. This is because the devotees get energised and their faith get  fortified on getting their desires fulfilled.In tantric branch, people deprived of   knowledge, being tempted by many objects of desire worship other deities, observing particular rites, being swayed by their on nature .Particular religious rites like offering human organs made of silver or gold to the deity at Nagoor or performing deeparadhana, at a remote and secluded place in ponnambalamedu: refusing access to the unorganized, helpless, poor Indian devotees. These people seeking object of desires through the worship of other deities are characterised as :people without wisdom,driven by desires, assigning one’s own religious rites, of slow intelligence, idiotic, foolish etc… in six consecutive verses in B.G5.Only those who do not meditate through symbols  will be led to the world of Brahman by a non-human person6 .Those who come under a different ruler belong to the worlds that are subject to decay7 and their indiscriminate pursuit of objects of desires will land them up in hell through the gates of lust, anger and greed8.  Those who indulge in unlawful sex  will be severely beaten with whips and forced to embrace red hot metal statues, lady statue for men and vice versa 9 ,in the hell in paraloka.                But the Vedic branch, that is dharshana, philosophical, intellectual understanding and scriptural; seeking “sreyas” is not complimentary to, but different from the tantric branch since, the results obtained in this case are not subject to decay but will be everlasting, with freedom of movement in all the worlds. Also the face of truth will be  revealed to the devotee of God who subdue lust by self-control (damam),anger by mercy (daya)and greed by charity (danam)10.The knowers of Brahman will attain both the worlds, this world and the hereafter, and will reach the heaven enjoying eternal life obtaining  all the objects of desire11.The sacrifices, worship, seeking protection from sat, fasting ,secluded life etc are all described as celibacy12,practicing which, one will reach the two seas named Ara and Nya in the world of Brahman. After rising up from this body the individual soul will be joined with another body13.There will be another river with intoxicating gruel, the banyan tree with somarasam,the city of Brahman called aparajitha  and the golden hall made by the Lord with freedom of movement in all the worlds. They will have all that they desire like perfumes and garlands, food and drink, song and music, women, whatever objects they desire and whatever province they are attracted to14. Do not say that man spring up from Rethas (seed) after he is cut down from earth by death, but it is Brahman ,the absolute knowledge and bliss and the ultimate resort of  the one who gives in charity and knows Him15.                A person who is very wicked, but worships none other than Me must be considered as righteous, who will soon attain lasting peace16.Everyone, irrespective of caste, Creed, religion or sex is free to worship Iswara without any restriction. Those who take refuge in Me, whether they are of sinful birth, women, shudras or vaishias ; they will attain the supreme goal indeed17.This individual self has only two places. This life and next life. At the junction of these two is the dream state which is the third place. Staying at the junction ,it sees both this world and paralokha and betakes itself to whatever it has earned for the paralokha and sees both miseries and joys18.They seem to rejoice and laugh in the company of women or see terrible objects19.God created these worlds and created man as lords for these  worlds20 and created women as a resort for the “rethas”-  seed –of man21.Life after death is said to be not from the “rethas”of man but by contact with Brahman22.If a man wishes “may a son be born to me, who will be a reputed scholar, attend assemblies, speak words that one likes to hear ,be versed in all the Vedas and attain full longevity; should have rice cooked with meat-that of a young or mature bull- and with his wife eat it mixed with ghee, then they would be able to produce such a son23.Himsa (killing or injuring)of creatures is permissible with scriptural sanctions24.   Reference 1)Katha U.1.2-1 1a. B.G16-23,24 2)Br.u.5.2-3 3)Isa.U-15 4,5)B.G 7-20 to 25;8-6,7 ;Ch.u.3.14-1 6)Brahma surta .4.3-15 7)Ch.u.7.25-2 8)B.G.16-21 9)Bhagavadam.5.26-20 10)Br.U.5.2-3 11)Ait.u.3-4 12)Ch.u.8.5-1,2,3 13)Ch.u.8.1.2-3 14)Ch.u.8.2-1 to 10 15)Br.u.3.9.28-5,6,7 16)B.G.9-30,31 17)B.G.9-32 18)Br.u.4.3-9 19)B.r.u.4.3-13 20)Ai.u.1,2,3 21)Br.u.6.4-2 22)Br.u.3.9.28-5,6,7 23)Br.u.6.4-18                                                                                                                     24)Ch.u.8.15-1.