Sage Vashishtha says,

   "O Rama, just as one can get a sea-worthy vessel only from a sailor, so also, the means of crossing the ocean of this world, sansar, can only be known from an illumined teacher."

   Further, "Until one has God's grace it is not possible for one to get the help of a sadguru, enlightened teacher, or to have the correct understanding of the right scriptures." (Yoga Vashsishtha I 4, 3).

  The verses quoted above clearly states that the jivas (living beings) need  God's grace and a proper guide to cross the sansara sagara.

  Let's be clear about what we are speaking here. Neither we know who, what, where and all that of God, nor do we know who is an illumined, attained, enlightened guru/teacher. There is skeptic's prayer: "Oh my God, if there is God, save my soul, if there is one!". The present day youth are totally ignorant about the spiritual aspects of life and are worried about only material welfare. They do not understand the fact that all that we see as gross objects are made of subtler and subtler elements, compounds, waves, sounds and, in fact, electromagnetic and energy aspects! The spiritual aspects described in the scriptures are no different from what is explained in the general science text books- physics, chemistry, biology, Genetics, etc (mathematics incl.) The Veda is in samskruta bhasha and  we need a good teacher with scientific background! Pundits do not help us here. Now, these aspects of: 1. the true nature of the jiva (a hydro carbon and carbohydrate entity, compeletely dominated by H2O and other element that go to make soil, food, and give support to jiva should be properly understood. This is a new line of thought expounded here. This will make the entire picture of the galaxies, stars, the sun and the off-springs of the solar flares in the form of planets and the life-forms that appear here on earth clear.

    Now God is also a force, power, shakti, capable of creation, sustenance,dissolution, in the form of the Sun, parents giving birth to,  and teachers imparting knowledge! God is translated as 'deva' or 'devata' literally meaning that which helps to raise/rise- da i va where 'da' is 'to lift up'. So what ever force, shakti, that has produced material objects, paraphernalia of the phenomenal world is the daiva only.