The purport of the above verse is that the yogi sees God (Shiva) in his Atman and not in images. Images are meant only for ignorant people. Even here it may be wrong to think that the idol worshipper is treating God as an idol or stone. He obviously sees God in the idol or in the stone and sticks to it. God knows it all.

In the matter of worship of Ganesha people with lower development of mind take to worship of his idol. Development of mind is meant here as spiritual development. There are many intelligent people among the Hindus who worship idols. This they do by habit, custom and vested interests. They are very superficial in their approach to religion. People with spiritual development do not require the aid of an idol and if they respect an idol they see a meaning in it which is not discerned by ordinary minds. Such people do not worship Ganesha in his idol form. But they do contemplate on his ideology. They are different from iconoclasts who have done more disservice to religion and God than idolaters. Some collect Ganesha idols as curious. This is not bad for curiousity is the starting point of knowledge. But whatever it may be, there is no denial of the act that Ganesha attracts both overt ritualism and contemplative spiritualism. Ritualism can be with or without idols. It is seen in some form or other in all religions and appears to be a preliminary step for the votaries like the mother's milk for the baby. When the baby outgrows its mother's bosom it fends for itself. Ethics aesthetics, mind control and right living are deliberate steps to attain maturity of mind in religious matters.