BHAGAVAD GITA CHAPTER 4, VERSES 1-2, clarifies that, "O Arjuna, I imparted this knowledge of yoga, which is essentially the knowledge contained within the four Vedas, to the Sun. The Sun taught it to his son Manu, and Manu passed it on to his son Ikshvaku. Subsequently, this knowledge was understood by a few royal sages. Thereafter, this knowledge was lost to the world, becoming extinct."
states on pages 175-177:
Tirthankar Rishabdev was the last Kulakar and the son of King Nabhi and Queen Marudevi. He was a popular king of Ayodhya belonging to the Ikshvaku dynasty. Upon reaching youth, King Nabhi arranged Rishabdev's marriage to Sunanda and Sumangala. Sunanda bore him a son, Bahubali, and a daughter, Sundari, while Sumangala bore him 99 sons, including Bharat, and a daughter, Brahmi.
In due time, Rishabdev renounced the world, handing over the kingdom to Bharat (Ayodhya), Bahubali (Takshashila), and his other sons as per their merits, and engaged in deep meditation after taking diksha (initiation). During his spiritual endeavor, Rishabdev fasted for a year, which was eventually broken by Shreyans Kumar, the grandson of Bahubali, who offered him sugarcane juice. After a thousand years of penance, Monk Rishabdev attained Keval Gyan (omniscience) and began his teachings. His first sermon was delivered to Bharat's son Marichi, who later became the 24th Tirthankar Mahavir Vardhaman in Jainism.
Please read and contemplate
Bhagavad Gita chapter 6, verse 16, states, "O Arjuna, this yoga (devotion/practice) is neither for those who eat too much nor for those who do not eat at all; neither for those who sleep too much nor for those who are always awake."
Noteworthy: Shri Rishabdev Ji, by abandoning the scriptural practices mentioned in the Vedas and Shastras engaged in arbitrary conduct based on personal whims. As a result he did not benefit, nor was it meant to provide any benefit.
Further evidence: In Chapter 17, verses 5 and 6 of the Bhagavad Gita, it is said: "Those who engage in severe austerities without following the principles of scripture, who are motivated by their own imaginations, and who torture living entities residing within the body, the powers residing in the lotus chakras, and who torment Me situated within the body – know them to be of demoniac nature, O Arjuna."
ONCE, RISHABDEV Ji, carrying a stone in his mouth and naked, roamed the forest. A forest fire erupted, and Rishabdev Ji perished in that wildfire. (This is a story from the Puranas) Is this liberation? From that time, this practice of abandoning scriptural injunctions and engaging in arbitrary conduct was adopted by all sages. For evidence, read any Purana. It mentions how one sage performed severe penance for many years. Then, those sages, who practiced contrary to the scriptural ordinances, began to share their experiences, leading others to propagate knowledge against the scriptures, resulting in the formation of eighteen Puranas. The Puranas, based on the experiences of sages, contain knowledge that is contrary to the Vedas and the Gita.
Shri Brahma Ji, Shri Vishnu Ji, and Shri Shankar Ji also performed severe penances, which are arbitrary practices contrary to the teachings of the Gita.
Adi Shankaracharya introduced the worship of deities and firmly integrated the knowledge of the Puranas into Sanatan Dharma, also known as Hinduism. Revisiting Bhagavad Gita chapters 4, verses 1-2, where the giver of the Gita's knowledge told Arjuna that he imparted this yoga, i.e., the Vedic knowledge contained in the Gita (since the Bhagavad Gita is considered the essence of the four Vedas, a belief held by the entire Hindu community), to the Sun. The Sun taught it to his son Vaivasvata, i.e., Manu, and Manu to his son Ikshvaku. (Bhagavad Gita chapter 4, verse 1)
"O Parantapa Arjuna! Thus, this yoga, i.e., the knowledge of the Gita or the Vedas, was known to the royal sages through tradition. However, over time, this yoga (Vedic knowledge) has been lost to the world for a long time, becoming extinct." (Bhagavad Gita chapter 4, verse 2)
Note that the original text of verse 2 contains the word ‘‘नष्टः’’ which accurately means destroyed or lost.
Approximately one hundred thousand years had passed until King Nabhi Raj in Satyuga. The knowledge of the Gita was spoken at the end of Dwapara Yuga, nearly 100 years before the start of Kali Yuga. By calculation, this knowledge of the Gita was spoken 3,787,900 years after King Nabhi Raj. During this period, all sages practiced contrary to the Vedas, evidenced by the eighteen Puranas. None of the practices mentioned in the Puranas align with the teachings of the Gita or the Vedas. I write only a few words here so that the wise may understand the hint. Further details are provided in this book.
Bhagavad Gita chapter 9, verse 25 states, "Those who worship ancestors go to the ancestors; those who worship ghosts become ghosts; those who worship deities go to the deities; and my devotees come to me."
If we examine the worship practices in the current Hindu religion, it becomes apparent that nearly the entire Hindu community engages in ancestor worship, ghost worship, and deity worship, which, according to Bhagavad Gita chapter 16, verse 23, is a futile effort due to abandoning scriptural ordinances and engaging in arbitrary conduct.