Surrender to Krishna represents the ultimate perfection of knowledge after many lifetimes of spiritual cultivation.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Prabhupāda: tad viddhi praṇipātena paripraśnena sevayā upadekṣyanti te jñānaṃ jñāninas tattva-darśinaḥ [Bg 4.34] [Just try to learn the truth by approaching a spiritual master. Inquire from him submissively and render service unto him. The self-realized soul can impart knowledge unto you because he has seen the truth.] Now, this verse we are discussing in our last meeting. Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa, has concluded that all kinds of sacrifices that we can expected..., we are expected to do, the best sacrifice is to acquire knowledge. Acquire knowledge.
Because whole our this material conditioned life is due to ignorance. Therefore the purpose of sacrifice, penance, yoga and philosophical discussion—everything—the ultimate aim is to acquire knowledge. And even in that knowledge field also... Of course, transcendental knowledge, as we have discussed already, they are viewed in different..., three different angles of vision: the knowledge of Brahmavāda, or impersonal, impersonal Absolute Truth; and the knowledge of Paramātmā, the localized Supersoul; and the knowledge of Bhagavān, or the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
There are different stages of development of knowledge. But the first beginning knowledge is that we must understand that "I am not this body; I am spirit soul. And my aim of life should be how to get out of this material entanglement." That is knowledge. That is the beginning of knowledge. And that knowledge, when developed gradually...
The first, first stage of knowledge is impersonal Brahman realization, and the next stage is the Supersoul realization, and the last stage is realization of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam we have got this information, that the tattva, that the Absolute Truth, is realized in three visions: brahmeti paramātmeti bhagavān iti śabdyate [SB 1.2.11]. [Learned transcendentalists who know the Absolute Truth call this nondual substance Brahman, Paramātmā or Bhagavān.] Brahman means impersonal Absolute Truth, and Paramātmā means Supersoul, and Bhagavān means the Supreme Personality of God. That Supreme Personality of Godhead is Kṛṣṇa. You'll find in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam [SB 1.3.28]. [All of the above-mentioned incarnations are either plenary portions or portions of the plenary portions of the Lord, but Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the original Personality of Godhead. All of them appear on planets whenever there is a disturbance created by the atheists. The Lord incarnates to protect the theists.] There are description of different manifestation of Viṣṇu, or God, because God expands Himself in various ways. We are also expansion of God. So similarly, there are degrees of expansion, and the central point, or the primeval Lord, is Śrī Kṛṣṇa.
We have got evidences from various Vedic literature that Śrī Kṛṣṇa is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Bhāgavata confirms, ete cāṃśa-kalāḥ puṃsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam, that... There is a list of incarnation of Godhead. There are many thousands and thousands of incarnation, and there is a list. Especially in Caitanya-caritāmṛta there is a specific list.
Now, after giving that list, the conclusion is made that ete cāṃśa-kalāḥ puṃsaḥ kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. Now, we have given the list, the author of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, but all these incarnation of Godhead, they are either plenary manifestation or manifestation of the plenary manifestation, like that. Ete cāṃśa. Aṃśa means plenary manifestation, and kalāḥ means manifestation of the plenary manifestation. So the conclusion in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam is that "This name 'Kṛṣṇa,' which is given here..." Because Kṛṣṇa also appeared, and He proclaimed Himself that yadā yadā hi dharmasya glānir bhavati bhārata, tadātmānaṃ sṛjāmy aham [Bg 4.7]. [Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself.] So He is accepted as the original Supreme Personality of God.
Similarly, in the Brahma-saṃhitā, another Vedic literature, that is also confirmed that, īśvaraḥ paramaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ sac-cid-ānanda-vigrahaḥ anādir ādir govindaḥ sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam [Bs 5.1] [Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.] There are many gods.