Krishna is realized through discrimination between spirit and matter, purified by pious devotional activities that cleanse the heart.Listen — Srila Prabhupada Uvaca
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.8.20 — September 30, 1974, Māyāpur 740930SB-MAYAPUR [33:56 Minutes] SB-01.08.20_740930SB-MAYAPUR Nitāi: Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. Oṁ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya. [Prabhupāda and devotees repeat] [leads chanting of verse, etc.] tathā paramahaṁsānāṁ munīnām amalātmanām bhakti-yoga-vidhānārthaṁ kathaṁ paśyema hi striyaḥ [SB 1.8.20] [break] [01:50] "You Yourself descend to propagate the transcendental science of devotional service unto the hearts of the advanced transcendentalists and mental speculators, who are purified by being able to discriminate between matter and spirit. How, then, can we women know You properly..., know You perfectly?" Prabhupāda: Tathā paramahaṁsānām [SB 1.8.20].
Kṛṣṇa is realized by qualification, and the qualifications are described here. The first qualification is paramahaṁsa. Paramahaṁsa... Parama means the best, and haṁsa means the swans.
So there are different types of swans. We have seen. Out of them, the white big swan is accepted the best of them. So this haṁsa, or this swan, has got a qualification special, that you offer them milk mixed with water, so the haṁsa, it will take the milk portion and leave aside the water portion.
Every animal has got a special qualification. Just like you'll find the lizard, a very plain wall, polished wall, but they'll go very swiftly. You have no science to do that. You cannot do it.
The vulture, it goes very high. They have got very small eyes, but they can see from miles away where is some dead body. That is their business. So everyone has got some special qualification. That is God's gift.
The... Similarly, this is also an animal. It has got the special qualification: they can discriminate what is water and what is milk. So this world is mixed up, spiritual and material things.
Just like your body, my body, this is also mixture. Anything is a mixture of spirit and matter. So one who can discern the spirit from the matter, he is called paramahaṁsa. So intelligent man...