- vadanti tat tattva-vidas
- tattvaṁ yaj jñānam advayam
- brahmeti paramātmeti
- bhagavān iti śabdyate
- (SB 1.2.11)
That is paratattva, Absolute Truth, which is known by somebody as Brahman and somebody as Paramātmā and somebody, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The beginners, they understand... The beginners' or the neophyte realization is impersonal Brahman. Brahmeti. Further advanced... This is the achievement of the jñānī. Those who are speculating on the Absolute Truth, they can understand the Absolute Truth in the impersonal feature. And those who are still further advanced, yogis, not only speculating, but they are practicing actually, they are called yogis. Dhyānāvasthita-tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). They are yogis. Yogis, dhyānāvasthita, in meditation the mind is absorbed always. Tad-gatena manasā. Tad-gatena means viṣṇu-gatena. Oṁ tat sat. Tad-gatena manasā, by the mind, absorbed in Viṣṇu understanding. Tad-gatena manasā paśyanti yaṁ yoginaḥ (SB 12.13.1). Yasyānta na viduḥ surāsura-gaṇā devāya tasmai namaḥ, devāya tasmai namaḥ. Yaṁ brahmā-varuṇendra-rudrāḥ stuvanti divyaiḥ stavair vedaiḥ sāṅgopad-kramopaniṣadair gāyanti yaṁ sāma-gāḥ. So yogis are in the second stage of self-realization, but ultimate realization is Bhagavān. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). Bhagavān has got many expansions, Rāma, Nṛsiṁha, Varāha... First expansion is Balarāma, then Saṅkarṣaṇa, Pradyumna, Aniruddha, then Nārāyaṇa. In this way, Mahā-Viṣṇu, Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, Kṣīrodakaśāyī Viṣṇu.