Bhagavān means original Bhagavān is Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam (SB 1.3.28). All other Bhagavāns, They are expansion, plenary or part of the plenary expansion of Bhagavān, Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇas tu bhagavān svayam. So in the spiritual world also one has to go farther and farther until he reaches to the point of Kṛṣṇa. That is ultimate progress. It is said therefore in the Bhagavad-gītā:
- bahūnāṁ janmanām ante
- jñānavān māṁ prapadyate
- vāsudevaḥ sarvam iti
- sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ
- (BG 7.19)
After many, many births understanding the Brahman . . . Brahman understanding is certainly transcendental, but because Brahman is only partial realization of the Absolute Truth, only the eternity . . . the Absolute Truth is eternal, blissful, knowledgeable, cognizant. So Brahman realization means realization of the eternity portion. Paramātmā realization is knowledgeable. Paramātmā knows everything. Paramātmā is present in everyone's heart, and He knows everyone's activities. But actual realization, complete realization, means ānanda, sac-cid-ānanda.
That ānanda-realization is in Kṛṣṇa-realization. Ānandamayo 'bhyāsāt (Vedānta-sūtra 1.1.12). Kṛṣṇa is by nature jolly, always full of bliss. You have seen the picture of Kṛṣṇa. He's always, tri-bhaṅga-murāri, with two hands, with, playing on flute, surrounded by the gopīs, enjoying. That is blissfulness.