The Superexcellent Power of Kṛṣṇa
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ledge means to know one's own self and to know the Supreme Self. The Supreme Self and the individual self, although one in quality, are different in quantity. This analytical understanding of knowledge is perfect. Simply to understand, "I am not matter; I am spirit," is not perfect knowledge. The real religious principle is devotional service, or  bhakti . This is confirmed in the  Bhagavad-gītā . Lord Kṛṣṇa says, "Give up all other religious principles and simply surrender unto Me." Therefore, the term  dharma  applies only to the  vaiṣṇava-dharma  or  bhagavad-dharma , following which all other good qualities and advancements in life are automatically achieved.
The highest perfectional knowledge is to know the Supreme Lord. He cannot be understood by any process of religion other than devotional service; therefore, the immediate result of perfect knowledge is achieved by executing devotional service. After attainment of knowledge, one becomes disinterested in the material world. This is not because of dry philosophical speculation. The devotees become disinterested in the material world, not simply because of theoretical understanding, but practical experience. When a devotee realizes the effect of association with the Supreme Lord, he naturally hates the association of so-called society, friendship and love. This detachment is not dry, but is due to achieving a higher status of life by relishing transcendental mellows. It is further stated in the  Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam  that after attainment of such knowledge and detachment from material sense gratification, one's advancement in the eight opulences attained by mystic  yoga  practice, namely the  aṇimā ,  laghimā  and  prāpti siddhis , etc., are also achieved without separate effort. The perfect example is Mahārāja Ambarīṣa. He was not a mystic  yogī  but was a great devotee, yet in a disagreement with Mahārāja Ambarīṣa, the great mystic Durvāsā was defeated in the presence of his devotional attitude. In other words, a devotee does not need to practice the mystic  yoga  system to achieve power. The power is behind him by the grace of the Lord, just as when a small child is surrendered to a powerful father, all the powers of the father are behind him.
When a person becomes famous as a devotee of the Lord, his reputation is never to be extinguished. Lord Caitanya, when discoursing with Rāmānanda Rāya, questioned, "What is the greatest fame?" Rāmānanda Rāya replied that to be known as a pure devotee of Lord Kṛṣṇa is the perfect fame. The conclusion, therefore, is that  Viṣṇu-dharma , or the religion of devotional service unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is meant for persons who are thoughtful. By proper utilization of thoughtfulness, one comes to the stage of thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. By thinking of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one