Pancha-Tattva - Lord Chaitanya in Five Features
Hare Krishna
Pancha-Tattva - Lord Chaitanya in Five Features
pancha-tattva mantra
(jaya) sri-krishna-caitanya prabhu nityananda
sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda
Sri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is always accompanied by His plenary expansion Sri
Nityananda Prabhu, His incarnation Sri Advaita Prabhu, His internal
potency Sri Gadadhara Prabhu and His marginal potency Srivasa Prabhu. He
is in the midst of them as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. One
should know that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is always accompanied by these
other tattvas. Therefore our obeisances to Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu are
complete when we say sri-krishna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita
gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda.
Sri Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu is known as maha-vadanyavatara, the most magnanimous
incarnation, for He does not consider the offenses of the fallen souls.
Thus to derive the full benefit of the chanting of the maha-mantra (Hare
Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare
Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare), we must first take shelter of Sri Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu, learn the Panca-tattva maha-mantra, and then chant the Hare
Krishna maha-mantra. That will be very effective. (Sri Caitanya-caritamrita Adi-lila 7.4)
The supreme energetic, the Personality of Godhead, manifesting in order to enjoy five kinds of pastimes, appears as the members of the Panca-tattva. Actually there is no difference between them because they are situated on the absolute platform, but they manifest different spiritual varieties as a challenge to the impersonalists to taste different kinds of spiritual humors (rasas). In the Vedas it is said, parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate: [Cc. Madhya 13.65, purport] "The varieties of energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are differently known." From this statement of the Vedas one can understand that there are eternal varieties of humors, or tastes, in the spiritual world. Sri Gauranga, Sri Nityananda, Sri Advaita, Sri Gadadhara and Srivasa Thakura are all on the same platform, but in spiritually distinguishing between them one should understand that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the form of a devotee, Nityananda Prabhu appears in the form of a devotee's spiritual master, Advaita Prabhu is the form of a bhakta (devotee) incarnation, Gadadhara Prabhu is the energy of a bhakta, and Srivasa Thakura is a pure devotee. Thus there are spiritual distinctions between them. The bhakta-rupa (Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu), the bhakta-svarupa (Sri Nityananda Prabhu) and the bhakta-avatara (Sri Advaita Prabhu) are described as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, His immediate manifestation and His plenary expansion, and They all belong to the Visnu category. Although the spiritual and marginal energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are nondifferent from the Supreme Personality of Godhead Vishnu, they are predominated subjects, whereas Lord Vishnu is the predominator. As such, although they are on the same platform, they have appeared differently in order to facilitate tasting of transcendental mellows. Actually, however, there is no possibility of one being different from the other, for the worshiper and the worshipable cannot be separated at any stage. On the absolute platform, one cannot be understood without the other. (Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi-lila 7.6)
"The loving affairs of Sri Radha and Krishna are transcendental manifestations of the Lord’s internal pleasure-giving potency. Although Radha and Krishna are one in Their identity, They separated Themselves eternally. Now these two transcendental identities have again united, in the form of Sri Krishna Chaitanya. I bow down to Him, who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Srimati Radharani, although He is Krishna Himself."
(Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi-lila 1.5)
"Desiring to understand the glory of Radharani’s love, the wonderful qualities in Him that She alone relishes through Her love, and the happiness She feels when She realizes the sweetness of His love, the Supreme Lord Hari, richly endowed with Her emotions, appeared from the womb of Srimati Saci devi as the moon appeared from the ocean." (Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi-lila 1.6)
Sri Nityananda Prabhu - The plenary expansion of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
"May Sri Nityananda Rama be the object of my constant remembrance. Sankarsana, Shesha Naga and the Vishnus who lie on the Karana Ocean, Garbha Ocean and Ocean of Milk are His plenary portions and the portions of His plenary portions." (Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi 1.7)
"I surrender unto the lotus feet of Sri Nityananda Rama, who is known as Sankarsana in the midst of the catur-vyuha [consisting of Vasudeva, Sankarsana, Pradyumna and Aniruddha]. He possesses full opulences and resides in Vaikunthaloka, far beyond the material creation." (Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi 1.8)
"I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityananda Rama, whose partial representation called Karanadakasayi Vishnu, lying on the Karana Ocean, is the original Purusa, the master of the illusory energy, and the shelter of all the universes." (Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi 1.9)
"I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityananda Rama, a partial part of whom is Garbhodakasayi Vishnu. From the navel of Garbhodakasayi Vishnu sprouts the lotus that is the birthplace of Brahma, the engineer of the universe. The stem of that lotus is the resting place of the multitude of planets."
(Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi 1.10)
"I offer my respectful obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityananda Rama, whose secondary part is the Vishnu lying in the Ocean of Milk. That Ksirodakasayi Vishnu is the Supersoul of all living entities and the maintainer of all the universes. Sesa Naga is His further subpart" (Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi 1.11)
Devotees understand that Lord Nityananda is Balarama Himself — the first expansion of Krishna.
Vrindavan das Thakur, author of Chaitanya Bhagavat prays, "I offer my respectful obeisances unto Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda Prabhu, whose long arms extend to Their knees. They have splendid golden complexions, and They inaugurated the congregational chanting of The Holy Names of the Lord. Their eyes resemble the petals of lotus flowers. They are the maintainers of all the worlds, the best of the brahmanas, the protectors of religious principles for this age. They bring happiness to the people of the world, and are the most merciful incarnations."
Lord Nityananda is even more merciful than Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu because after Nitai was struck on the head with an earthen pot by the sinful Jagai and Madhai, He stopped Lord Chaitanya from killing the two criminals. He begged the Lord to spare their lives because after all, their mood was to make devotees by killing the demoniac tendencies within, not by slaying wrong-doers. The Lord agreed to do this if the demoniac brothers would give up their sinful activities and practice Krishna Conscious. By His request Mahaprabhu spared the brothers. By this mercy, the brothers fell at the feet of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and immediately surrendered their lives in devotion to Lord Chaitanya.
Sri Advaita acharya - The incarnation of Maha Vishnu
"Advaita means non-dual because He is non-different than the Supreme Lord.
Acharya means He is disseminating Krishna Consciousness. Advaita is
Mahavishnu, whose main function is to create the cosmic world through
the actions of Maya" (Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi 1.13)"Because He is nondifferent from Hari, the Supreme Lord, He is called Advaita, and because He propagates Krishna Consciousness, He is called Acharya. He is the Lord and the incarnation of the Lord’s devotee. Therefore I take shelter of Him"
(Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi 1.14)
Although Sri Advaita Prabhu is an incarnation of Vishnu, for the welfare of the conditioned souls He manifested Himself as a servitor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and throughout all His activities He showed Himself to be an eternal servitor. (Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi 6.28)
Advaita Acharya especially intended to teach the conditioned souls about devotional service. The word acarya means "teacher." The special function of such a teacher is to make people Krishna conscious. A bona fide teacher following in the footsteps of Advaita Acarya has no other business than to spread the principles of Krishna consciousness all over the world.(Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi 6.28)
He worshiped Krishna with tulasi leaves and water of the Ganges and called for Him in a loud voice. Thus Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu appeared on earth, accompanied by His personal associates.(Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi 6.34)
Sri Gadadhara Pandita - The internal potency of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
"In the Gaura-ganoddesa-dipika (147–53) it is stated, "The pleasure potency of Sri
Krishna formerly known as Vrindavanesvari is now personified in the
form of Sri Gadadhara Pandita in the pastimes of Lord Caitanya
Mahaprabhu." Sri Svarupa Damodara Gosvami has pointed out that in the
shape of Lakshmi, the pleasure potency of Krishna, she was formerly very
dear to the Lord as Syamasundara-vallabha. The same
Syamasundara-vallabha was present in Lord Caitanya's pastimes as
Gadadhara Pandita. Formerly, as Lalita-sakhi, she was always devoted to
Srimati Radharani. Thus Gadadhara Pandita is simultaneously an
incarnation of Srimati Radharani and Lalita-sakhi.i" (Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi 10.15 purport)"Srivasa Thakura is the incarnation of the pure devotee of the Lord. He is jiva-tattva, the leader of all pure unalloyed devotees. All glories to Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Nityananda! All glories to Advaita Prabhu, and all glories to
the devotees of Lord Caitanya, headed by Srivasa!" ( Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi 10.2)"These two captains, with Their soldiers, such as Srivasa Thakura, travel everywhere, chanting the holy name of the Lord" (Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi 3.76)
"The devotees headed by Srivasa are His smaller limbs. They are like His hands, face and eyes and His disc and other weapons." ( Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi 6.39)
"Srivasa, Haridasa, Ramadasa, Gadadhara, Murari, Mukunda, Candrasekhara and Vakreshvara are all glorious and are all learned scholars, but the sentiment of servitude to Lord Chaitanya makes them mad in ecstasy (Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi 6.51). The Lord’s marginal energy is Srivas Thakur. There are innumerable pure devotees of the Lord, headed by Srivasa Thakura, who are known as unalloyed devotees." (Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi 7.17)
Even cats and dogs in the household of Srivasa Thakura were also liberated. Cats and dogs and other animals are not expected to become devotees, but, in the association of a pure devotee, they are also delivered.
"In the Gaura-ganodesa dipika (90), Srivasa Pandita is described as an incarnation of Narada Muni, and Sri Rama Pandita, his younger brother, is said to be an incarnation of Parvata Muni, a great friend of Narada’s" (Sri Chaitanya-caritamrita Adi 10.8)