Panchatattva & Nrsimhadeva

 

Information – Srivasa Pandita is holding an umbrella over Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

dakhine nitaicand, bame gadadhara
nikate adwaita, srinivasa chatra-dhara
(2) On Lord Caitanya’s right side is Lord Nityananda, and on His left is Sri Gadadhara. Nearby stands Sri Advaita, and Srivasa Thakura is holding an umbrella over Lord Caitanya’s head.
(Jaya Jaya Goracander Arotik)

The Kazi said, “When I went to the Hindu’s house, broke the drum and forbade the performance of congregational chanting, in my dreams that very night I saw a greatly fearful lion, roaring very loudly, His body like a human being’s and His face like a lion’s.”
(CC Ādi 17.178-179)

As he read the thousand names of the Lord, in due course the holy name of Lord Nṛsiṁha appeared. When Caitanya Mahāprabhu heard the holy name of Lord Nṛsiṁha, He became fully absorbed in thought.
PURPORT
The Caitanya-maṅgala, Madhya-khaṇḍa, describes this incident as follows: Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita was performing the śrāddha ceremony for his father, and as is customary, he was hearing the thousand names of Lord Viṣṇu. At that time Gaurahari (Lord Caitanya) appeared on the scene, and He also began to hear the thousand names of Viṣṇu with full satisfaction. When He thus heard the holy name of Lord Nṛsiṁha, Lord Caitanya became absorbed in thought, and He became angry like Nṛsiṁha Prabhu in His angry mood. His eyes became red, His bodily hairs stood on end, all the parts of His body trembled, and He made a thundering sound. All of a sudden He took up a club, and people became greatly afraid, thinking, “We do not know what kind of offense we have now committed!” But then Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu adjusted His thoughts and sat down on His seat.
(CC Adi 17.91)

 

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared here at Māyāpur, this very place where you are now sitting, with all these five features: Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrī Advaita Prabhu and Gadādhara Prabhu, Śrīnivāsa Prabhu. So He Himself, Kṛṣṇa, and Nityānanda Prabhu is immediate expansion of His personal self—Advaita Prabhu is incarnation of Kṛṣṇa, or Viṣṇu, Mahāviṣṇu, three; and Gadādhara Prabhu is the expansion of spiritual energy; and Śrīnivāsa Prabhu is the expansion of His marginal potency, marginal energy, jīva-tattva. Jīva-tattva, śakti-tattva, prakāśa-tattva, and avatāra-tattva, and He Himself. This pañca-tattva.
(740303 - Lecture CC Adi 07.03 - Mayapur)

Just like Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, His personal expansion is Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu. And Śrīvāsādi, they are separated expansion.
Although they are associates, but Śrīvāsa, jīva-tattva; and Nityānanda Prabhu and Advaita Prabhu, viṣṇu-tattva. And Gadādhara is śakti-tattva. So in this way, God is person, and His personal expansions are innumerable, unlimited. The viṣṇu-tattva, They are worshipable. And other tattva, śakti-tattva and jīva-tattva, they are meant for service. But all together taken, that is one. That is Absolute Truth.
(721002 - Lecture SB 01.03.27 - Los Angeles)

pañca-tattvātmakaṁ kṛṣṇaṁ
bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam
bhaktāvatāraṁ bhaktākhyaṁ
namāmi bhakta-śaktikam
(CC Adi 1.14)
So Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Mahāprabhu has five features. Kṛṣṇa has five features. Kṛṣṇa means these five features. What are those? Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa’s manifestation, Kṛṣṇa’s incarnation, Kṛṣṇa’s different potencies, in this way. And Kṛṣṇa, the source of devotional service, He is Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, bhakta-śaktikam. To advance in devotional service requires spiritual strength. It is not so easy thing. That spiritual strength is also Kṛṣṇa, bhakta-śaktikam. There is nothing except Kṛṣṇa. Ekaṁ brahmā dvitīya-nāsti. So we have to understand Him especially in these five features for advancing in devotional service. Therefore His name is pañca-tattvātmakam, with five features, kṛṣṇam, bhakta-rūpa-svarūpakam. Kṛṣṇa is so kind upon us that He is coming as He is, Kṛṣṇa’s original, and trying to convince us about the necessity of our life, or the goal of our life. Prayojana. Prayojana: it is necessary. It is not optional—compulsory. If you don’t take to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then you will continue to suffer; therefore it is necessity. It is not that if you like, you can take it; if you don’t like, you reject it. If you reject it, then you will suffer. And if you take it, then actually you will enjoy life.
(750407 – Lecture CC Adi 01.14 – Mayapur)

The best thing is . . . because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in His five different features, therefore the ācāryas, they worship all of them at a time. That is our prayer:
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
This is the varieties, transcendental varieties, different taste. Nityānanda Prabhu is guru-tattva, and Caitanya Mahāprabhu is sevya-tattva. The guru is teaching; Nityānanda Prabhu is teaching how to worship Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
bhaja gaurāṅga kaha gaurāṅga laha gaurāṅgera nāme
ye jana gaurāṅga bhaje sei amāra prāṇa re
This is Nityānanda Prabhu's business. Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura says that gaurāṅgera balite habe, pulaka śarīre, hari hari balite, nayane ba'be nīra. Gaurāṅga.
So to become immediately in ecstasy of transcendental love, if we chant this śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda, it is easier. There is no offense in chanting this pañca-tattva, but there is offense if you do not properly chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra. There are ten kinds of offenses, you know. But in chanting śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda, there is no aparādha. You chant in any way, you'll get the result. This is the difference, taste. This is variety. Although there is no difference by chanting śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda and Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, mahā-mantra, but still, by chanting this pañca-tattva, you'll get immediately, quickly, result. Therefore our process is to chant the holy names of the Pañca-tattva and then we chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. That is perfect.
(740307 - Lecture CC Adi 07.05 - Mayapur)

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