Sri Pancatattva & Sri Jagannathdev
For the pleasure of intelligent people. I will first present what Lord Siva described long ago to Parvati in the Ananta-samhitā.
Śrī Pārvati said. “Who is Kṛṣṇa Caitanya? What are His auspicious characteristics? What is the Ananta-samhita? How and by whom was it revealed? I have heard you chant various names of Vişņu, but never the two names ‘Gauranga’ and ‘Krṣṇa Caitanya.’ O lord of my life, please tell me why you are loudly chanting these all-auspicious names. Also, please narrate that Samhita which contains Lord Caitanya’s glorification.”
Sri Mahadeva said. “O Parvati, daughter of Himalaya, you are very fortunate. Lord Visnu glorifies you as being equal to Sri Radha. You have surrendered both body and mind to Sri Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, my beloved, you have the proper qualification for hearing about Sri Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, for only those who have devotion to Radha and Kṛṣṇa are qualified to hear about Śrī Caitanya. Nondevotees are not qualified.
“O beloved, Krsna Caitanya is the first amongst the gods, the Lord of all worlds from whom everything comes. He is the Paramātmā, and everything merges in Him at the time of universal destruction. The knowers of the Vedas call Him Brahman, while some call Him the original learned person. Some persons call Him the sole Lord of the universe, and others see Him as the Supreme Person.
“Some call Him the fruit of work, and others know Him as the grandfather. Someone else knows Him as the Lord of sacrifice, and others as the omniscient Lord. O Mahesvari, the Supreme Person, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself, who is the life of Sri Radharani and Lord of the universe, appeared at the time of creation as Gaura. O gentle-faced Parvati, because He appeared at that time as pure consciousness, caitanya, the wise call Him Kṛṣṇa Caitanya. The syllable ‘krşi means ‘support’ and ‘na’ means ‘universe.’ The wise understand that Krsna is the person who supports the universe.
(Sri Navadvipa-Dhama-Mahatmya, Pramana-Khanda, Chapter 2)
Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared in the land of Bhārata-varṣa, specifically in Bengal, in the district of Nadia, where Navadvīpa is situated. It is therefore to be concluded, as stated by Śrīla Bhaktivinoda Ṭhākura, that within this universe, this earth is the best planet, and on this planet the land of Bhārata-varṣa is the best; in the land of Bhāratavarṣa, Bengal is still better, in Bengal the district of Nadia is still better, and in Nadia the best place is Navadvīpa because Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared there to inaugurate the performance of the sacrifice of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. The śāstras recommend:
kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ
sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam
yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair
yajanti hi sumedhasaḥ
(SB 11.5.32)
Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is always accompanied by His very confidential associates such as Śrī Nityānanda, Śrī Gadādhara and Śrī Advaita and by many devotees like Śrīvāsa. They are always engaged in chanting the name of the Lord and are always describing Lord Kṛṣṇa. Therefore this is the best among all the places in the universe. The Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement has established its center in Māyāpur, the birthsite of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, to give men the great opportunity to go there and perform a constant festival of saṅkīrtana-yajña, as recommended herein (yajñeśa-makhā mahotsavāḥ) and to distribute prasāda to millions of hungry people hankering for spiritual emancipation. This is the mission of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement.
(SB 5.19.24 purport)
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)