The Pancha-tattva is a very important factor in understanding Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Compiled by Hasti Gopala Dasa

Chaitanya Charitamrita. Adi-lila Chapter 7 First Edition.

 

By His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

 

TEXT 168

 

I thus explain the truth of the Pancha-tattva. One who hears this explanation increases in knowledge of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

PURPORT

 

The Pancha-tattva is a very important factor in understanding Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. There are sahajiyas who, not knowing the importance of the Pancha-tattva, concoct their own slogans, such as bhaja nitai gaura, radhe syama, japa hare krsna hare rama or sri- krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda hare krsna hare rama sri-radhe govinda. Such chants may be good poetry, but they cannot help us to go forward in devotional service. In such chants there are also many discrepancies, which need not be discussed here. 

 

Strictly speaking, when chanting the names of the Pancha-tattva, one should fully offer his obeisances: sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu-nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda. By such chanting one is blessed with the competency to chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra without offense. When chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, one should also chant it fully: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. One should not foolishly adopt any of the slogans concocted by imaginative devotees. If one actually wants to derive the effects of chanting, one must strictly follow the great acharyas. This is confirmed in the Mahabharata: maha-jano yena gatah sa panthah. “The real path of progress is that which is traversed by great acharyas and authorities.”

 

TEXT 169  TRANSLATION

 

While chanting the Pancha-tattva maha-mantra, one must chant the names of Sri Chaitanya, Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara and Srivasa with their many devotees. This is the process.

 

TEXT 170  TRANSLATION

 

I again and again offer obeisances unto the Pancha-tattva. Thus I think that I will be able to describe something about the pastimes of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

TEXT 171  TRANSLATION

 

Praying at the lotus feet of Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha, always desiring their mercy, I, Krishnadasa, narrate Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, following in their footsteps.

 

PURPORT

 

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu wanted to preach the sankirtana movement of love of Krishna throughout the entire world, and therefore during His presence He inspired the sankirtana movement. Specifically, He sent Rupa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami to Vrindavana and Nityananda to Bengal and personally went to South India. In this way He kindly left the task of preaching His cult in the rest of the world to the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The members of this Society must always remember that if they stick to the regulative principles and preach sincerely according to the instructions of the acharyas, surely they will have the profound blessings of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and their preaching work will be successful everywhere throughout the world.

 

Thus ends the Bhaktivedanta purports to Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, Adi-lila, Seventh Chapter, describing Lord Chaitanya in five features.