In Vaishnavism, the Pancha Tattva are five expansions of Krsna the Supreme Personality of Godhead (four are Viṣṇu-tattva and one is jiva-tattva). These expansions of Krsna together appeared on Earth in the late 15th century.
The five are-
1 - Lord Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the combination of Sri Radharani and Krsna in the one spiritual bodily Form, playing the role of Krsna's devotee.
2 - Lord Nityananda is Krsna's older brother Balarama which is the first expansion of Krsna from whom all Visnu tattva expansion expand from.
3 - Sri Advaita Acharya is Maha-Visnu - Visnu-tattva who is non dfferent than Krsna.
4 - Sri Gadadhara Pandit is Srimati Radharani who is the incarnation of devotional energy and Krsna's internal potency or energy.
5 - Sri Srivasa (who is also Naradha Muni) represents the "marginal living entities" Krsna's separated energy known as jiva-tattva (individual jiva-souls) who are NOT God but have godly qualities like Lord Brahma and many other great pure devotees of Kṛṣṇa.
The Panca-tattva prayer where all five are mentioned-
(jaya) sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi gaura bhakta vrnda
Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Lord Krsna enjoys by manifesting Himself as the Spiritual Masters, the devotees, the diverse energies, the incarnations and the plenary portions in the form of the Panca-Tattva.
The Panca-Tattva are all five in one. I, therefore, worship the lotus feet of these five diversities of the one truth, the Panca-Tattva, by invoking their benedictions.
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the spiritual masters, the devotees of the Lord, the Lord’s incarnations, His plenary portions, His energies and the primeval Lord Himself, Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu. (Sri Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami)
1 - Sri Krsna Caitanya,
2 - Prabhu Nityananda,
3 - Sri Advaita,
4 - Gadadhara,
5 - Srivasa.
Sri Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami in the Caitanya Caritamrita describes them as follows-
Caitanya Caritāmṛta - "Spiritually, there are no differences between these five tattvas, for on the transcendental platform everything is absolute. Yet, there are also varieties in the spiritual world, and in order to taste these spiritual varieties, one should distinguish between them." (C.C.Adi 7.5)
Caitanya Caritāmṛta - "Let me offer my obeisances unto Lord Sri Krsna, who has manifested Himself in five as a devotee (Lord Caitanya), expansion of a devotee (Lord Nityananda), incarnation of a devotee (Advaita Acarya), pure devotee (Srivasa), and devotional energy (Gadadhara)."(C.C.Adi 7.6)
1 - Lord Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu
Caitanya Caritāmṛta - "The loving affairs of Sri Radha and Krsna are transcendental manifestations of the Lord’s internal pleasure giving potency. Although Radha and Krsna are one in Their identity, They separated Themselves eternally. Now, these two transcendental identities have again united, in the form of Sri Krsna Caitanya. I bow down to Him, who has manifested Himself with the sentiment and complexion of Srimati Radharani, although He is Krsna Himself." (C.C.Adi 1.5)
Caitanya Caritāmṛta - "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." (C.C.Adi 1.6)
Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the source of energy for all His devotees. He is maha-vadanyavatara, the most magnanimous incarnation of the Lord, for He does not consider the offenses of the fallen souls. In order to take full benefit of the Hare Krsna Mahamantra, we must first take shelter of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
2 - Sri Nityananda Prabhu
Caitanya Caritāmṛta - "May Sri Nityananda Rama be the object of my constant remembrance. Sankarsana, Sesa Naga and the Visnus who lie on the Karana Ocean, Garbha Ocean and Ocean of Milk are His plenary portions and the portions of His plenary portions." (C.C.Adi 1.7)
Caitanya Caritāmṛta - "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." (C.C.Adi 1.8)
Caitanya Caritāmṛta - "I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityananda Rama, whose partial representation called Karanadakasayi Visnu, lying on the Karana Ocean, is the original Purusa, the master of the illusory energy, and the shelter of all the universes." (C.C.Adi 1.9)
Caitanya Caritāmṛta - "I offer my full obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityananda Rama, a partial part of whom is Garbhodakasayi Visnu. From the navel of Garbhodakasayi Visnu 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."
Caitanya Caritāmṛta - "I offer my respectful obeisances unto the feet of Sri Nityananda Rama, whose secondary part is the Visnu lying in the Ocean of Milk. That Ksirodakasayi Visnu is the Supersoul of all living entities and the maintainer of all the universes. Sesa Naga is His further sub-part." (C.C.Adi 1.11)
Devotees understand that Lord Nityananda is Balarama Himself, the first expansion of Krsna.
Vrindavan das Thakur, author of Caitanya Bhagavat prays-
"I offer my respectful obeisances unto Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda Prabhupada's, 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 Caitanya Mahaprabhu because after Nitai was struck on the head with an earthen pot by the sinful Jagai and Madhai, He stopped Lord Caitanya 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 change their bad habits into Krsna Conscious ones. By His request, Mahaprabhu spared the brothers. By this mercy, the brothers fell at the feet of Caitanya Mahaprabhu and immediately surrendered their lives in devotion to Lord Caitanya."
3 - Sri Advaita Acharya
Advaita means non-dual because He is non-different from the Supreme Lord. Acharya means He is disseminating Krsna Consciousness.
Advaita Acharya is Maha-Visnu, whose main function is to create the cosmic material world through the actions of Maya-
Caitanya Caritāmṛta - "Because He is nondifferent from Hari, the Supreme Lord, He is called Advaita, and because He propagates Krsna Consciousness, He is called Acharya. He is the Lord and the incarnation of the Lord’s devotee. Therefore I take shelter of Him." (C.C.Adi 1.13)
Advaita Acharya is in the Visnu-tattva with Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Sri Nityananda Prabhu. These are the three masters, but Nityananda and Advaita are servants of Mahaprabhu. It was Advaita Gosai who prayed to the Lord by offering water and Tulasi leaves to His Salagram Sila Krsna Deity by loudly roaring his request for the Lord to appear.
4 - Sri Gadadhara Pandit.
Srila Prabhupada - "The pleasure potency of Śrī Kṛṣṇa formerly known as Vṛndāvaneśvarī is now personified in the form of Śrī Gadādhara Paṇḍita in the pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu. Śrī Svarūpa Dāmodara Gosvāmī has pointed out that in the shape of Lakṣmī, the pleasure potency of Kṛṣṇa, she was formerly very dear to the Lord as Śyāmasundara vallabhā. The same Śyāmasundara vallabhā is now present as Gadādhara Paṇḍita. Formerly, as Lalitā-sakhī, she was always devoted to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī." (C.C.Adi 10.15 purport)
Gadadhara Goswami is a representative of a perfect brahmana spiritual master He is the Pleasure Potency of Sri Krsna (Srimati Radharani). He is a learned scholar and Gadadhara Pandit is simultaneously an incarnation of Srimati Radharani and Lalita sakhi
Gadadhara is the incarnation of devotional energy and of the internal potency who is sakti tattva, the confidential worshipper of the Visnu tattva. In this incarnation, Radharani was able to spend time with Her Lord as an intimate associate who helped spread the pastimes and glories of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
5 - Sri Srivasa Pandit Thakura.
Srivasa Thakura is the incarnation of the pure devotee of the Lord. He is jiva-tattva, the leader of all pure unalloyed devotees and is also known as Naradha Muni.
Caitanya Caritāmṛta - "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!" (C.C.Adi 10.2)
Caitanya Caritāmṛta - "These two captains, with Their soldiers, such as Srivasa Thakura, travel everywhere, chanting the holy name of the Lord." (C.C.Adi 3.75)
Caitanya Caritāmṛta - "The devotees headed by Srivasa are His smaller limbs. They are like His hands, face and eyes and His disc and other weapons." (C.C.Adi 6.38)
Caitanya Caritāmṛta - "Srivasa, Haridasa, Ramadasa, Gadadhara, Murari, Mukunda, Candrasekhara and Vakresvara are all glorious and are all learned scholars, but the sentiment of servitude to Lord Caitanya makes them mad in ecstasy." (C.C.Adi 6.49-50).
The Lord’s marginal energy (jiva-tattva or individual jiva-soul) is Srivas Thakur who is also Naradha Muni. Other jiva-souls include Lord Brahma.
Marginal means the individual jiva-souls have their own independent spiritual bodily identity separate from Krsna's control like He has as Viṣṇu-tattva. This means the individual jiva-souls can choose to live in the spiritual world's of the Vaikuntha planets and Goloka-Vrindavana (the KingdomsofGod), or can reject Krsna and attempt to live in the temporary material world, or even further try to end their existence (which is never possible) and enter the "inactive" impersonal brahmajyoti.
Caitanya Caritāmṛta - "There are innumerable pure devotees of the Lord, headed by Srivasa Thakura, who are known as unalloyed devotees." (C.C.Adi 7.16)
Even cats and dogs in the household of Srivasa Thakura were 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. The entire family of Srivasa was made up of exalted spiritual personalities.
Caitanya Caritāmṛta - "In the Gaura-ganodesa dipika, 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 Naradas. Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita’s wife, Mālinī, is celebrated as an incarnation of the nurse Ambikā, who fed Lord Kṛṣṇa with her breast milk, and his niece Nārāyaṇī, the mother of Ṭhākura Vṛndāvana dāsa, the author of Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata, was the sister of Ambikā in kṛṣṇa-līlā. We also understand from the description of Śrī Caitanya-bhāgavata that after Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s acceptance of the sannyāsa order, Śrīvāsa Paṇḍita left Navadvīpa, possibly because of feelings of separation, and domiciled at Kumārahaṭṭa." (C.C.Adi 10.8)
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 Caitanya Caritāmṛta it is said-
parasya saktir vividhaiva sruyate - "The varieties of energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are differently known."
From this statement of 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. In spiritually distinguishing between them one should understand that-
1 - Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the form of a devotee, (the combination of Radha and Krsna in the mood of Radharani)
2 - Nityananda Prabhu appears in the form of a devotee’s spiritual master, (Balarama Krsna's older brother and Krsna's first Visnu-tattva expansion)
3 - Advaita Prabhu is the form of a bhakta (devotee) incarnation, (Visnu-tattva)
4 - Gadadhara Prabhu is the energy of a bhakta and the Personality of Krsna's internal energy Srimati Radharani.
5 - Srivasa Thakura is a pure devotee (jiva-tattva or individual jiva-soul) who is also Naradha Muni.
Caitanya Caritāmṛta - "The spiritual distinctions in the Pancha tattva-
1 - The bhakta-rupa (Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu),
2 - The bhakta-svarupa (Sri Nityananda Prabhu)
3 - 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 tattva category.
Although the spiritual and marginal energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are nondifferent from the Supreme Personality of Godhead Visnu, they are predominated subjects, whereas Lord Visnu 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." (C. C. Adi 7.5)
The Pancha-tattva mantra-
(jaya) sri-krsna-caitanya prabhu nityananda sri-advaita gadadhara srivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrnda.
Devotees of the Hare Krsna Movement (ISKCON) first offer obeisances to Lord Caitanya by chanting this Pancha-tattva mantra; then chant the Hare Krsna maha-mantra-
Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.
There are ten offenses to avoid while chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, but these are not considered in the chanting of the Pancha-tattva mantra.
ISKCON devotees follow the four regulative principles-
1 - No meat eating including no eggs or fish
2 - No gambling
3 - No intoxication including tea and coffee
4 - No illicit sex including homosexuality
And the devotees must chant at least 16 rounds of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra daily and abide by the ten offenses while chanting the holy names-
1 - The first is to blaspheme the great devotees who have tried to spread the glories of the holy name throughout the world. The holy name of Kṛṣṇa is nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa, and one who attempts to spread the holy names throughout the world is beloved of Him. Kṛṣṇa Himself does not tolerate offenses against His pure devotees.
2 - The second offense is to deny that Lord Viṣṇu is the Absolute Truth. There is no difference between His name, quality, form, pastimes and activities, and one who sees a difference is considered an offender. The Lord is Supreme, and no one is equal to or greater than Him. Consequently if one thinks that the Lord’s names are nondifferent from the names of demigods, he offends. The Supreme Lord and the demigods should never be considered on the same level.
3 - The third offense is to consider the bona fide spiritual master to be a common man.
4 - The fourth offense is to blaspheme Vedic literature and authorized scriptures like the Purāṇas.
5 - The fifth offense is to consider the glories attributed to the holy names to be exaggerations.
6 - The sixth offense is to concoct perverted theories about the holy name.
7 - The seventh offense is to commit sinful activities on the strength of chanting the holy name. It is understood that by chanting the holy names one is free from sinful reactions, but this does not mean that one should act sinfully on the strength of chanting. That is the greatest offense.
8 - The eighth offense is to consider that religious rituals, austerity, sacrifices or other forms of renunciation are equal to chanting the holy name. Chanting the holy name is as good as associating with the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Pious activities are only means to approach the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and they can even be performed for some material reason.
9 - The ninth offense is to preach the glories of the holy name of God to a faithless person who is not interested in hearing them.
10 - The tenth and last offense is to maintain material attachment even after hearing and chanting the holy names of God. The idea is that by chanting the holy name without offense, one can obtain elevation to the liberated platform. On the liberated platform one is freed from all material attachment. Thus if one chants the holy names and still has material attachments, he must be committing some offense." (from the Book "The Teachings of Lord Caitanya")
Lord Caitanya is known as “maha-vadanyavatara”, the most magnanimous incarnation, for He does not consider the offences of the fallen souls.
Thus to derive the full benefit of the chanting of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, we must first chant the Pancha-tattva-mantra and then chant the maha-mantra. This will help us to succeed in getting complete benefit of chanting the maha-mantra. Lord Nityananda is even more merciful than Lord Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
Also, in the rare Kali-yuga Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu appears in, there is a 10,000 year Golden Age known as the Sankirtan Movement of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, which is the congregational chanting of the Hare Krsna Maha mantra in every Town, Village and City on the planet.
In this very rare Kali-yuga, we are very fortunate to be given the great Sankirtan Movement of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and help spread the chanting of Hare Krsna all over the globe.
Over Lord Brahma's life of 311 trillion and 40 billion human years (100 of Brahma's years) Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Caitanya appear "once in every day of Brahma" which is 36,525 days - times over Brahma's life time.**.
