Prepare the heart for pure devotion

The Panca-Tattva Maha Mantra

**The Sankirtana of Lord Caitanya and His Associates** by Bhaktivedanta Book Trust (BBT) art department

Jaya Sri-Krishna-Chaitanya Prabhu Nityananda, Sri-Advaita Gadadhara Srivasadi-Gaura-Bhakta-Vrinda

The Pancha Tattva Maha Mantra mantra honors five divine aspects of the Supreme Lord and His expansions, who appeared in West Bengal, India, in the 15th century to spread the congregational chanting (sankirtana) of the Hare Krishna mantra, a practice heavily emphasized by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

It prepares the heart to experience pure devotion.

Devotees traditionally recite the Pancha Tattva Mantra prior to chanting the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra (Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare).

The Meaning of Panca-Tattva

Panca means five and tattva means elements.

Jaya Sri-Krishna-Chaitanya Prabhu Nityananda,
Sri-Advaita Gadadhara Srivasadi-Gaura-Bhakta-Vrinda

“I offer my respectful obeisances unto Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Nityananda, Sri Advaita, Gadadhara Pandit, Srivas Thakur, and all the devotees of Lord Caitanya.”

Lord Caitanya in Five Features

Śrī Caitanya-caritāmṛta » Ādi-līlā: CHAPTER SEVEN, Lord Caitanya in Five Features, verse 6 (https://vedabase.io/en/library/cc/adi/7/) describes that Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa has manifested Himself in five as a devotee, expansion of a devotee, incarnation of a devotee, pure devotee and devotional energy.

https://back2godhead.com/issues/btg-179-august-1982/

In both images, from left to right are Sri Advaita, Sri Nityananda, Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Gadadhara, Sri Srivasa

Sri Advaita Acharya

White – An elderly, highly respected scholar who prayed for the Lord to descend and save humanity.
The incarnation as a devotee
A combined incarnation of Maha-Vishnu and Lord Shiva

Sri Nityananda Prabhu

Blue – He traveled widely as an ascetic
The primary expansion and spiritual master
Lord Balarama, the elder brother of Krishna

Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Golden – He revolutionized Indian spirituality by launching the Sankirtan movement
The Supreme Lord appearing in the form of a devotee
Lord Krishna Himself in the mood of His greatest devotee, Srimati Radharani

Sri Gadadhara Pandit

Red – A childhood friend of Caitanya Mahaprabhu
The internal devotional energy (śakti-tattva)
Srimati Radharani, the divine eternal consort of Krishna

Sri Srivasa Thakura

Saffron – Known as a peaceful, unalloyed devotee.
The ideal pure devotee (jīva-tattva), His marginal energy
The celestial sage Narada Muni

“These five tattvas incarnate with Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and thus the Lord executes His sankirtana movement with great pleasure.” (C.C.Adi 7.6)

“Śrī Pañca-tattva themselves danced again and again and thus made it easier to drink nectarean love of Godhead. They danced, cried, laughed and chanted like madmen, and in this way they distributed love of Godhead.” (C.C.Adi 7.22)

“Simply by chanting the holy name of Kṛṣṇa one can obtain freedom from material existence. Indeed, simply by chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra one will be able to see the lotus feet of the Lord.” (C.C.Adi 7.73)

Sril Prabhupada’s Mission

On September 1965, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada arrived in New York City, he was 69 years old, practically penniless with no followers.

His spiritual master had given him the mission to introduce to the English-speaking world the practice of Sankirtana (the congregational chanting of the holy names of God) pioneered by the Pancha Tattva centuries earlier.