# The Pañca-tattva Mantra To derive the full benefit of chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one should first take shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by chanting the Pañca-tattva mantra: *śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda.* --- ## Chanting the Pañca-tattva Mantra First **To chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one should first take shelter of the Pañca-tattva mahā-mantra:** ![[cc/adi/8/29#purport|If one takes shelter of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda, follows Their instructions to become more tolerant than the tree and humbler than the grass, and in this way chants the holy name of the Lord, very soon he achieves the platform of transcendental loving service to the Lord, and tears appear in his eyes...one should first approach Lord Caitanya and Nityānanda, or worship Guru-Gaurāṅga, and then come to the stage of worshiping Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa]] —Cc. [[cc/adi/8/29|Ādi 8.29-31]] Purport --- **By chanting the Pañca-tattva mahā-mantra one becomes free of offenses in chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra:** ![[cc/adi/8/22|Whether he is offensive or inoffensive, anyone who even now chants śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda is immediately overwhelmed with ecstasy, and tears fill his eyes]] —Cc. [[cc/adi/8/22|Ādi 8.22]] **It is very beneficial to chant the names śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda before chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra because by chanting these two holy names one immediately becomes ecstatic, and if he then chants the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra he becomes free of offenses.** —Cc. [[cc/adi/8/24|Ādi 8.24]] Purport --- **By chanting the Pañca-tattva mahā-mantra, one is blessed with the competency to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra without offense:** ![[cc/adi/7/168#purport|When chanting the names of the Pañca-tattva, one should fully offer his obeisances: śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. By such chanting one is blessed with the competency to chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra without offense. When chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one should also chant it fully: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare]] —Cc. [[cc/adi/7/168|Ādi 7.168]] Purport --- **To derive the full benefit of chanting the mahā-mantra, one should first chant the Pañca-tattva mahā-mantra:** ![[cc/adi/7/4#purport|As preachers of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we first offer our obeisances to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by chanting this Pañca-tattva mantra; then we say, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. There are ten offenses in the chanting of the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, but these are not considered in the chanting of the Pañca-tattva mantra...Thus to derive the full benefit of the chanting of the mahā-mantra, we must first take shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, learn the Pañca-tattva mahā-mantra, and then chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. That will be very effective]] —Cc. [[cc/adi/7/4|Ādi 7.4]] Purport --- **Before chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra, one should first offer respects to the Pañca-tattva:** ![[cc/adi/8/4#purport|Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī teaches us first to offer respect to the Pañca-tattva...We must strictly follow the principle of offering our respects to the Pañca-tattva, as summarized in the mantra—śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. At the beginning of every function in preaching, especially before chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra—Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare—we must chant the Pañca-tattva's names and offer our respects to them]] —Cc. [[cc/adi/8/4|Ādi 8.4]] Purport --- **[← Back to Śrī Nāmāmṛta](wiki/compile/sri-namamrita)**