pañca-tattva—eka-vastu, nāhi kichu bheda
rasa āsvādite tabu vividha vibheda

pañcaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigpanca

all five; all five qualities; five; five different varieties of products from the cow, namely milk, yogurt, clarified butter, cow dung and cow urine; five pots; five sons; the fifth; the five; the five objects of the senses (sound, form, touch, aroma and taste).-tattvaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtattva

Absolute Truth; basic principles; conclusions; in truth; knowledge; of the Absolute Truth; of the truth; of the ultimate principles; real nature; that truth; the Absolute Truth; the fundamental principles; the principle; the truth; to the truth; truth; truths.—the five subjects; ekaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigeka

alone; another; even; exclusively; first; for one; foremost; is one; of only one; of the oneness; one; one by one; one item; one only; one pot; only; only one; or one; the only one; uniquely; with one.-vastuplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvastu

an object; as a fact; ingredients; matter; metal; object; of the Absolute Truth; substance; the facts; thing; things; truth.—they are one in five; nāhiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bignahi

am not; not.—there is not; kichuplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigkichu

some; a little; any; anything; even a little; little; some; something; somewhat; that.—anything; bhedaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbheda

difference; differences; different; different varieties; differentiated; differentiation; differentiations; distinction; division; divisions; of difference; the difference; varieties.—difference; rasaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigrasa

and mellows; and of mellows; humor; in mellows; juice; mellow; mellows; of mellow; of mellows; of the mellow; of the mellows; of the nectar; of the transcendental mellow; of transcendental mellows; such a mellow; taste; the juice; the juices; the mellow; the mellows; the mellows of love; these transcendental mellows; transcendental mellow; transcendental mellows; with humors.—mellows; āsvāditeplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigāsvādite

as soon as they tasted; to taste.—to taste; tabuplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigtabu

still; yet.—yet; vividhaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvividha

varieties; varieties of; various; various kinds; various types.—varieties; vibhedaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvibheda

difference; differences; different; distinctions; divisions; the difference; three divisions; varieties.—differences.

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.

In his Anubhāṣya commentary Śrī Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura describes the Pañca-tattva as follows: The supreme energetic, the Personality of Godhead, manifesting in five kinds of pastimes, appears as the Pañca-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 impersonalists to taste different kinds of spiritual humors (rasas). In the Vedas it is said, parāsyaśaktir vividhaiva śrūyate: “The varieties of energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are differently known.” From this statement of the Vedas one can understand that there are eternal varieties of humors, or tastes, in the spiritual world. Śrī Gaurāṅga, Śrī Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Śrī Gadādhara and Śrīvāsa are all on the same platform, but in spiritually distinguishing between them one should understand that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is the form of a devotee, Nityānanda Prabhu appears in the form of a devotee’s spiritual master, Advaita Prabhu is the form of a bhakta (devotee) incarnation, Gadādhara Prabhu is the energy of a bhakta, and Śrīvāsa is a pure devotee. Thus there are spiritual distinctions between them. The bhakta-rūpa (Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu), the bhakta-svarūpa (Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu) and the bhakta-avatāra (Śrī Advaita Prabhu) are described as the Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself, His immediate manifestation and His plenary expansion, and They all belong to the Viṣṇu category. Although the spiritual and marginal energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead are nondifferent from the Supreme Personality of Godhead Viṣṇu, they are predominated subjects, whereas Lord Viṣṇu 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.