Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu

Lord Caitanya is Lord Krishna in the aspect of His own devotee. He appeared in Navadvipa, West Bengal, and inaugurated the congregational chanting of the holy names of the Lord to teach pure love of God by means of sankirtana. Lord Caitanya is understood by Gaudiya Vaisnavas to be Lord Krishna Himself; The Golden Avatara of the Supreme Personality of Godhead who descended into the material world 500 years ago at Sridhama Mayapur. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu inaugurated the yuga-dharma of sankirtan. Together with His associates Nityananda, Advaita, Gadadhara and Srivasa, Lord Caitanya is worshiped by the Gauòiya Vaisnavas as the Panca-tattva (five-fold Absolute Truth). Within the Panca-tattva, Mahaprabhu is the isha-tattva, the Supreme Lord. Nityananda is the prakasa-tattva, the feature of isvara who controls the kriya-sakti, out of which the kala and karma potencies expand. Advaita is the avatara-tattva, the incarnation. Gadadhara is sakti-tattva, a feature of the original, spiritual prakrti. Srivasa is jiva-tattva.