Topic: I’ve heard that even after chanting harinama for millions of years offensively, one will not obtain pure love for Krishna. But by chanting the holy names of lord Gauranga and lord Nityananda (other than pancha tattva mantra), one can chant Maha Mantra without offenses. So, does it mean that we have to chant “Nityananda Gauranga” before proceeding with mahamantra?
Answer: Please refer to Digest 116 .
Also, Srila Prabhupada in purport to Cc Adi 7.4 states as below:
“In the age of Kali, people endowed with sufficient intelligence will worship the Lord, who is accompanied by his associates, by performing saṅkīrtana-yajna.” Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is constantly accompanied by His full expansion Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, His incarnation Śrī Advaita Prabhu, His internal energy Śrī Gadādhara Prabhu and His marginal energy Śrīvāsa Prabhu. In their midst stands He as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. It should be known that Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is always accompanied by these other tattvas. Therefore, our obeisances to Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu are complete when we say śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadadhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. As preachers of the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement, we first pay obeisances to Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu by reciting this Panca-tattva mantra, and after it we say Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. There are ten offenses against chanting the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. However, these are not taken into account when chanting the Panca-tattva mantra: śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadadhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is known as the mahā-vadānyāvatāra, or most merciful incarnation, because he does not consider the misdeeds of fallen souls. Therefore, to obtain from the chanting of the mahā-mantra (Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare) complete benefit, we must first take shelter of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, learn the Panca-tattva mahā-mantra, and only then chant the Hare Kṛṣṇa mahā-mantra. This will be very effective.
Many unscrupulous devotees abuse Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and invent their own mahā-mantras. Sometimes they say bhaja nitāi gaura rādhe śyāma hare kṛṣṇa hare rāma or śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda hare kṛṣṇa hare rāma śrī-rādhe-govinda. But we should properly say the names of all the members of the Panca-tattva (śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadadhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda) and then the sixteen words Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare. However, these less intelligent and reckless people create confusion in the whole process. Of course, they are also devotees and therefore they can express their feelings in this way, but the correct way, as prescribed by the pure devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, is to first recite the entire Panca-tattva mantra and then the mahā-mantra: Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare / Hare Rāma, Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare Hare.”
