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The Hare Krishna mantra, also referred to as Maha Mantra ("Great Mantra") is a sixteen word Vaishnava mantra, popularized by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
The words "Hare Krishna" are part of a mantra comprising Sanskrit names of God (Vishnu) in the vocative case of Hari ("golden one"), Krishna and Rama (both translating to "dark coloured one"), two avatars of Vishnu. According to Prabhupada, Krishna and Rama refer to God himself, while Hari refers to "the energy of God". The words of the Maha Mantra or "Great Mantra" are (to the right, in IAST):
| Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna | hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa |
| Krishna Krishna Hare Hare | kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare |
| Hare Rama Hare Rama | hare rāma hare rāma |
| Rama Rama Hare Hare | rāma rāma hare hare |
History
The mantra is first attested in the kalisaṇṭāraṇopaniṣad (Kali Santarana Upanishad), a Viashnava Upanishad associated with the Black Yajurveda, where the two halves of the mantra appear in inverse order, viz. hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare / hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare. (Of course, if repetitions of the mantras are run together, the outcome will be identical.) It was popularized by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu roughly around 1500 CE. The reason given for Caitanya inversion of the mantra is that he wanted to spread it to all the fallen souls of the current Kali Yuga, regardless of qualification. Since there were injunctions that the Vedic mantras (including those in Upanishads) are not to be chanted publicly or by members of the lower castes, Caitanya reversed the two halves so as not to offend the orthodox Brahmins. It is said to be equally potent either way and this way it could be freely distributed and chanted in public.
Following Caitanya, the mantra is referenced throughout Gaudiya Vaishnavism literature, for example in the Gaudiya Kanthahara by Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura (17:30-40). It has become increasingly popular since the 1960s through the International Society for Krishna Consciousness founded by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, under the order of Bhaktisiddhanta, his guru, to bring the teachings from India and to single-handedly spread them around the world.
Chanting the Maha Mantra
Srila Prabhupada describes the process of chanting the Maha Mantra as follows:
- "Krishna consciousness is not an artificial imposition on the mind; this consciousness is the original energy of the living entity. When we hear the transcendental vibration, this consciousness is revived ...... This chanting of 'Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare' is directly enacted from the spiritual platform, and thus this sound vibration surpasses all lower strata of consciousness - namely sensual, mental, and intellectual ...... As such anyone can take part in the chanting without any previous qualification."
The mantra is repeated, either out-loud (kirtan), softly to oneself (japa), or internally within the mind.
Modern day
"Hare Krishna" brings to mind, to many, the famous Hare Krishna devotees, who first hit the streets of Western cities in the 1960s and 1970s, dancing and chanting with drums and cymbals, wearing saffron dhotis or saris, and selling books. These devotees were members of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) founded by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. ISKCON was the first organised Vaishnava group to make a large impression outside of India, now a number of such Vaishnava groups are actively preaching within the Western world such as surviving offshoots of the Gaudiya Math and The Sri Krishna Chaitanya Mission.
From a scholarly perspective Hare Krishna devotees are classified as practitioners of Bhakti Yoga. They are also referred to as Gaudiya Vaishnavas, because they follow a line of gurus descending from Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who appeared in Bengal (Gauda is an old name of Bengal). Vaishnavism comes under the general banner of being a Hindu religion.
Most serious 'Hare Krishna' practitioners live according to very strict rules. For example it is expected that initiates take vows to abstain from all forms of drugs & intoxication (including caffeine); avoid eating any meat, fish or eggs; not to engage in gambling; and also not to indulge in any sexual relations except for purposes of procreation within marriage. For non-initiates it is left to the individuals personal discretion as to how many of these rules they are sensibly able to follow, but these four 'Regulative Principles' remain as the agreed standard to aim towards.
Scriptural references
The practice of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra is recomended throughout the Vedic literature, for example:
- "Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare: Whoever chants this mantra, even neglectfully, will attain the supreme goal of life. Of this there is no doubt."—Agni Purama
- "When the sixteen names and thirty-two syllables of the Hare Krishna mantra are loudly vibrated, Krishna dances on one's tongue"—Stava-mala-vidybhusana-bhasya; Baladeva Vidyabusanain Bhaktisiddhanta's Gaudiya Kanthahara 17:30
- "This sixteen-name, thirty-two syllable mantra is the Maha-mantra in the age of Kali by which all living beings can be delivered. One should never abandon chanting this mahamantra."—Ananta-samhita
- "About this divinely spiritual Maha-mantra, which delivers one from material existence, the original guru, Lord Brahma, has said 'The srutis have declared this mantra to be the best means of deliverance in the age of Kali'. Having all heard this from Brahma, the sons and disciples of Brahma, beginning with Narada, all accepted the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra and, having meditated on it, attained perfection."—Ananta-samhita
- Ananta-samhita is a Pancharatra agama, part of the pancaratra corpus known collectively among Gaudiya Vaisnavas as the Narada Pancaratra.
- "All the grievous sins of one who worships Lord Sri Hari, the Lord of all lords, and chants the holy name, the Maha-mantra, are removed."—Padma Purana; Svarga Khanda 50.6
Hippie culture
In the 1970s, Hare Krishnas became understandably confused with the hippie subculture. The 1971 Hindi film "HARE RAMA, HARE KRISHNA", written and directed by Dev Anand, was shot with many real-life hippie extras. To this very day, as a result of this movie classic, young Western travelers are greeted with mocking renditions of the film’s hit title song, “Hare Krishna, Hare Ram” but which is more generally known by its opening line, “Dum maro dum, ...... Take another toke!”
Notes
- "The word Hara is a form of addressing the energy of the Lord, and the words Krishna and Rama (which mean "the highest pleasure eternal") are forms of addressing the Lord Himself." - A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. See Krishna.com article.
- See Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance for more information regarding ISKCON teachings about the Maha Mantra.
- See also the full text of the Kali Santarana Upanishad, including the Maha Mantra.
- For the original text, see this Krishna.com article.
See also
External links
- Srila Bhakti Vaibhav Puri Maharaj website
- Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhar Maharaj website
- World Vaishnava Association
- Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti
- Bhaktivedanta Memorial Library (lectures & essay database by various Gaudiya Vaishnava Theologians)
- ISKCON
- krishna.com All About Krishna
- Hear the Hare Krishna Mantra
- ISKCON website
- ISKCON youth
- VEDA - Vedic Knowledge Online
