Why Do People Chant Hare Krishna Mantra and you should too

Krishna and Radha Image

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare

Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare

What is the Hare Krishna mantra?

Hare Krishna mantra is a spiritual method of self-realisation. It helps you understand your relation with Krishna. We are all the offspring of god but somehow we got separated from him. Our desire of enjoying the materialistic life is the main reason of our misery.

Since worldly joys are limited and temporary, we get frustrated and unhappy. If lucky, we get in touch with a devotee and find the remedy of our sorrows.

Hare Krishna mantra is the only solution to our suffering in Kaliyuga. It is recommended in scriptures and propagated by the incarnation of Krishna, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Further, Srila Prabhupad has established ISKCON and popularized the Hare Krishna Mantra in the world.

Being a part of Krishna, we seek enjoyment. But we have forgotten our spiritual sat-chit-anand status. Thus seek enjoyment in worldly objects. Nothing in the world can make you happy or sad. It is your attachment and perception that play a role.

People in the world are suffering from common diseases of birth, death, miseries. A disabled person cannot help you cross the road. Similarly, when everyone is put in the same situation, they cannot help each other. The one and the only way to get rid of them is to seek divine intervention. You can achieve the grace of God by chanting Hare Krishna Mantra. You will feel relieved and a fountain of joy and peace will sprout within yourself.

Meaning of Hare Krishna mantra

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Mantra has three main words – Hare, Krishna, Ram
Hare is the energy of God. Sometimes it is interpreted as a vocative for Hara (Radha)
Some people interpret the word Hare for Hari

Krishna is the all-attractive personality of Godhead
The word Ram may have two meanings first the previous incarnation of Krishna (Ram, the King of Ayodhya)
Second, meaning suggests the short name of Balram, a form of Krishna himself.

However, Srila Prabhupada has suggested that we should not ponder over the meaning of the Hare Krishna mantra. We need to chant and listen to it attentively.

Reference of Hare Krishna Mantra in Scripture

Tulsidas says in Ramchritmanas "कलियुग केवल हरि गुन गाहा ।
गावत नर पावहि भव पारा ।"

Yajurveda declares chanting of hari naam is an easy of salivation

"कलिसंतरणोपनिषदमां आदिपुरुषस्य नारायणस्य नामोच्चारण मात्रेण निर्धुत कलिर्भवति"

Brahamaji has Recomended this mantra as the only mean to achieve God in Kaliyuga

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे।
हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे।।

इति षोडषकं नाम्नाम् कलि कल्मष नाशनं |
नात: परतरोपाय: सर्व वेदेषु दृश्यते ||

brhannaaradeey puraan has following lines

हरेर्नाम हरेर्नाम हरेर्नामैव केवलं|
कलौ नास्त्यैव नास्त्यैव नास्त्यैव गतिरन्यथा||

Hari name is the one and only mean for self realization and salivation

Padma Puran has following verse
नाम: चिंतामणि कृष्णश्चैतन्य रस विग्रह:|
पूर्ण शुद्धो नित्यमुक्तोSभिन्नत्वं नाम नामिनो:||

Hari Naam is a Chintamani that fullfills all your desires. Lord Krishna has himself enterned in Hari Naam. It is pure, divine and perfect. There is no difference in Krishna and His name.

Shrimad Bhagavatam has clearly decleared

Though Kaliyuga is full of evil but it has one virture. Benefits that people used to get through penance, meditation and other difficult pratices in ancient times, are easliy available by hari naam jaap in Kaliyuga.

In Ram Rakhsha Strotra "राम रामेति रामेति रमे रामे मनोरमे।
सहस्रनाम तत्तुल्यं रामनाम वरानने ॥"

Similarly Bamhand Puran Says

"सहस्त्र नाम्नां पुण्यानां, त्रिरा-वृत्त्या तु यत-फलम् ।
एकावृत्त्या तु कृष्णस्य,नामैकम तत प्रयच्छति ॥"

Bhakti Chandrika has praised the hare krishna mantra as cleasner of all evil. It further recommend the mantra for material as well as spritual gain. Any one can chant hare krishna mantra without any previous qualification.

Artharveda too recomend this mantra as the only light of hope in Kaliyuga

षोडषैतानि नामानि द्वत्रिन्षद्वर्णकानि हि |
कलौयुगे महामंत्र:सम्मतो जीव तारिणे ||

स: ऐव मूलमन्त्रं जपति हरेर इति कृष्ण इति राम इति |

Padmapuran

द्वत्रिन्षदक्षरं मन्त्रं नाम षोडषकान्वितं |
प्रजपन् वैष्णवो नित्यं राधाकृष्ण स्थलं लभेत् ||

"जपतो हरिनामानिस्थानेशतगुणाधिक:। आत्मानञ्चपुनात्युच्चैर्जपन्श्रोतृन्पुनातपच॥" Chant hare krishna mantra loudly so that listner can also benefit.

Finally the below lines of Harivanshpuran sumrises things for us

वेदेरामायणेचैवपुराणेभारतेतथा।
आदावन्तेचमध्येचहरि: सर्वत्र गीयते॥

Veda, Ramayan, Mahabharat and Puran, all the scriptures glorify the lord and his name in the begining middle and in the end.

that's why Lord Chaitnya Mahaprbhu says

कलि काले नाम रूपे कृष्ण अवतार |
नाम हइते सर्व जगत निस्तार||
चैतन्य चरित्रामृत 1.17.22

Why Hare Krishna mantra?

We have several mantras to chant, but Hare Krishna mantra is especially recommended for Kaliyuga. Since people in Morden age are dull-witted, puzzled, lazy, short-lived and quarrelsome, they cannot follow the other difficult paths. Hare Krishna Mantra is called Mahamantra because it is very powerful. There is not rule; you can chant it as per your convenience.

Who can chant Hare Krishna Mantra?

One common myth is Hare Krishna Mantra is meant for Hindus only. No, God cannot be bound in a segment. Anyone can chant Hare Krishna Mantra and derive immense benefits from it. In the words of Srila Prabhupada, anyone can take part in chanting, even a child or a dog. So people of other faiths can also connect with Krishna through this mantra.

All the religions have almost same principals and messages. For example, every religion teaches to show love and kindness towards others. The custom of chanting the holy name of God is followed in all the religions. ISKCON already has a large number of Christian and Muslim devotees who regularly chant Hare Krishna Mantra.

How should one chant Hare Krishna mantra?

Anyone interested in the spiritual advancement should take refuge of Hare Krishna Mantra. It takes you to a spiritual plane where you will enjoy supreme bliss and peace. There is no fixed rule for chanting. You can chant Hare Krishna Mantra, anytime, anywhere and in any circumstances. However, the morning japa is considered the best.

You should chant the mantra on a Tulsi mala. If it is not available then you can use the other mala as well. You should not touch the mala with your index finger.

• Start the chanting from the next bead of the head bead.
• Before chanting the hare Krishna Mantra chant the Panch-tattva Mantra as follows
Sri Krishna Chaitanya Prabhu Nityananda Sri Advaita Gadadhara Srivasadi gaura Bhakta Vrnda
• After this chant the Hare Krishna mantra one the first bead and move to the next bead
• You should repeat the practice until you arrive on the last bead next to the big bead
• Chant the Panch tattva mantra again on the last bead next to the big bead
• Don’t cross over the head bid and start the second round of chanting from where you have finished.

Things to keep in Mind while chanting Hare Krishna Mantra

• You should pronounce every word clearly and listen to it
• Your voice should be loud enough to hear
• Keep full concentration on the sound of the mantra
• Your mind will wander initially, but you have to focus on the mantra
• Develop a gratitude emotion towards the Krishna

10 chanting Offenses that you should avoid

To achieve the full benefits of Hare Krishna Mantra, you need to avoid following 10 offenses
1. Criticizing a devotee who has dedicated his life to the Krishna
2. Considering demigods equal to Krishna or independent from him
3. Disobeying a teacher
4. Not accepting facts of Vedas and other authorities scriptures
5. Underestimating the value of Hare Krishna Mantra
6. Interpreting a wrong meaning of Hare Krishna Mantra
7. Committing an offense on the power of the Mantra
8. Considering The Mantra only an auspicious ritual
9. Preaching the importance of Hare Krishna Mantra to a non-devotee
10. Chanting without faith and wishing for a material gain

Unlimited Benefits of chanting Hare Krishna mantra?

• It awakens your forgotten love for God
• You get liberation from the cycle of birth and death
• By chanting Hare Krishna Mantra you develop knowledge and detachment.
• You get rid of fear, stress, anxiety and other problems
• It is the best method of self-realization in the Kaliyuga
• Chanting and listening to Hare Krishna mantra cleanses your heart of all evil thoughts and impressions.

• By Chanting Hare Krishna Manta you gain a strong hold on your mind and heart.
• It brings immense joy, peace, and happiness
• You become Krishna consciousness which is the goal of life
• You can feel Krishna around you with the help of this Mahamantra
• You can purify yourself and people around you through Hare Krishna Japa
• You can chant Hare Krishna softly for personal meditation or loudly with your family or friends. Both ways work.

• It doesn’t cost you a penny and gives you supreme ecstasy
• Chanting Hare Krishna brings the highest states of ecstasy.
• Anyone can chant Hare Krishna without any previous qualification and derive pleasure from it
• Hare Krishna Japa relieves you from all miseries.
• You develop divine quality such as mercy, love, self-control though Hare Krishna Japa
• You please Krishna and receive his mercy when you chant Hare Krishna Manta sincerely
• Krishna dances on your tongue when you recite this mantra

• This divine mantra can open the gateway of Golok Dham the abode of Krishna for you.
• Hare Krishna Japa sets you free from the reaction of your past sinful actions
• You can escape the evil of Kaliyuga by simply Chanting Hare Krishna mantra
• Hare Krishna Japa gives you a divine experience that you have never experienced in your life before.

This list goes on and on. You can realize these benefits practically by yourself. What all you need to do is to chant the holy name of the God and surrender yourself to his will. Hare Krishna mantra will take care of you. Hare Krishna!