Hare Krishna Mantra in Devanagari

The Hare Krishna mantra, also referred to reverentially as the Maha Mantra ("Great Mantra"), is a sixteen-word Vaishnava mantra made well known outside of India by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (commonly known as 'the Hare Krishnas'). A mantra ( Devanāgarī मन्त्र (or mantram is a religious or mystical syllable or poem typically from the Sanskrit language Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country The International Society for Krishna Consciousness ( ISKCON) also known as 'the Hare Krishna ' movement is one of several Vaishnava groups ^[1] This mantra appears within many traditions of Hinduism and is believed by practitioners to bring about a higher state of consciousness when heard, spoken, meditated upon, or sung out loud. A mantra ( Devanāgarī मन्त्र (or mantram is a religious or mystical syllable or poem typically from the Sanskrit language Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ^[2] According to Gaudiya Vaishnava theology, this higher consciousness takes the form of pure love of God (Krishna). Gaudiya Vaishnavism (also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism) is a Vaishnava religious movement founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534 in India God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism ^[3] The mantra is contained in the texts of Hinduism known as the Upanishads, which are considered by some scholars to have roots in the Vedic past. The Upanishads ( Devanagari: उपनिषद् IAST: upaniṣad also spelled "Upanisad" are Hindu scriptures that constitute the core teachings ^[4]

Mantra

The Hare Krishna mantra is composed of Sanskrit names in the vocative case: Hare, Krishna, and Rama (in Anglicized spelling, the transliteration of the three vocatives is hare, kṛṣṇa and rāma; roughly pronounced IPA: ['hɐre:], ['kɹ̩ʂɳɐ], ['ra:mɐ], see Sanskrit for pronunciation details):

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama

Rama Rama Hare Hare

Rama and Krishna both appear as names of Vishnu in the Vishnu sahasranama and refer primarily to the 7th and 8th Maha Avataras of Vishnu^[5]. Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical The vocative case is the case used for a Noun identifying the person (animal object etc The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration ( IAST) is a popular Transliteration scheme that allows a lossless Romanization of Indic Sanskrit (sa संस्कृता वाक् saṃskṛtā vāk, for short sa संस्कृतम् saṃskṛtam) is a historical Rama ( IAST: rāma Devanāgarī: राम Khmer: Phreah Ream Thai: Phra Ram Lao: Phra Lam Tagalog: Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism For other meanings see Vishnu (disambiguation. Vishnu ( IAST viṣṇu Devanagari विष्णु (honorific The Vishnu sahasranāma (literally "the thousand names of Vishnu " is a list of 1000 names for Vishnu, one of the main forms of God Avatar or Avatara (अवतार IAST Avatāra) is often inaccurately translated into English as incarnation "Hare" can be interpreted as either the vocative of Hari, another name of Vishnu meaning "he who removes illusion", or as the vocative of Harā^[6], a name of Rādhā^[7], Krishna's eternal consort or Shakti. For Radha the mother of Karna from Mahabharata see Radha (Mahabharata Radha (Devanagari राधा IAST Rādhā is the principal Shakti, meaning sacred force, power, or energy, is the Hindu concept or personification of the divine feminine aspect sometimes referred According to A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Harā refers to "the energy of God" while Krishna and Rama refer to God himself, meaning "He who is All-Attractive" and "He who is the Source of All Pleasure". Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ( Sanskrit:, abhaya-caraṇāravinda bhakti-vedānta svāmī prabhupāda, Bangla: অভয়চরনাবিন্দ ^[8] Rama can also refer to Radha-Raman, another name of Krishna meaning beloved of Radha^[9], or as a shortened form of Balarama, Krishna's first expansion. Balarama (बलराम Balarāma) also named Baladeva, Baldau, Balabhadra and Halayudha, is the elder brother of the divine ^[10]

The mantra is repeated, either out loud (kirtan), softly to oneself (japa), or internally within the mind. Kirtan ( Sanskrit - "to repeat" is call-and-response chanting performed in India's devotional traditions Japa ( Sanskrit: जप is a Spiritual discipline involving the meditative repetition of a Mantra or name of God. 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. Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ( Sanskrit:, abhaya-caraṇāravinda bhakti-vedānta svāmī prabhupāda, Bangla: অভয়চরনাবিন্দ Consciousness has been defined loosely as a constellation of attributes of Mind such as Subjectivity, Self-awareness, Sentience, and the 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 . Spirituality, in a narrow sense concerns itself with matters of the Spirit, a concept closely tied to religious belief and Faith, a transcendent reality Senses are the physiological methods of Perception. The senses and their operation classification and theory are overlapping topics studied by a variety of fields MIND ( Moving In New Directions) (est 1975 is an alternative education high school in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. An intellectual (from the adjective meaning "involving thought and reason" is a person who tries to use his or her Intelligence and analytical thinking, . . []. . . As such anyone can take part in the chanting without any previous qualification. Chant (from Old French chanter) is the Rhythmic speaking or Singing of Words or Sounds often primarily on one or two

—^[11]

History

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534)

The Hare Krishna Tree in Tompkins Square Park under which Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada began the first recorded public chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra outside of India. Tompkins Square Park is a 105 acre (42000 m² public Park in the Alphabet City section of the East Village neighborhood in the borough of ^[12]

The mantra is first attested in the kalisaṇṭāraṇopaniṣad (Kali Santarana Upanishad), a Vaishnava Upanishad associated with the Krishna Yajurveda. The Kali-Santāraṇa Upaniṣad (कलिसन्तरन is a Vaishnava Vedantic text associated with the Black Yajurveda. The Upanishads ( Devanagari: उपनिषद् IAST: upaniṣad also spelled "Upanisad" are Hindu scriptures that constitute the core teachings Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and The Yajurveda ( Sanskrit यजुर्वेदः, a Tatpurusha compound of yajus "sacrificial formula' + veda In this Upanishad, Narada is instructed by Brahma (in the translation of K. The Upanishads ( Devanagari: उपनिषद् IAST: upaniṣad also spelled "Upanisad" are Hindu scriptures that constitute the core teachings Narad redirects here for the village in Slovakia see Ňárad. Brahma is the Hindu god ( deva) of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. N. Aiyar):

Hearken to that which all Shrutis (the Vedas) keep secret and hidden, through which one may cross the Samsara (mundane existence) of Kali. If you are looking for the singer see Shruti Haasan. For other meanings see Śruti (disambiguation. "Veda" redirects here For other uses see Veda (disambiguation. He shakes off (the evil effects of) Kali through the mere uttering of the name of Lord Narayana, who is the primeval Purusha. Narayana ( Sanskrit: नारायण nārāyaṇa) or Narayan is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu, and in many contemporary In Hinduism, Purusha ( Sanskrit puruṣa पुरुष "man Cosmic Man " in Sutra literature also called puṃs

Narada asks to be told this name of Narayana, and Brahma replies:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare; These sixteen names are destructive of the evil effects of Kali. Narayana ( Sanskrit: नारायण nārāyaṇa) or Narayan is an important Sanskrit name for Vishnu, and in many contemporary No better means than this is to be seen in all the Vedas.

—^[13]

The mantra was popularized by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu roughly around 1500 CE when he began his mission to spread this mantra publicly to 'every town and village' in the world, travelling throughout India, and especially within the areas of Bengal and Orissa^[14]. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (also transliterated Caitanya, IAST caitanya mahāprabhu) ( Bengali চৈতন্য মহাপ্রভূ (1486 - Etymology and ethnology The exact origin of the word Bangla or Bengal is unknown though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang Orissa (ଓଡ଼ିଶା is a state located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. Some versions of the Kali Santarana Upanishad give the mantra with Hare Rama preceding Hare Krishna, and others with Hare Krishna preceding Hare Rama (as quoted above). The latter format is by far the more common within the Vaishnava traditions, within which it is a common belief that the mantra is equally potent when spoken in either order. Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and ^[15]

In the 1960's an elderly monk known as A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, on the order of his guru, Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, brought the teachings of Sri Chaitanya from India and single-handedly took the responsibility of spreading them around the Western world. Abhay Charanaravinda Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada ( Sanskrit:, abhaya-caraṇāravinda bhakti-vedānta svāmī prabhupāda, Bangla: অভয়চরনাবিন্দ Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakur Prabhupada (February 31874 – January 1 1937 was a highly influential preacher of Gaudiya Vaishnavism throughout India in the late Beginning in New York, he encircled the globe fourteen times in the final eleven years of his life, thus making 'Hare Krishna' a well-known phrase in many parts of the world. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous ^[16]

"Hare Krishna" movement

Hare Krishna devotees perform a parade in Florida, USA in 2008

A Gaudiya Vaishnava (Hare Krishna) temple at Tirupathi

Devotees singing the Hare Krishna mantra

See also: ISKCON and Gaudiya Math

From a theological perspective Hare Krishna devotees are classified as practitioners of Bhakti Yoga. Florida ( is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the Tirupati ( Telugu: తిరుపతి is the richest pilgrimage city (of any religious faith in the world located in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India The International Society for Krishna Consciousness ( ISKCON) also known as 'the Hare Krishna ' movement is one of several Vaishnava groups The Gaudiya Math organisation was formed in 1918 shortly after Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura took the renounced order of life ( Sanyasa) Bhakti Yoga ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति योग is a term within Hinduism which denotes the spiritual practice of fostering loving devotion to God 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). Gaudiya Vaishnavism (also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism) is a Vaishnava religious movement founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1534 in India Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (also transliterated Caitanya, IAST caitanya mahāprabhu) ( Bengali চৈতন্য মহাপ্রভূ (1486 - Etymology and ethnology The exact origin of the word Bangla or Bengal is unknown though it is believed to be derived from the Dravidian-speaking tribe Bang Vaishnavism comes under the general banner of being a Hindu religion. Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. ^[17]

In terms of general diet among Gaudiya Vaishnavas, onions, garlic, and mushrooms are also generally avoided due to their purportedly adverse effects on the consciousness of the eater. ^[18]

Hare Krishna Movement was subject to a number of academic researches, the Hare Krishna movement today is accepted by the academics as "the most genuinely Hindu of all the many Indian movements in the West". ^[19] Not only hindu or brahmanas were instrumental in the early appearance and spread of Hare Krishna movement in the 16th century. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical The Brāhmaṇa s ( Devanagari: sa ब्राह्मणं are part of the Hindu śruti literature Haridasa Thakura, for example, was born outside of Hindu tradition but considered to be the most famous convert of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, apart from Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami themselves, and the story of his heroism in the face of torture is told in Chaitanya Charitamrta, Antya lila. Haridasa Thakur ( IAST Haridāsa (born 1451 or 1450 Besides being an ex-Muslim he is famous because of his dedication to the religious practice of constantly chanting the A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (also transliterated Caitanya, IAST caitanya mahāprabhu) ( Bengali চৈতন্য মহাপ্রভূ (1486 - Rupa Goswami ( 1489 - 1564 CE is a devotional teacher poet and philosopher from the Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. Sanatana Goswami ( 1488 - 1558 CE was a principal disciple of the Vaishnava saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The Chaitanya Charitamrita is one of the primary biographies detailing the life and teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ( 1486 - 1533) a prominent Vaishnava ^[20][21]

Hippie culture

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Hare Krishnas became confused with the hippie subculture. The Hippie Subculture was originally a Youth movement that began in the United States during the early 1960s and spread around the world For the term in biology see Subculture (biology. For the song by New Order see Sub-culture (song. The 1971 Hindi film Hare Rama, Hare Krishna, written and directed by Dev Anand, was shot with many real-life hippie extras. Hare Rama Hare Krishna is a 1972 Indian film directed by Dev Anand starring himself and Zeenat Aman. DharamDev Pishorimal Ānand (देव आनन्द دیو آنند (born September 26, 1923) better known simply as Dev Anand, is a legendary But in fact the genuine Hare Krishna followers were a far cry from hippies. Although Prabhupada was open to anyone, members had to follow the four regulative principles, one of which is "no intoxicants"^[22]. Elevation and joy were to be derived from chanting God's holy names.

Popular culture

Further information: Hare Krishna in popular culture

The Hare Krishna mantra appears in a number of famous songs, notably those of The Beatles, John Lennon, and George Harrison, and has been at the number-one spot in the UK singles charts on more than one occasion within songs such as My Sweet Lord. Contributions to Popular culture involving direct reference to the Hare Krishna mantra or the Hare Krishna movement include the following In music The Beatles were a pop and rock band from Liverpool, England formed in 1960 George Harrison, MBE (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001 was an English rock Guitarist Singer - Songwriter, Author The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC on behalf of the British record industry " My Sweet Lord " is a song by former Beatles lead guitarist George Harrison from his UK number one hit triple album All Things Must Pass One song from 1969 by the Radha Krsna Temple, simply entitled Hare Krsna Mantra reached no. Radha KrishnaThe Radha Krsna Temple was the headquarters of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness in London from the late 1960s 17 in the UK music chart and appeared on the music show Top of the Pops. Top of the Pops, also known as TOTP, was a long-running British music chart Television programme, made and broadcast It also made the no. 1 slot in both German and Czechoslovakian music charts. Less well-known but equally relevant to fans of pop music culture is the recording of Hare Krishna mantras by Nina Hagen. Nina Hagen (born Catharina Hagen on March 11, 1955) is a singer from Berlin, Germany.

^[23]

Other scriptural references

The practice of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra is recommended in the Puranas, the Pañcaratra, and throughout Vaishnava literature in general^[24]. Chant (from Old French chanter) is the Rhythmic speaking or Singing of Words or Sounds often primarily on one or two For other meanings see Purana (disambiguation. The Puranas ( Sanskrit: sa पुराण purāṇa, "of ancient times" Pāñcarātra are Vaishnavite devotional texts dedicated to a single deity Sriman Narayana who manifests in different forms Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu or its associated avatars principally as Rama and For example:

• All the grievous sins are removed for one who worships Lord Sri Hari, the Lord of all lords, and chants the holy name, the Maha-mantra.

– Padma Purana, Svarga Khanda 50. Padma Purana ( Devanagari: पद्म पुराण one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text is divided into five parts 6

• 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 Purana

• This sixteen-name, thirty-two-syllable mantra is the Maha-mantra in the Age of Kali, by which all living beings can be delivered. Agni Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text contains descriptions and details of various incarnations ( Avatars of Vishnu A mantra ( Devanāgarī मन्त्र (or mantram is a religious or mystical syllable or poem typically from the Sanskrit language One should never abandon chanting this maha-mantra.

– 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. In Hinduism the Ananta Samhita is a Pancaratra agama, part of the Pancaratra corpus known collectively as the " Narada Pancaratra" Brahma is the Hindu god ( deva) of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. Kali Yuga ( Devanāgarī: sa कलियुग lit "Age of Kali " "age of vice" is one of the four stages of development that the world goes ' Having heard this from Brahma, all the sons and disciples of Brahma, beginning with Narada, accepted the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra and, having meditated on it, attained perfection. Narad redirects here for the village in Slovakia see Ňárad.

– Ananta-samhita

• When the sixteen names and thirty-two syllables of the Hare Krishna mantra are loudly vibrated, Krishna dances on one's tongue

– Stava-mala-vidyabhusana-bhasya, Baladeva Vidyabhusana in Bhaktisiddhanta's Gaudiya Kanthahara 17:30

Footnotes

References

• Translated by K. Narayanasvami Aiyar, Copyright © 2002-2008 Celextel Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. - Vedanta Spiritual Library. English translation of the Kali Santarana Upanishad. www. celextel. org. Retrieved on 2008-05-06. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1527 - Spanish and German troops sack Rome; some consider this the end of the Renaissance.
• Klostermaier, Klaus K. (2000), Hinduism: A Short History, Oxford: Oneworld Publications, ISBN 1-85168-213-9 

See also

• Vaishnavism
• Krishnology
• Vrindavan
• Bhagavan svayam

External links

Mantra

• Hear the Hare Krishna Mantra
• Chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra
• Download the Hare Krishna mp3

Hare Krishna organisations

• ISKCON main site
• ISKCON UK website
• ISKCON Youth
• World Vaishnava Association
• Gaudiya Vedanta Samiti
• Gaudiya Kutir
• Srila Bhakti Vaibhav Puri Maharaj website
• Sri Chaitanya Saraswat Math

Non Hare Krishna organisations

• "Hare Rama Hare Krishna" kirtan with Jagadguru Kripalu Ji Maharaj

Books

• Bhaktivedanta VedaBase Network - Information & Books
• Krishna.com - Information & Books
• Srimad-Bhagavatam (Bhagavata Purana)
• The Divine Name, by Raghava Chaitanya Das

Articles

• Hare Krishna's Feed the World (1996)
• The Hare Krishna movement comes of age (2005)