Purport by His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda


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This transcendental vibration by chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare – Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare is the sublime method for reviving our Krishna consciousness.

As living spiritual souls we are all originally Krishna conscious entities, but due to our association with matter from time immemorial, our consciousness is now polluted by the material atmosphere. In this polluted concept of life, we are all trying to exploit the resources of material nature, but actually we are becoming more and more entangled in her complexities. This illusion is called maya or hard struggle for existence over the stringent laws of material nature. This illusory struggle against the material nature can at once be stopped by revival of our Krishna consciousness.

 

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. And this process is recommended by authorities for this age. By practical experience also, we can perceive that by chanting this maha-mantra, or the Great Chanting for Deliverance, one can at once feel transcendental ecstasy from the spiritual stratum.

 

When one is factually on the plane of spiritual understanding —surpassing the stages of senses, mind, and intelligence— one is situated on the transcendental plane. 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, surpassing all lower strata of consciousness— namely sensual, mental, and intellectual. There is no need of understand the language of the mantra, nor there is any need of mental speculation, nor any intellectual adjustment for chanting this maha-mantra. It springs automatically from the spiritual platform, and as such, anyone can take part in this transcendental sound vibration without any previous qualification, and dance in ecstasy.

 

We have seen this practically. Even a child can take part in the chanting, or even a dog can take part in it. The chanting should be heard from the lips of a pure devotee of the Lord, so that immediate effects can be achieved. As far as possible, chanting from the lips of non devotees should be avoided, as much as milk touched by the lips of a serpent causes poisonous effects.

 

The word Hara is a form of addressing the energy of the Lord. Both Krishna and Rama are forms of addressing directly the Lord, and they mean "the highest pleasure, eternal". Hara is the supreme pleasure potency of the Lord. This potency, when addressed are Hare, helps us in reaching the Supreme Lord.

 

The material energy, called as maya, is also one of the multi potencies of the Lord, as much as we are also marginal potency of the Lord. The living entities are described as superior energy than matter. When the superior energy is in contact with inferior energy, it becomes an incompatible situation. But when the supreme marginal potency is in contact with the spiritual potency, Hara, it becomes the happy, normal condition of the living entity.

 

The three words, namely Hara, Krishna and Rama, are transcendental seeds of the maha-mantra, and the chanting is a spiritual call for the Lord and His internal energy, Hara, for giving protection to the conditioned soul. The chanting is exactly like a genuine cry by the child for the mother. Mother Hara helps in achieving the grace of the supreme father, Hari, or Krishna, and the Lord reveals Himself to such a sincere devotee.

 

No other means, therefore, of spiritual realization is as effective in this age, as chanting the maha-mantra: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare – Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

 

 

The meaning of the Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra
by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda

 

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे
हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे

 

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
 
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare

Translation
O spiritual Energy of the Lord, O Lord Krishna,
please be so kind and engage me in Your loving service!

 

Purport: The Hare-Krishna Mantra is a prayer to God (Krishna) with the request to be engaged in the devotinal service of the Lord. "This sound [Hare Krsna Maha-Mantra] is the transcendental sound incarnation of the Absolute  Truth. It is the sound representation of the Supreme Lord." (SPT 8/9/66)

 

"Hare" refers to Gods spiritual Energy, "Krishna" means "the All-Attractive" und "Rama" can be translated as "the source of all joy". The complete Hare-Krishna-Mantra is a prayer to the Supreme Lord in the invocation form, addressing God with his personal name, together with his divine energy, conjoined with the request, to be engaged in His devotional service (bhakti-yoga).

 

"Caitanya Mahaprabhu teaches us that we should only beg God for His service life after life. This  is the actual meaning of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra.

 

When we are chanting Hare Krsna, Hare  Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama, Rama, Hare Hare, we are actually  addressing God and His energy, Hara. Hara is Krsna's internal potency, Srimati Radharani or Laksmi. Jaya Radhe! This is daivi prakrti (internal divine potency), and the devotees take shelter of the daivi prakrti, Srimati Radharani." Therefore vaishnavas generally worship Radha-Krishna, Laksmi-Narayana und Sita-Rama.

 

In the beginning of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra we first address the internal  energy of Krsna, Hare. Thus we say, "O Radharani! O Hare! O energy of the Lord!" When we address  someone in this way, he usually says, "Yes, what do you want?" The answer is, "Please engage me  in Your loving service." This should be our prayer. We should not say, "O energy of the Lord, O Krsna,  please give me money. Please give me a beautiful wife. Please give me many followers. Please  give me some prestigious position. Please give me the presidency." These are all material  hankerings, which Should be avoided." (Teachings of Lord Kapila 14.32)

 

Buddha taught that we should give up all material desires. It is not possible to be desireless, but it is possible to give up materialistic desires. It is the very nature of living entities to have desires, and therefore it is not possible to be desireless. When you are desireless, you're dead, desirelessness means (in the spiritual sense), to purify one's desires from materialistic to spiritual. Our desires are purified, when we wish to only serve Lord Krishna.

A.C. Bhaktivedanta Prabhupāda, The Teachings of Lord Kapila 14.32

 

"O King, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways of the great authorities is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all, including those who are free from all material desires, those who are desirous of all material enjoyment, and also those who are self-satisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge." (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.1.11)

 

Śrīla Prabhupāda gives various explanations of the Hare Krsna Maha-Mantra in His books. His main ideas are  listed here and followed by elaborations.

 

1.The sound incarnation and representation of Krsna.

2.Direct means of contacting Krsna.

3.The maha-mantra reveals everything.

4.Petitioning divine energy and reservoir of pleasure for service.

5.The original male and the original female.

6.Eternal servant begging the eternal master for upliftment and engagement.

7.He Krsna! Please accept me?

8.Begging for service life after life.

9.Wants? Only ask for service.

 

"People generally ask what is the meaning of chanting this Hare Krsna mantra. We explain that  chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra means immediately, directly associating with Krsna. If you  take to this chanting of Hare Krsna mantra without any offense, then immediately you contact  Krsna." (SPT 22/10/72)

 

"By vibrating this transcendental sound [Hare Krsna maha-mantra], the meaning of everything,  both material and spiritual, is revealed. This Hare Krsna is nondifferent from the Personality of  Godhead." (SB 4.24.40 P.)

 

Basic Meanings of the Maha-Mantra: Hare-Srimati Radharani (the divine energy of the Lord);  Krsna-the all-attractive Supreme Personality of Godhead; Rama-Lord Krsna, who is the reservoir  of pleasure (a name for Krsna is Radha-ramana, the giver of pleasure to Srimati Radharani)."O  Srimati Radharani! O all-attractive reservoir of pleasure, Lord Sri Krsna! Please engage me in Your  loving devotional service." (Srila Prabhupada's Slokas)

Srila Prabhupada: 'Hare means, "O energy  of the Lord," and Krsna means, "O Lord Krsna." Just as there are males and females in the  material world, similarly, God is the original male (purusa), and His energy (prakrti) is the original  female. So, when we chant Hare Krsna, we are saying, "O Lord Krsna, O energy of Krsna, kindly  engage me in Your service." (SSR ch.i)

 

" 'O Krsna, You are my Lord. You are my master eternally. I am Your servant eternally. Let me be  engaged in Your service.' This is the meaning of Hare Krsna mantra: "O Krsna, O energy of Krsna,  I am Your servant. Somehow or other I have now fallen in this material condition. Kindly pick me  up and engage me in Your service." Ayi nanda-tanuja patitam kihkararh mam visame bhavarh  budhau. (SPT 1/3/77)

 

Srila Prabhupada:"He Krsna, Hare Krsna, 'O the energy of Krsna, please accept  me.' This is the prayer. This is addressing, He Krsna, Hare Krsna, 'Hara, please, now I am engaged  in this material service; kindly accept me in Your service.' "(SPT 14/7/74)

 

 

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Confirmation on the chanting of Hare Krishna from Vedic scriptures: :

harer nāma harer nāma / harer nāmaiva kevalam
kalau nāsty eva nāsty eva / nāsty eva gatir anyathā

 

"In this age of quarrel and hypocrisy the only means of deliverance is chanting of the holy name of the Lord. There is no other way. There is no other way. There is no other way." (Brihad Naradiya Purana)

hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare
iti ṣoḍaśakaṁ nāmnāṁ / kali-kalmaṣa-nāśanam
nātaḥ parataropāyaḥ / sarva-vedeṣu dṛśyate

 

"After searching through all the Vedic literature one cannot find a method of religion more sublime for this age than the chanting of Hare Krsna." (Kali Santarana Upanisad)

 

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please also see the article:
The Meaning of the Hare Krishna Mantra