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Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra |
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Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare |
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| (Maha-Mantra in English dialect) |
(Maha-Mantra in Devnagri script) |
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Maha is a Sanskrit word meaning great. Mantra is formed by two words, mana and tra. Mana means mind and tra means freeing. So the Maha Mantra is the great chanting for deliverance. It is the sound that liberates the mind from ignorance. Hare is the vocative for Hara. Hara is the form of addressing the energy of the Lord. Krishna and Rama are names of the Lord meaning "the all-attractive" and "the supreme pleasure " respectively.
So the Maha-Mantra means "O energy of the Lord (Hare), O all-attractive Lord (Krishna), O Supreme Enjoyer (Rama), please engage me in Your service." By constantly chanting the names of the Lord and asking Him to engage us in His service, and actually engaging ourselves in His transcendental loving service one indeed feels spiritual bliss.
The Hare Krishna Maha-Mantra is specially recommended in the Vedic literature. It is explained that this mantra can deliver one to the realm beyond material existence.
The reason that chanting the Lord's names is such an effective process is because the Lord and His names are identical: they are the same spiritual energy. By chanting Hare Krishna we are in immediate contact with God. If we chant someone else's name, we cannot enjoy their association because the name and the person are different. For example, by chanting "water, water, water," we do not quench our thirst because water and the name are two different things. But in the spiritual world everything is absolute. Krishna is non-different from His names and, therefore, we can feel His presence simply by chanting His names. This is further elaborated in the Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya-lila, 17.131-133), which explains that there is no difference between the Lord's name, form, or personality, and they are all transcendentally sweet. Krishna's name is the same as Krishna Himself, and is not material in any way. It gives spiritual benedictions and is full of pleasure. But in the material world everything is different. Furthermore, in Caitanya-cartamrta (Adi-lila, 17.22, and the Padma Purana), the Hare Krishna maha-mantra is said to be the sound incarnation of Krishna, and anyone who chants this mantra is in direct association with Krishna and is delivered from the clutches of the material energy.
In Kali-yuga (the present age) the chanting of the holy names is certainly the most practical and effective process for the conditioned souls. It is also the easiest process whether one finds himself in Kali-yuga, Satya-yuga, Treta-yuga, or Dvapara-yuga. Regardless of what age one may be living in, the process of chanting the holy names is always recommended for everyone. "The names of the Supreme Lord who has the disc as His weapon should be glorified always and everywhere." (Vaisakha-mahatmya section of the Padma Purana) But since the age of Kali is the most difficult, where men have short durations of life, it is also the most fortunate age. This is explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.36-37 and 12.3.51) which states that those who are wise know the value of this age of Kali because, in spite of the fallen nature of this age, the spiritual perfection of life can be attained by the easy process of sankirtana, the congregational chanting of Krishna's holy names. No better position can be found to attain freedom from material existence and entrance into the spiritual kingdom than joining the Lord's sankirtana movement.
Therefore, without a doubt, the Hare Krishna mantra is the most potent mantra one can utilize for spiritual upliftment. The Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya-lila, 15.107) also points out that one is freed of all sinful reactions simply by chanting Krishna's names. And all the nine types of devotional service are completed by this process. Thus, in Kali-yuga only the chanting of the holy names is necessary for worshiping the Lord. However, if one is not able to chant purely or follow the regulations for chanting, it is recommended that one get further guidance from a bona fide spiritual master.
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| How to Chant the Maha-Mantra ? |
There are no hard and fast rules for chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. One can chant anywhere, anytime, in any situation. In fact, the Caitanya- caritamrta (Antya-lila, 20.18) describes that chanting the holy name at any time or place, even during sleep or while eating, brings one all perfection.
The proper way to chant is to give up all of our internal thoughts. As mentioned before, it is almost impossible to meditate on the void and empty our mind of all thinking. Our mind is always being pulled here and there by something. But the chanting process is easy because we simply concentrate on the mantra. However, our meditation on the mantra will be most effective if we can avoid the internal dialogue we always have within our mind. We should not be chanting while we make plans for the day, or while focusing our attention on other things. The maha-mantra is the Supreme in the incarnation of sound. Therefore, we must chant with complete respect and veneration. We must give the mantra our full attention. The process is to simply chant and hear.
To begin progressing on the path of chanting the maha-mantra, it is prescribed that the practitioner chant on beads called japa-mala, similar to a rosary, that consists of 108 beads with one extra head bead, which is larger than the others. This represents the 108 Upanishads, or, as described elsewhere, Krishna in the form of the head bead surrounded by 108 of His most advanced devotees.
One chants the Hare Krishna mantra once on each bead from the head bead all the way around the 108 beads. This is one round, or one mala. Then without chanting on the Krishna bead, turn the beads around in your hand and go in the opposite direction and chant another round. One should try to set a certain amount of time aside each day, preferably in the morning, to peacefully sit down or walk and chant the particular number of rounds you have set for yourself. One may chant two rounds, four rounds, or whatever one can do. With a little practice, two rounds would take about 15 minutes.
For those who are serious, it is prescribed that they chant a total of at least sixteen rounds everyday. With a little practice, this normally takes about two hours. But one should set a fixed number of rounds to chant everyday. Then one can also spend some time reading Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam to enhance his or her spiritual development. A daily program of chanting and reading will produce definite results very quickly.
As you become regulated at this, doing it everyday, changes will begin to manifest in your consciousness that may be imperceptible at first, while other changes begin that will be noticeable from the start. You will often notice an internal energy within you that was not there before. Amongst other things, you may also feel more sure of your own position and purpose in life, and a closer affinity with God and all beings. Of course, this is just the beginning, so if you do this regularly, deeper insights and realizations will occur as your consciousness acquires more clarity and purification.
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