Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu
The Pioneer of Hare Krishna mantra yoga

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Hare Krishna Mantra Yoga - Solve All your problems once and for all


Hare Krishna,

Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna,
Hare Hare
Hare Rama,
Hare Rama
Rama Rama,

Hare Hare


We've all heard the Hare Krishna mantra at some time, but what the heck is so
special about this mantra? Why are we supposed to spend time chanting it? What
can it do for us?

First of all, let me explain a little about mantra-yoga. Mantra-yoga is actually
a tradition found in almost every spiritual path and religion in the world. It
may involve the softly spoken repetition of a prayer or mantra for one's own
meditation, or it may be the congregational singing of spiritually uplifting
songs, prayers, or the sacred names of the Supreme Being. It all involves the
same process, but in the Eastern tradition it is called mantra-yoga because it
is the easy process of focusing our minds on the Supreme, which helps
spiritualize our consciousness. Man means the mind, tra means deliverance.
Therefore, a spiritual mantra is the pure sound vibration for delivering the
mind from material to spiritual consciousness. This is the goal of any spiritual
path. Although all spiritual traditions have their own prayers or mantras, the
Vedic mantras are especially powerful and effective in uniting us with the
spiritual realm.
Many years ago the brahmana priests could accomplish many kinds of wondrous
deeds simply by correctly chanting particular mantras. Many of these mantras
still exist, but it is very difficult to find those who can chant them
accurately. This is actually a safety measure because if the wish-fulfilling
mantras were easily chanted, there would no doubt be many people who would
misuse them. But other mantras that are available can easily help purify one's
consciousness, give spiritual enlightenment, and put one in touch with the
Supreme.
In Bhagavad-gita (10.25) Sri Krishna explains that He is the transcendental om
mantra and that the chanting of japa (chanting a mantra quietly for one's own
meditation) is the purest of His representations and sacrifices. It is
understood that by chanting japa and hearing the holy sounds of the mantra, one
can come to the platform of spiritual realization. The energy in the sound
vibration of the mantra prepares and opens one's consciousness to higher levels
of reality. This is the process of mantra-yoga. Even though the mantra is
powerful in itself, when the mantra is chanted by a great devotee, it becomes
more powerful. This is the effect when a disciple is fortunate enough to take
initiation from a spiritually powerful master who gives him a mantra for
spiritual purposes. Then the disciple can make rapid progress by utilizing the
mantra.
In this age of Kali-yuga the process of chanting japa or mantra meditation is
much more effective than practicing other spiritual paths that include
meditating on the void or Brahman effulgence, or trying to control the life air
within the body as in raja-yoga. Only a very few can become perfect at moving
the life air up to the top of the head or raising the kundalini force up through
the various chakras. And meditating on the void becomes useless as soon as there
is the slightest external distraction, which in this age of Kali is a continuous
thing. Therefore, the most effective means of focusing the consciousness is to
concentrate on the sound vibration of a mantra.
There are two mantras that are especially recommended in the Vedic literature.
One is omkara or the om mantra, and the other is Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, which is
known as the maha or great mantra. It is explained that these two mantras can
deliver one to the realm beyond material existence.
Omkara (pranava) is considered to be the sound incarnation of the Supreme
Personality of God and is identical with the Supreme Lord. The Narada-pancaratra
states: "When the transcendental sound vibration is practiced by a conditioned
soul, the Supreme Lord is present on his tongue." The Atharva-veda and the
Mandukya Upanishad both mention the importance of omkara. Omkara is said to be
the beginning, middle, and end, and is eternal, beyond all material
restrictions. Omkara is unlimited, transcendental, and indestructible. As such,
it is not so easy for the average person to understand all the intricacies of
omkara or to chant om properly.
Actually, the chanting of omkara is generally practiced by impersonalists and
those engaged in the mystic yoga process. By chanting om and controlling the
breathing perfectly, which is mostly a mechanical way of steadying the mind, one
is eventually able to go into trance or samadhi. Through this system, one
gradually changes the tendencies of the materially absorbed mind and makes it
spiritualized. But this takes many years to perfect and such a slow process is
not practical in this age. If one is not a brahmana, he will not understand
omkara and will not be able to get the desired results from chanting it.
Therefore, it is not advised that people chant omkara in this age of Kali-yuga
because they are generally not qualified to chant it properly. The mantra for
Kali-yuga is the maha-mantra, or great mantra for deliverance, which is Hare
Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama
Rama, Hare Hare.


WHY CHANT THE HARE KRISHNA MANTRA
There are many Vedic references which specifically recommend the chanting of the
Hare Krishna maha-mantra as the most effective means of reaching spiritual
realization and counteracting all the problems of this age. Some of these verses
are the following:
"These sixteen words--Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare
Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare--are especially meant for
counteracting the ill effects of the present age of quarrel and anxiety."
(Kali-santarana Upanishad)
"All mantras and all processes for self-realization are compressed into the Hare
Krishna maha-mantra." (Narada-pancaratra)
"Chant the holy names, chant the holy names, chant the holy names. In this age
of Kali [the age of quarrel and confusion] without a doubt there is no other
way, there is no other way, there is no other way." (Brihan-naradiya Purana
38.126)
"In this age there is no use in meditation, sacrifice and temple worship. Simply
by chanting the holy name of Krishna--Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna
Krishna, Hare Hare/Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare--one can achieve
perfect self-realization." (Vishnu Purana 6.2.17)
"The self-realization which was achieved in the Satya millennium by meditation,
in the Treta millennium by the performance of different sacrifices, and in the
Dvapara millennium by worship of Lord Krishna [as the Deity in the temple], can
be achieved in the age of Kali simply by chanting the holy names, Hare Krishna."
(Bhag.12.3.52) (Verses similar to this are also found in the Padma Purana,
Uttara-khanda 72.25, and the Brihan-naradiya Purana 38.97)
"Living beings who are entangled in the complicated meshes of birth and death
can be freed immediately by even unconsciously chanting the holy name of
Krishna, which is feared by fear personified." (Bhag.1.1.14)
It is also said that all Vedic rites and the results of all other spiritual
practices are found within the holy names of the Hare Krishna mantra. Thus, it
is the easiest and most effective process for spiritual enlightenment and
liberation. The Vedic literature leaves no doubt, as stated in the Skanda Purana
(Caturmasya-mahatmya section), that the most perfect process of spiritual
elevation that can be executed is the chanting of the holy names of Lord Sri
Hari. Such performance of sankirtana can please the Supreme Being, especially in
the age of Kali.
It is also for this reason that Brahma said to Lord Krishna in Srimad-Bhagavatam
(11.6.24) that in the age of Kali pious and saintly persons will easily cross
over the darkness of this age if they hear about and praise Your transcendental
qualities and activities.
The Kali-santarana Upanishad specifically states, "After searching through all
of the Vedic literature, one cannot find a method of religion more sublime for
this age of Kali-yuga than the chanting of Hare Krishna."
The Sri Caitanya-caritamrita (Adi-lila, 17.22) also says, "In this age of Kali,
the holy name of the Lord, in the form of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, is the
incarnation of Lord Krishna. Simply by chanting the holy name, one associates
with the Supreme directly. Anyone who does this is certainly delivered." In
other words, it is this mantra that provides the doorway which leads directly to
the spiritual realm. Furthermore, the use of it means that we change the
vibrational level of our own consciousness and the environment in which we
exist. This can cause the manifestation of that spiritual vibration and
atmosphere in this material world.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam (12.3.51) goes on to say that this process of reawakening
one's spiritual awareness is the most important advantage of Kali-yuga. It also
states (11.5.36-37) that enlightened persons who are advanced in knowledge can
appreciate the real value of this fallen age of Kali-yuga because in this age
all perfection can be attained easily by the process of sankirtana. For
materially embodied souls wandering in this material world, there is no higher
gain than coming in contact with the Supreme Being's sankirtana movement by
which one attains supreme peace and freedom from the cycle of repeated birth and
death.
In the Padma Purana (5.80.2-8) we find a conversation between Shiva and his
wife, Parvati, in which Shiva specifically says that Kali-yuga does not harass
those who utter the name of Hari or chant Hare Rama, Hare Krishna. One can be
freed from worldly existence just by remembering Vishnu's names, no matter
whether one is pure or impure.
The point is that because this age of Kali is so difficult, polluted and
disturbing--taxing our consciousness with so many distractions--all other forms
of religion and processes of spiritual realization either lose their
effectiveness or offer only incomplete knowledge; thus, they simply fail to
produce the needed results. They may produce some peace and forgiveness, some
moral standards and understanding, but they do not deliver the higher principles
of spiritual realization. Shukadeva Gosvami says in the Srimad-Bhagavatam
(12.3.45-49) that although all objects, places, and persons in Kali-yuga are
polluted, the Supreme Being can remove such contamination from one who hears or
chants about, meditates upon, glorifies, or simply offers respect to the
Supreme. Therefore, by remaining ever aware and focused on the Lord in the
heart, the contamination from many thousands of lifetimes can be removed. Such
awareness is many times more potent than any other process; such as austerities,
breath control, strict vows, or bathing in holy places. Anyone who maintains
this concentration at the time of death will certainly attain the supreme
destination in the spiritual world.
In this regard it is further related in the Mahanirvana Tantra (2.14-20) that
all Vedic rites and processes of spiritual purification that were effective in
other ages are useless in this age of Kali-yuga. So the primary process that
must be followed in this age is the use of mantras from the tantric texts that
give immediate results when used for chanting, meditation, or rituals and
ceremonies.
This is also verified in a verse from the Brahma-vaivarta Purana which explains
that in the age of Kali, austerities, yoga meditation, elaborate Deity worship,
and rituals, cannot be carried out properly even by experts. This means that our
faculties, whether they are mental, intellectual, physical, or otherwise, are
simply not available in this age to the degree necessary to enable us to reach
the proper results by any of these methods.
Therefore, the Brihan-naradiya Purana (39.97), along with the Vishnu Purana
(6.2.17), the Padma Purana (Uttara-khanda 72.25), and the Bhagavat Purana
(12.3.52) all say that what was achieved in Satya-yuga by meditation, and in
Treta-yuga by the performance of rituals, and in Dvapara-yuga by refined Deity
worship, can now be attained in Kali-yuga simply by sankirtana, glorifying or
singing the names of God, Lord Keshava, Krishna. In other words, because
Kali-yuga is the most difficult age, we have been given the easiest spiritual
process. This is stated in the Kurma Purana (1.30.37) that although the age of
Kali is full of defects, the good point is that people can acquire great
spiritual merit without great strain. The Vayu Purana (58.47), as well as the
Linga Purana (40.47), goes on to explain that pious acts performed in one day in
Kali-yuga are equal to those practiced for a month in Dvapara-yuga, or a year in
Treta-yuga. Further elaboration is given in the Padma Purana (1.41.91-92, and
7.26.40-44) which explains that what merit is attained through ten years of
spiritual practice in Satya or Krita-yuga, a year in Treta-yuga, or a month in
Dvapara-yuga, is attained in one day and night in Kali-yuga. What is achieved by
meditation in Krita-yuga, or by ceremonies in Treta-yuga, or by elaborate
worship in Dvapara-yuga, one can obtain in Kali-yuga simply by glorifying and
repeating the name of Keshava (Krishna). The Padma Purana (6.71.23-29) also
concludes that with all their sins destroyed by this means in Kali-yuga, people
can attain the highest position.
The Narada Purana (1.41.89-118) also gives explicit directions on rising into a
higher dimension of existence, both individually and collectively. It is stated
that nowhere does the dark age of Kali affect those whose consciousness is
absorbed in devotion to Hari, Krishna, or who practice the recitation of His
names. In fact, it states that those who are devoted to the repetition of the
names of Hari are equal to Shiva [or can attain Shiva's higher dimensional level
of existence by the required change of consciousness]. Therefore, it is advised
that one should always be absorbed in the spiritual vibrations of reciting the
holy names of Hari, Keshava, Govinda, Vasudeva, Jagannatha, or Krishna. Those
persons need not be afraid of the age of Kali. They are very fortunate and
noble, even if they do not have the association of saintly persons. How
fortunate are those who recite these names, for sins do not bind them and they
are worthy of being worshiped by the Devas. Narada emphatically declares that
individual liberation from the material world is not possible by any other means
in Kali-yuga except through the name of Hari. This is the greatest merit and
penance.
The conclusion of all this is that the greatest virtue of Kali-yuga is the
opportunity to learn and hear about the Supreme Being and, thus, clear your
consciousness to perceive who and what you really are. This is clearly stated in
the Bhagavatam (12.3.51): "Although Kali-yuga is an ocean of faults there is
still one good quality about this age, and that is by chanting the holy names of
Krishna one can become free from material existence and reach the spiritual
kingdom." This is the ultimate goal of life. This is what can easily be achieved
in this age of Kali.
These verses provide some clear evidence as to the power of the Hare Krishna
mantra. The reason that chanting the Lord's names in this way 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
nondifferent 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 not only in
direct association with Krishna, but is also delivered from the clutches of the
material energy.
Because chanting the names of God brings us in direct contact with God in
proportion to the chanter's purity, this process of self-realization is the way
of success for everyone. The Bhagavatam (2.1.11) discloses that the chanting of
God's names in the manner of the great authorities is the doubtless way to
spiritual success for everyone, no matter whether they are full of material
desires or free of all desires, or self-satisfied because of their spiritual
knowledge.
Simply by relying on the chanting of the holy names of God, one need not depend
upon other processes, rituals, paraphernalia, or persons. One does not even have
to be initiated by a spiritual master to chant the maha-mantra. As the
Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya-lila, 15.108) says, one does not have to take
initiation, but only has to chant the holy names. Thus, deliverance is available
to all kinds of people. Furthermore, Rupa Gosvami writes about the potency of
the holy name in his Padyavali:


"The holy name of Lord Krishna is an attractive feature for many saintly,
liberal people. It is the annihilator of all sinful reactions and is so powerful
that save for the dumb who cannot chant it, it is readily available to everyone,
including the lowest type of man, the chandala. The holy name of Krishna is the
controller of the opulence of liberation, and it is identical with Krishna.
Simply by touching the holy name with one's tongue, immediate effects are
produced. Chanting the holy name does not depend on initiation, pious activities
or the purascarya regulative principles generally observed before initiation.
The holy name does not wait for all these activities. It is self-sufficient.
(Padyavali 29)

Herein is evidence that the Hare Krishna maha-mantra is so powerful that one who
sincerely takes shelter of it will attain all the desired results of connection
with the Supreme. The Skanda Purana gives further evidence of how powerful is
the maha-mantra: "The name of the Lord need not be chanted with regard to place,
time, circumstantial conditions, preliminary self-purification or any other
factors. Rather, it is completely independent of all other processes and rewards
all the desires of those who eagerly chant it." (Skanda Purana)
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.
In Kali-yuga 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.
Even those living in other ages desire to take birth in Kali-yuga to take
advantage of this special concession of a speedy delivery from the cycle of
birth and death through the process of sankirtana. This is confirmed in
Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.38) where we find it said that those who live during
Satya-yuga and other ages wish to be born in Kali-yuga just to take advantage of
associating with the devotees of Lord Narayana, who are especially found in
South India.
The Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.32) also explains that intelligent persons perform
congregational singing of Krishna's names to worship the incarnation of Krishna
who sings His own names, and who is accompanied by His associates and
confidential companions. Therefore, as the Caitanya-caritamrta (Adi-lila, 7.74)
specifically says, the essence of all scriptural teachings is that the only
religious principle in the age of Kali is to chant the Lord's holy names, which
are the basis of all Vedic hymns. "In this way the most perfect penance to be
executed in this world is the chanting of the name of Lord Sri Hari. Especially
in the age of Kali, one can satisfy the Supreme Lord Vishnu by performing
sankirtana." (Caturmasya-mahatmya section of the Skanda Purana)
The fact of the matter, as explained in Srimad-Bhagavatam (3.33.6-7), is that
regardless of what one's present situation is, if a person once speaks about the
activities and chants the holy names of the Supreme, or hears about and
remembers Him, he becomes eligible to engage in the Vedic rituals. And how much
more glorious are those who regularly chant the holy names. Such people are
indeed worshipable, for they must have performed all kinds of austerities,
achieved the characteristics of the Aryans, studied the Vedas, bathed at all the
holy places of pilgrimage, and done whatever else is required.
In this way, we can begin to understand how elevated the writer of the Vedic
scripture considers those who have adopted the process of chanting Krishna's
holy names. However, for those who do not like the chanting of the holy names
and blaspheme the process and criticize or try to restrain those who do chant,
we can understand that their sentiment is due to their sinful and offensive
activities. Such people are said to have no intelligence and work for no useful
purpose and simply contribute to the chaos and confusion within society. The
Bhagavatam (3.9.7) confirms that those who do not engage in the blessed chanting
and hearing about the activities of the Supreme are bereft of intelligence and
good fortune. They perform sinful activities to enjoy sensual pleasure which
lasts only for a short time.


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