Hare Krishna mantra is recommended in Vedic literature for anyone
seeking self-realization in the present age of quarrel and
misunderstanding. Also known as the maha-mantra (great chant), it is
made up of three Sanskrit names of the Supreme Being; "Hare," "Krishna,"
and "Rama:"
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare
"Krishna" refers to the incomparable attractiveness of the Supreme
Being, "Rama" indicates God as the source of all happiness, and "Hare"
is a call to God's compassionate feminine aspect, Radharani. The mantra
is often translated, "O Lord, O Energy of the Lord, please engage me in
Your service."
Attentive chanting of this
mantra frees one from anxiety, brings satisfaction to the self, enables
one to experience their own spiritual nature, and delivers one
ultimately to the supreme destination, or spiritual world. It is
mentioned in some of the most ancient Puranas ("histories") and was
popularized in the fifteenth century by Lord Chaitanya and spread
worldwide by Srila Prabhupada in the late twentieth century.
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 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 for winning 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 the
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
sense, 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 status of
consciousness, namely sensual, mental, and intellectual.
There is no need of understanding the language of the mantra, nor is
there 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 it practically. Even a child can take
part in the chanting, or even a dog can take part in it.
This chanting should be heard from the lips of a pure devotee of the
Lord so that immediate effect can be achieved. As far as possible,
chanting from the lips of a non-devotee should be avoided, as much as
milk touched by the lips of a serpent causes poisonous effect.
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 as Hare, helps us in
reaching the Supreme Lord.
The material energy, called
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
the 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 protect the conditioned
soul. This chanting is exactly like the genuine cry of a child for its
mother. Mother Hara helps the devotee achieve the grace of the Supreme
Father, Hari or Krishna, and the Lord reveals Himself to the devotee who
chants this mantra sincerely.
Therefore no other means of
spiritual realization is as effective in this age of quarrel and
hypocrisy as the chanting of the maha-mantra.
