Shri Krishna, Godhead’s Supreme Personality, is revered worldwide. It is said that the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita will take us through the path of righteousness and grant eternal happiness.Every Krishna devotee aims to follow the path of bhakti and devotion and strive to attain the spiritual state of Krishna consciousness.One of the key elements of this process is the chanting of the holy names of Lord Krishna, which is a blessing in itself. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Shri Krishna, appeared in the holy city of Mathura in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India.Generations have passed, and yet the people on this earth have remembered the glory of the Supreme Lord. Hare Krishna Mantra has the power to awaken the soul and make us see the right path to Godliness. It is by Shri Krishna’s grace that we will finally be able to defeat our materialistic instincts and turn towards a life of spirituality. Chanting the Hare Krishna Mantra with dedication and determination is surely going to take us to the highest spiritual planet known as Goloka Vrindavana. Let’s all learn about the Hare Krishna mantra in this blog. What is Hare Krishna Mantra?From time immemorial, people have been chanting the holy names of Lord Shri Krishna. Of course, Krishna’s teachings are all laid out in Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam, so it is important that as a follower of the Lord, we must read these books. But then, during our daily life, we must chant the Hare Krishna Mantra as a way to remember the Lord during the entire day. Chanting the holy names is highly enlightening, as the Lord is considered the only one to remove all sorts of suffering from the material world. There are various types of holy names, but the most popular mantra which has a tremendous effect is:Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare,Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण, कृष्ण-कृष्ण हरे हरे। हरे राम हरे राम, राम-राम हरे हरे। There is no qualification needed to chant the Hare Krishna Maha-mantra. It can be recited by anyone, at any time, under any circumstances. There is no difference between Krishna and his holy name. The simple meaning of Hare Krishna Mahamantra is, “O Srimati Radharani, please engage me in the service of Krishna.”The Hare Krishna mantra is, in fact, a very old one and can be found mentioned in the Kali-Santarana Upanishad and in many other transcendental Vedic scriptures. As per Kalisantarena Upanishad, these sixteen names, composed of thirty-two syllables, are the only means to counteract the evil effects of Kali-yuga. In all the Vedas, it is seen that to cross the ocean of nescience, there is no alternative to chanting the holy name.This is also where the term Hare Krishna Movement comes from. The mantra is a very powerful one and is known to take you on the path of self-realization.Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who was an incarnation of the Supreme Lord, was an advocate of this mantra, and later, his disciples were able to spread the word of the Lord across the world.In its true sense, the Hare Krishna mantra is not just one thing but the amalgamation of many things. At ISKCON, Hare Krishna Maha Mantra is chanted by every devotee. This mantra is also known as the Maha Mantra, which translates to Great Mantra in English. What are the Benefits of the Hare Krishna Mantra?The Hare Krishna Mantra is known to be the most powerful mantra in the Hindu religion. It can heal numerous inner conflicts and is a very powerful mantra that cleanses material contamination and shows you the right path.Needless to say, the benefits of this are partly why people opt to chant it. However, for true devotees, the devotion and bhakti towards Lord Krishna make them chant the mantra.
- The Path to Happiness .As we have understood from the previous point, self-realization can bring permanent happiness. But why? This is because, instead of chasing temporary material possessions, we will be working towards the goal of inner happiness, which gives eternal benefit.Inner happiness is what is most important in this world, and the Hare Krishna mantra can help us achieve that. Through the mantra, we are able to develop a divine relationship with God.
The Hare Krishna Mantra for success is a true thing. You might think of it as any other mantra, but its lasting benefits say otherwise. Throughout the world, devotees have realized that success is not just material success, not just money and power but inner satisfaction with peace and harmony.
Types of Krishna Mantras and their Meaning
While the Maha Mantra is the most popular, there are other Krishna mantras as well. Each with a new meaning, each with whole different praise for the Lord. Each of these mantras serves as something extraordinary in our lives and can be chanted to help elevate our mental and emotional status.
For a Krishna devotee, these mantras are the part-and-parcel of worshiping the Lord and praising him. Through these mantras, one will find the true meaning of life and reach a state of eternal happiness that we all seek from our time here on earth.
Here is a list of such mantras, along with their meaning:–
Shri Krishna Sharanam Mamah Mantra
Also known as Ashtakshara mantra, this is an eight-syllable that means, “Lord Krishna is my refuge” and is recited as:
“Om Sri Krishnah sharanam mamah”.
ॐ श्री कृष्णाय शरणं मम: ।
Devotees of Lord Krishna chant this mantra remembering the Lord, and calling on to him. The mantra shows us that everything in this world and beyond belongs to the Lord.
Krishna Gayatri Mantra
A mantra that is known to heal miseries, and take away grief. This one is chanted as:-
“Om Damodaray Vidmahe,
Rukmani Vallabhaya Dhimahi,
Tanno Krishnah Prachodayat”
ॐ दामोदराय विद्महे,
रुक्मणीवल्लभाय धीमही,
तन्नो कृष्ण प्रचोदयात् ॥
Through this mantra, the devotee asks the Lord for higher intellect and for illumination of the mind.
Krishna Bhakti Mantra
As the name suggests, Bhakti meaning devotion, this mantra remembers some of the great devotees of Lord Krishna. The mantra goes like this:-
“Jai Shri Krisna Chaitanya Prabhu Nityanand Sri Advaita Gadadhar Srivasadi Gaur Bhakta Vrinda.”
जय श्री कृष्ण चैतन्य, प्रभु नित्यानंद,
श्री अद्वैत, गदाधर, श्रीवास आदि गौर भक्त वृन्द ।।
The mantra asks for blessings for these great devotees of the lord, whose names are spread all across the globe.
Krishna Moola Mantra
The moola mantra of Krishna, this one is a common mantra that is recited by devotees throughout the day. The mantra is:-
“Om Kleem Krishnaya Namaha”
ॐ क्लीं कृष्णाय नमः ।
Through this mantra, the devotee is asking the Lord to accept his or her situation, and send blessings.
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
Recited as…
“Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya”
ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ।
this mantra means, “Om, I bow to Lord Vasudeva or Lord Vasudev”. This mantra means that “I surrender myself to Lord Vasudev”. It is a popular Hindu mantra, and also a key mantra of Vaishnavism. It is also known as the Dwadasakshari Mantra, which literally means “twelve-syllable” and is devoted to both Lord Vishnu as Lord Krishna.
Lord Krishna chanting, or Hare Krishna mantra, should not, however, be done in vain. The devotee must call on the Lord with the utmost belief. Only then will the mantra bring success in their life. Only then will our life be enveloped by eternal happiness that we may never have experienced. Lord Krishna has been worshipped for generations, and his glories have spread across the world. It is the word of the Lord that resonates from the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, and the word of the Lord must be followed. These Mantras bring great joy to anyone who can chant them with full devotion to the Lord.
In its true sense, the Krishna mantra is not just one thing but an amalgamation of many things. At ISKCON, we believe in helping devotees understand the true way of following the path of the Lord. To achieve this, we have regular Bhagavad Gita classes, which can be attended by everyone and are an eye-opener for all!
