Meditations on the Hare Krishna Mahamantra:

Maha Mantra Pronunciation Guide:
Maha-mantra Tika of Srila Bhaktivinod Thakur:
Mahamantra-vyakhya: Explanation of the Maha-mantra:
Mahamantrasya madhuryamayi vyakhya
Mahamantrasya yugalasmaranamayi vyakhya
Maha mantra References

Maha-mantra Tika
Explanation of the Maha-mantra by Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur
(from Sri Krishna Kathamrita translated by Bhakti-vaidurya Madhava das)

(1)  [Hare] = O Hari! Having captured my mind, please free me from material bondage.

(2)  [Krishna] = O Krishna! Please attract my mind by pulling it to You.

(3)  [Hare] = O Hari! Please capture my mind by Your unsurpassed sweetness.

(4)  [Krishna] = O Krishna! Please purify my mind with knowledge about devotional service given to me by Your own devotee.

(Where to search out this “Krishna’s own devotee”?  Well, “mor senapati bhakta” : “My that dear devotee who is the commander general of  the army <multitude> of My devotees” -- said Lord Sri Krishna Chaitanya about our Srila Prabhupada!) (Who is Sri Krishna Chaitanya? Answer: http://www.acbspn.com/godhead/gaura_1predictions.htm)

(5)  [Krishna] = O Krishna! Please make me able to relish Your transcendental name, form, qualities, pastimes, etc.

[The explanation of the next “Krishna” is missing from the translation]

(7)  [Hare] = O Hari! Please make me fit to serve You.

(8)  [Hare] = O Hari! Please make me able to relish Your transcendental name, form, qualities, pastimes, etc.

(9)  [Hare] = O Hari! Please direct me to do some particular service for You.

(10)  [Rama] = O Rama! Let me hear about Your most cherished pastimes in the company of Your dearest devotees.

(Sri Radha is called ramA (ramaa) because her association gives pleasure to Sri Krishna. Because Sri Krishna is with that ramA, He is called "rAma" - RAma or raama.)

(11)  [Hare] = O Hara (Sri Radha)! Please reveal to me Your most cherished pastimes with Your beloved Sri Krishna.

(12)  [Rama] = O Rama! Please reveal to me Your most cherished pastimes with Your beloved Sri Radha.

(13)  [Rama] = O Rama! Please engage me in remembering Your transcendental name, form, qualities, pastimes etc.

(14)  [Rama] = O Rama! Please make me fit to serve You while remembering Your transcendental name, form, qualities, pastimes etc.

(15)  [Hare] = O Hari! Having accepted me as one of Your own servitors, please enjoy me as You please.

(16)  [Hare] = O Hari! Please enjoy me in Your transcendental way. This is my humble request at Your lotus feet.

(1)
The Lord's divine qualities revealed in the Mahamantra

harati tri-vidham tapam janma-koti-satodbhavam
papam ca smaratam yasmat tasmad harir iti smrtah

The Lord is known as Hari because He takes away the sins and three types of suffering accumulated over millions of births, of those who remember Him.

krsir bhur-vacakah sabdo nas ca nirvrti-sucakah
tayor aikyam param brahma krishna ity abhidhiyate

The root krs- indicates the supreme attractiveness of the Lord, the suffix -na indicates the supreme joy. Thus, the name Krishna indicates the Supreme Brahman who is the acme of these two characteristics.

ramante yogino'nante satyananda-cid-atmani
iti rama-padenasau para-brahmabhidhiyate

The yogis take pleasure in the Supreme Self which is existence, knowledge and bliss absolute. Therefore that truth, known as the Param Brahman is also called Rama. (Rama-tapaniyopanisad 1.6)

(2)
Mahamantrasya madhuryamayi vyakhya

The Lord's intimate qualities revealed in the Mahamantra

vijnapya bhagavat-tattvam cid-ghanananda-vigraham
haraty avidyam tat-karyam ato harir iti smrtah

The Lord is known as Hari because he takes away the ignorance of His devotees by revealing to them the actual nature of the Supreme Lord and His personal spiritual form.

harati krishna-manah krishnahlada-svarupini
ato harety anenaiva sri-Sri Radha parikirtita

Because she steals Krishna's mind, because she is the incarnation of Krishna's joy, Sri Radha is also known by the name Hara.

anandaika-sukha-svami syamah kamala-locanah
gokulanandano nanda-nandanah krishna iryate

The dark, lotus-eyed Lord, the only master of the highest joy, who brings pleasure to Gokula, the son of Nanda, is known as Krishna.

vaidagdhya-sara-sarvasvam murta-liladhidaivatam
sri-Sri Radham ramayan nityam rama ity abhidhiyate

Krishna is also known as Rama because the joys of conjugal life are the essence of His being, because He is the tutelary deity of loving sports incarnate, and because He brings pleasure to Srimati Radharani.

(3)
Mahamantrasya yugalasmaranamayi vyakhya

Remembering the Divine Couple through the Mahamantra

mano harati krishnasya krishnahlada-svarupini
tato hara sri-Sri Radhaiva tasyah sambodhanam hare

Because she steals Krishna's mind and because she is the embodiment of Krishna's divine joy, Sri Radha is known as Hara. Hare is the vocative form of that name.

apagrhya trapam dharmam dhairyam manam vraja-strinam
venuna karsati grhat tena krsno 'bhidhiyate

Because he robbed the women of Vraja of their shame, their religious principles, their self-possession, and their pride, and through the playing of His flute drew them out of their homes and into the forest, He is known as Krishna.

ramayaty anisam rupa-lavanyair vraja-yositam
manah-pancendriyaniha ramas tasmat prakirtitah

Krishna is glorified by the name Rama because He constantly causes the Vraja cowherd women's minds and senses to enjoy the charms of His beauty.

Hare Krishna Mahamantra - references

Vedic mantra on the same level as "om", so powerful that it needs (contrary to other mantras) no rishi, devata, nyasa etc.

The mahamantra is mentioned in various scriptures as the ***only*** means of deliverance in this age of Kali:

hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
iti sodasakam namnam kali-kalmasa-nasanam
natah parataropayah sarva-vedesu drsyate

The sixteen names of the Hare Krishna mahamantra: hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare, hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare destroy all the inauspiciousness of the age of Kali. This is the conclusion of all the Vedas. (Kali-santarana Upanisad from Krishna Yajur Veda)

hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
ratanti halaya vapi te krtartha na samsayah

Hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare: Whoever chants this mantra, even neglectfully, will attain the supreme goal of life. Of this there is no doubt. (Agni Purana)

harir eva samaradhyah sarva deve suresvarah
hari nama maha mantrair nasyatpapa pisacakam

All the grievous sins of one who worships Lord Sri Hari, the Lord of all lords, and chants the holy name, the Mahamantra, are removed. (Padma Purana, Svarga Khanda 50.6)

hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare
sodasaitani namani dvatrimsad varnakani hi
kalau yuge maha-mantrah sammato jivatarane
varjayitva tu namaitad durjanaih parikalpitam
chandobaddham susiddhanta viruddham nabhyaset padam
tarakam brahma-namaitad brahmana gurunadina
kalisantaranadyasu sruti-svadhigatam hareh
praptam sri brahma-sisyena sri naradena dhimata
namaitad-uttamam srauta-paramparyena brahmanah
utsrjyaitan-maha-mantram ye tvanyat kalpitam padam
mahanameti gayanti te sastra-guru langhanah
tattva-virodha-sanprktam tadrsam daurjanam matam
sravatha pariharyam syadatma-hitarthina sada
hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

Hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare, hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare: This sixteen-name, thirty-two syllable mantra is the mahamantra in the age of Kali by which all living beings can be delivered. One should never abandon chanting this mahamantra and take to other so-called purificatory processes which are practiced by rascals, or engage in chanting other metrical compositions of the name of Krishna that are against the pure conclusions of the scriptures, or are filled with rasaabhaas. About this divinely spiritual mahamantra, which delivers one from material existence, the original guru, Lord Brahma, has said, kali-santararadi sruti, "The srutis have declared this mantra to be the best means of deliverance in the age of Kali". Having all heard this from Brahma, the sons and disciples of Brahma, beginning with Narada, all accepted the Hare Krishna mahamantra and, having meditated on it, attained perfection. (Ananta-samhita)

Ananta-samhita is a Pancaratra agama, part of the pancaratra corpus known collectively among Gaudiya Vaisnavas as the Narada Pancaratra)

Mahamantra is further mentioned in CC Antya 9.56, CB Madhya 23.76-77, Narada Pancaratra etc.

hare krishna krsneti krsneti mukhyan
mahascarya-namavali-siddha-mantran
krpa-murti-chaitanya-deva upagitan
kadabhyasya vrndavane syan krtartha

When will my heart become satiated by perfecting the chanting of the Hare Krishna mahamantra in Sri Vrindavan Dham, which the most merciful Sri Chaitanyadeva personally chanted and distributed to the fallen souls out of compassion? This wonderful mahamantra is mixed with the mellows of love and is the chief and the perfection of all other mantras. They are full of spiritual energies and glories. (Sri Vrindavana Mahimamrta by Srila Prabodhananda Sarasvati 17.89)

Srila Bhaktivinode Thakur says in his song Sri Nama from Gitavali:

gaay gora madhur sware
hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare
hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

Lord Gaurasundara sings in a very sweet voice, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
Hare Krishna!

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