Mantra Meditation

जप ध्यान

हरेर नाम हरेर नाम

हरेर नामैव केवलम्

कलौ नास्त्य एव नास्त्य एव

नास्त्य एव गतिर अन्यथा

For spiritual progress in this age of Kali, there is no alternative, no alternative, there is no alternative to the Holy Name, the Holy Name, the Holy Name of God.

In Sanskrit "man" means mind and "tra" means to relieve. Thus "mantra" means to calm the mind. Therefore the mind has to be freed from worldly thoughts and activities through the chanting of the holy name.

In spiritual life, the scriptures advise meditation during Satya Yuga, performing Yajnas to please Lord Vishnu in Treta yuga, and conducting grand temple worship in Dvapara Yuga. However, in Kaliyuga, spiritual advancement can only be attained by chanting the holy name of the Lord.

Maha Mantra

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna

Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Ram Hare Ram

Ram Ram Hare Hare

Chanting with Srila Prabhpada

Meaning of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra

"Hare" refers to Mother Hara, the blissful energy of Srimati Radharani. By chanting, individuals seek her blessing to love and serve Sri Krishna. "Krishna" means "all-attractive," while "Rama" symbolizes spiritual joy. The mantra expresses, "O energy of Krishna (Hare/Radhe), O Krishna, engage me in Your service."

Benefits of Chanting

Srila Prabhupada explains in Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu that anyone who continually chants the Hare Krishna Mahamantra binds the Supreme Lord to themselves, making it impossible for the Lord to forget such a devotee.

Addressing the Lord instantly captures His attention.

This leads to a state of bliss, a peaceful mind, a purified heart, and the cessation of all sinful reactions from past lives.

Process of Japa Meditation

Chanting the Hare Krishna mahamantra is essential for everyone, regardless of their busy schedules. It is recommended to chant using rosaries(Japa Mala) to keep track of the number of chants. Srila Prabhupada, the founding acharya of ISKCON, advises beginners and serious devotees to chant a minimum of 16 rosaries (16 x 108 chants) daily. Newcomers may start with fewer rosaries, such as 8, 4, 2, or at least 1, and gradually increase to 16 as they become more accustomed to chanting.

The japa-mala has 108 beads for counting and these are tied together with the "head bead." Take the japa-mala in the right hand, hold it between the thumb and the middle finger (see picture on the facing page). The first finger is not used. Start with the bead next to the head bead.

Before chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, chant the panca-tatva maha-mantra.

"Sri Krishna-Chaitanya Prabhu-Nityananda. Sri Advaita Gadadhara Srivasadi-Gaura-Bhakta Vrinda."

Chanting these names of Lord Chaitanya and His chief associates helps one to become free from offenses in chanting.

Now chant the Mahamantra

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

After chanting the Mahamantra on each bead, proceed to the next one. Once you've chanted 108 times, you'll reach the top bead, completing one "mala" or round. Then, move the beads back without crossing the head bead, and start another round from the last bead, chanting “Sri-Krishna-Chaitanya Prabhu-Nityananda. Sri Advaita Gadadhara Srivasadi-Gaura-Bhakta Vrinda”.

Chanting is simple but must be done properly for best results. It should be loud enough for the person next to the chanter to hear. Focus on holding the mahamantra, following the three rules of effective chanting: “shravan, shravan, shravan”. This concentration, known as “mantra meditation”, is powerful for cleansing our hearts. Though it's hard to keep the mind from wandering, practice leads to perfection. Ensure the mantra is pronounced clearly so each word is heard distinctly.

No Hard Rules

Lord Chaitanya stated that there are no strict rules for chanting; it can be done anytime, anywhere, whether pure or impure. However, the ideal time is early morning during "brahma muhurta," completing sixteen cycles with full concentration before beginning daily activities.

Glory to the Holy Name

The Mahamantra consists of 4 Krishna and 4 Rama. According to scriptures, one name of Rama equals one thousand names of Vishnu, and three names of Rama equal one name of Krishna. Therefore, 1 Krishna = 3 Rama, and 4 Krishna = 12 Rama, plus 4 Rama, totaling 16 Rama. Thus, 1 Mahamantra contains 16 Rama, equating to 16,000 Vishnu.

Initiated devotees of the Hare Krishna movement chant at least 16 rounds per day, with each round containing 108 repetitions of the Mahamantra. This results in 1,728,000 Vishnu names per day, and 16 rounds equal 27.648 million Vishnu names.

Such is the power of chanting the Mahamantra, an excellent method of reviving our divine consciousness.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Srimad-Bhagavatam, 12.3.51: "My dear King, although Kali-yuga is a sea of ​​defects, there is still one good quality in this age: simply by chanting the Hare Krsna maha-mantra, one can be released from material bondage and promoted to the transcendental kingdom."

— Sukadeva Goswami

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.14

Saṅketyam parihāsyaṁ vā stobhaṁ helanmeva vā ।

Vaikuṇṭhānamagraṇāmaseṣāgharāṁ viduḥ || 14 ||

Anyone who chants the name of the Lord is instantly liberated from the consequences of countless sins, even if the chanting is done indirectly, humorously, for musical purposes, or in a dismissive way. This is acknowledged by all learned scholars thoroughly familiar with the scriptures.