The Glories of the Holy Names (Hare Krishna Mantra
•Krishna and His name are non-different (Namonaminoabhinatwa)
•The Lord’s name has descended from Goloka (Golokerpremadhanaharinaam
sankitan)
•Invested with the Lord’s spiritual potency
•Purifies the heart and mind
•The chanting process is simple, sublime, and all-auspicious; even a child can take
part
•Frees one from sinful reaction and material bondage;
•Chanting “Rama” gives the same result as chanting the 1000 names of Vishnu
•Chanting once “Krishna” has the same potency as 3x the 1000 names of Vishnu
•Also effective for someone who is not even aware of its potency
•Contains the benefits of all other Vedic rites; to be chanting is the same as having
performed all the Vedic processes of purification
•The means in this age for attaining pure love of God (Krishna-prema)
•Protects you from maya and falldowns
•Purifies the whole atmosphere
•Yields the same results as the processes of previous yugas
•Elevates one even from a low background
•The only possible process in this age: everything else is too difficult to execute
•Chanters are most attractive to Krishna
•All the Vedic knowledge is contained within the maha-mantra, the essence of the
Vedas is to chant, and by chanting one realizes the meaning of the Vedas
•The ultimate means to attain the ultimate success
Vedic verses glorifying the holy names
•”By once chanting the holy name of the Lord, which consists of the two syllables hari,
one guarantees his path to liberation.” (SkandaPurana)
•”Simply by chanting one holy name of Hari, a sinful man can counteract the reactions to more sins than he is able to commit.” (Brhad-Vishnu Purana)
•”If one chants the holy name of the Lord, even in a helpless condition or without
desiring to do so, all the reactions of his sinful life depart, just as when a lion roars,
all the small animals flee in fear.” (Garuda Purana)
•”Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Vishnu, in Treta-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvapara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.” (SB
12.3.52)
•”To say nothing of the spiritual advancement of persons who see the Supreme Person
face to face, even a person born in a family of dog-eaters immediately become eligible to perform Vedic sacrifices if he once utters the holy name of the Supreme
Personality of Godhead or chants about Him, hears about His pastimes, offers him obeisances or even remembers Him.” (SB 3.33.6)
•My dear Narada, actually I do not reside in My abode, Vaikuntha, nor do I reside within the hearts of the yogis, but I reside in The glories of Holy Name that place where My pure devotees chant My holy name and discuss My form, pastimes and qualities.” (Padma Purana)
•”O King, constant chanting of the holy name of the Lord after the ways of the great authorities is the doubtless and fearless way of success for all, including those who
are free from all material desires, those who are desirous of all material enjoyment,
and also those who are self-satisfied by dint of transcendental knowledge.” (SB
2.1.11)
•”Those who are actually advanced in knowledge are able to appreciate the essential value of this age of Kali. Such enlightened persons worship Kali-yuga because in this fallen age all perfection of life can easily be achieved by the performance of sankirtana.” (SB 11.5.36)
•”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.” (SB 1.1.14)
The maha-mantra appears in the Kali-santaranaUpanisad of the KrsnaYajur Veda wherein Lord Brahma is answering a question by Narada Muni:
1.Harih om
dvaparantenaradobrahmanamjagamkathambhagavan gam paryatan-kalimsantare-yamiti sahovaca brahma –sadhu prsto’smisarvasruti-rahasyamgopayam tacchrnuyena kali-samsaramtarisyasibhagavata adi-purusasyanarayanasyanamoccarana-matrenanirdhuta-kalirbhavati
At the end of Dvapara-Yuga, Narada, who had traversed the whole world, went to Brahma and addressed him thus, ‘O Lord, how shall I be able to ward off the effects of Kali?’ Brahma thus replied, ‘You have asked an excellent question. Listen to that secret which all the Vedas keep hidden, through which one may cross over material existence during the age of Kali. One becomes free from the influence of Kali by merely uttering the Names of Lord Narayana, who is the original Supreme Person.
2.Naradahpunahpapracchatananamkimitisahovacahiranyagarbah –hare krisna hare krisnakrisnakrisna hareharerama hare ramaramarama hare hare
Itisodasakamnamnamkali kalmasa-nasanamnataparataropayahsarva-vedesudrsyate
Thus again Narada asked Brahma, ‘What are those Names?’
Lord Brahma replied, ‘Hare Krsna Hare KrsnaKrsnaKrsna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama RamaRama Hare Hare. These sixteen Holy Names will destroy the sinful influences of the age of Kali. I do not see any other method.
What are the rules to chant ?
Punar-naradahpaprcchabhagavanko’syavidhirititam hovaca – nasyavidhiriti
sarvadasucirasuciravapathan-brahmanahsalokatamsamipatamsarupatamsayujyatameti
Again Narada enquired: ‘O Lord, what are the rules to be observed with reference to it (chanting the maha-mantra)?” Brahma replied, “There are no rules. Whoever, in a pure or an impure state, utters these always, attains the same world of the Lord (salokya), proximity with the Lord (samipya), the same form as the Lord (sarupya), or absorption into Brahman (sayujya). (Kali-santaranaUpanisad 3)
Gaurangasundar Das is Iskcon,Inc Communication Director and SM IT head