References to the Hare Krishna Mahamantra
Ananta-SamĢhitÄ:
hare krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a hare krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a hare hare
hare rÄma hare rÄma rÄma rÄma hare hare
sĢ£odĢ£a-ÅaitÄni nÄmÄni dvÄtrinÅad varnĢ£a kÄni hi
kalau yuge mahÄ-mantrahĢ£ sammato jÄ«va tÄranĢ£e
“Hare krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a hare krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a hare hare hare rÄma hare rÄma rÄma rÄma hare hare.This hari-nÄma mahÄ-mantra consists of sixteen names and thirty-two syllables. In Kali-yuga this mantra can deliver all jÄ«vas.”
In the Brahma YÄmala, Lord Åiva states:
harimĢ binÄ nÄsti kiÅcat pÄpani-stÄrakamĢ kalau
tasmÄl-lokod-dhÄrÄnĢ£a-ÄrthamĢ hari-nÄma prakÄÅayet
sarvatra mucyate loko mahÄ-pÄpÄt kalau yuge
hare-krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a-pada-dvandvamĢ krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£eti ca pada-dvayam
tathÄ hare-pada-dvandvamĢ hare-rÄma iti dvayam
tad-ante ca mahÄ-devÄ« rÄma rÄma dvayamĢ vadet
hare hare tato brÅ«yÄd harinÄma samud dharet
mahÄ-mantramĢ ca krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£asya sarvapÄpa pranĢ£ÄsĢ£akamiti
“He MahÄdevÄ«! Look! In Kali-yuga there is no easier way to eradicate sins than by ÅrÄ« hari-nÄma. It is therefore essential to propagate ÅrÄ« hari-nÄma among the general populous. The people in Kaliyuga can be easily liberated from the greatest hell by performing sanĢkÄ«rtana of this mahÄ-mantra. To chant the mahÄ-mantra, first chant hare krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a twice, then chant krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a twice, then hare twice. After that, chant hare rÄma twice, then rÄma twice and again hare twice. One should chant, articulate and perform sankÄ«rtana etc., of ÅrÄ« KrĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a’s mahÄ-mantra, which destroys all sins.”
In the RÄdhÄ HrĢ£dya KhanĢ£dĢ£a of the BrahmÄnĢ£dĢ£a PurÄnĢ£a, RomaharsĢ£anĢ£a SÅ«ta prays to ÅrÄ« Veda VyÄsa as follows:
yattvayÄ kÄ«rtitamĢ nÄtha hari-nÄmeti sanjitam
mantramĢ brahma-padamĢ siddhi karamĢ-tad-vad-no-vibho
“He Vibho! He Prabhu! Please instruct me in the brahma svarÅ«pa nÄma mantra of ÅrÄ« Hari which is the bestower of all perfections.”
In reply, ÅrÄ« Veda VyÄsa gives the following instruction:
grĢ£hanĢ£Äd yasya mantrasya dehÄ« brahma-mayo bhavet
sadhyahĢ£ pÅ«tahĢ£ surÄpo ‘pi sarva-siddhi-yuto bhavet
tad-ahamĢ te bhidhÄ-syÄmi mahÄ-bhÄgavato hamsi
hare krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a hare krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a hare hare
hare rÄma hare rÄma rÄma rÄma hare hare
iti sĢ£odĢ£aÅakamĢ nÄmnÄmĢ tri-kÄla kalmasĢ£Äp-aham
nÄtahĢ£ parataropÄyahĢ£ sarva vedesĢ£u vidhyate
“O my son, I will certainly instruct you in that mahÄ-mantra, the acceptance of which a person in the bodily conception of life can be liberated and even a drunkard can quickly become purified and attain all perfection. I will instruct you because you are a mahÄbhÄgavata and a suitable candidate. Just see! The sixteen word mahÄ-mantra, hare krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a hare krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a hare hare hare rÄma hare rÄma rÄma rÄma hare hare, can destroy the sins of the three worlds. The four Vedas do not mention a method for achieving liberation from material bondage superior to the chanting of this mahÄ-mantra.”
Ananta SamĢhitÄ also states:
hare krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a hare krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a hare hare
hare rÄma hare rÄma rÄma rÄma hare hare
sodĢ£asautÄni nÄmÄni dvÄtrimĢ-Åad varnĢ£a-kÄnĢ£i hi
kalÄu yuge mahÄ-mantrahĢ£ sammato jÄ«va-tÄranĢ£e
utsrĢ£a-jyaitan-mahÄ-mantramĢ ye tvanyat kalpitamĢ padam
mahÄ-nÄmeti gÄyanti te ÅÄstra-guru-lanĢi-ghanah
“All ÅÄstras agree that the hare krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a mahÄ-mantra, which is composed of sixteen names and thirty-two syllables, is the illustrious mantra to deliver the jÄ«vas in Kali-yuga. Those who neglect this mahÄ-mantra and accept any other process, due to their own imagination or the imagination of others, are actually disobeying guru and ÅÄstra. If someone asks, ‘Why is this sixteen word hare krĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a mantra the mahÄ-mantra?’ then the following answer is given.
‘Among all of KrĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a’s names’ no name other than Hari can easily take away sins, great misfortune and ignorance. No name other than KrĢ£sĢ£nĢ£a can deliver prema. And no name other than RÄma can bestow liberation.’ This is why the mahÄ-mantra is composed of these three primary names. Secondly, these sixteen names are an invocation. OmĢ, namahĢ£, klÄ«mĢ, svÄhÄ, etc., are not required to make the mantra more potent. For this reason it is called the mahÄ-mantra.”