Hare Rama Hare Krishna!!!
“Udayji, a monk from ISKON advised me to chant ‘Hare Krishna Hare Rama’ to attain Moksha and overcome all hurdles in life. He said it is instructed so in the smallest Upanishad ever. Can you explain bit more on this?” a question from Thejus Banerji.
“I do not know just by chanting a mantra you can sail through all hurdles and miseries of life. Chanting can of course help you get moral courage and energy. And secondly, I am not an expert in Upanishads or Scriptures. I just have some working knowledge about it, that’s all…”
“Udayji, your answer is bit confusing. Where does that mantra originate from? Vedas or Upanishads?”
“Rama and Krishna took birth after Vedic period. So it is unlikely that their names were mentioned in the Vedic scriptures. This mantra, to best of my knowledge, is taken from Kali-Santarana Upanishad, which is the smallest ever Upanishads. But its authenticity is still not proven…”
“What’s the Upanishad all about?”
“Kali-Santarana Upanishad is just two sentences. Brahma Prajapati, our ancestor, advises a mantra to his son Sage Narada. Brahma says the sixteen names (words) are destructive of the evil effects of Kali. The current age is considered as Kaliyuga as per Hindu cosmology. This is the Maha Mantra (Great Mantra): Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare!!!”
“Why do you say the Upanishad is not authentic?”
“Kali Santarana is widely considered by scholars to be a later interpolation, not an authentic Hindu scripture. This book only says that it was composed before the sixteenth century. But another group says that it can be linked to the Krishna-Yajur-Veda. In any case, even if you don’t believe in the authenticity of the Kali Santarana Upanishad, there’s still nothing wrong with chanting the Hare Rama Hare Krishna mantra. Most Hindu scriptures do say that chanting the name of Rama and Krishna is extremely beneficial in the Kali Yuga.”
“Udayji, but ISKON says we need to recite Krishna’s name first…”
“According to ISKON’s belief Krishna is the supreme God. So, naturally they may insist that Krishna’s name should come first.”
“Who has written this mantra?”
“Usually, Veda mantras are NOT written. They are seen! Usually Veda mantras provide the name of the sage who saw it. In this case, nobody is sure. Scholars are of the opinion that the Kali-santarana Upanisad was written either by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu or one of His followers. Some people say it was advised by Madhwacharya. Gaudiya Vaishnava followers (especially the organization ISKCON), originates from the Kali Santarana Upanishad. They believe Krishna as supreme God.”
“Do you believe in that?”
“I believe in all Hindu Gods! I adore both Krishna and Rama. Though they were born human, I consider them as avatars. They have shown us how to live in Dharma. So it is great if we recite their names every day – at least we can remind ourselves about the power of Dharma. I have explained the science behind Rama and Krishna in many articles. Please check my website.”
“Is this mantra mentioned anywhere else?”
“I do not know. Other Jagadgurus did not pick that manta for their disciples. They too were of the Kali age.”
“Isn’t that strange?”
“Yes, but chanting Vishnu’s names is certainly a good thing. But I am doubtful if Hare Krishna Mahamantra is an authentic Vedic mantra as opposed to something someone made up a few centuries ago. But it will give peace of mind to devotees when chant any mantra to praise of Vishnu.”
“What does Hare Hare means?”
“To my knowledge, Hare is the first word which is vocative form of ‘Hari’, another name of Vishnu meaning “he who removes illusion” and the second word has come from ‘Haran’ which means to take away our sorrows and pains.”
By
Udaylal Pai
Let’s share and care. Let’s get connected:
Facebook: udaylal.pai
WhatsApp Number: +919447533409
E-mail: uday.pai@hotmail.com
Website: www.udaypai.in
Twitter: Udaylal Pai
Book: Why Am I a Hindu (The Science of Sanatan Dharma). For kindle and international paperback, please visit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N9PAGLT
For Indian paperback (print) edition only: http://prachodayat.org/why-am-i-a-hindu/
