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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.

 

 

 

Mahamantra-vyakhya: Explanation of the Maha-mantra

(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!