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Krishna mantra: the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and other Krishna mantras
Devotion to Krishna is carried above all by the chanting of his names. The sixteen-name maha-mantra is the best known; the Bhagavata Purana supplies the prayers around it.
Hare Rama Hare Krishna: the maha-mantra
हरे राम हरे राम राम राम हरे हरे ।
हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे ॥
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Source: Kali-Santarana Upanishad, where Brahma teaches these sixteen names to Narada, the Hare Rama half first.
Meaning: Sixteen names — Hare, Rama, Krishna — each a call to the Lord by name, with nothing asked for. The Upanishad gives the Hare Rama half first; many communities, ISKCON among them, chant the Hare Krishna half first. It is the same mantra either way.
When it is chanted: Sung aloud in kirtan or said softly on a tulsi mala; many devotees keep a fixed number of rounds each day.
Krishnaya Vasudevaya Haraye Paramatmane
कृष्णाय वासुदेवाय हरये परमात्मने ।
प्रणतक्लेशनाशाय गोविन्दाय नमो नमः ॥
Krishnaya Vasudevaya Haraye Paramatmane
Pranatakleshanashaya Govindaya Namo Namah
Source: Bhagavata Purana 10.73.16, the prayer of the kings Krishna freed from captivity.
Meaning: "To Krishna, son of Vasudeva, to Hari, the Supreme Self, who ends the distress of those who bow to him, to Govinda — salutation again and again."
When it is chanted: A daily prayer, and on Janmashtami and Ekadashi.
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya: Krishna as Vasudeva
ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
Source: Bhagavata Purana 4.8.54, where Narada teaches it to the boy Dhruva.
Meaning: "Om, salutation to the Lord Vasudeva." Vasudeva is Krishna's name as the son of Vasudeva, and Vishnu's as the one who dwells in all; the twelve-syllable mantra belongs to both traditions.
When it is chanted: Daily japa, and through Janmashtami.
How to chant a Krishna mantra
- Keep to one mantra; changing mantras every few days is the commonest way a practice fades.
- Sit at the same time each day, after a bath if you can, facing east or north.
- Chant on a mala of 108 beads — one mala is the customary measure — and turn the mala at the larger meru bead rather than crossing it.
- Say the words clearly, at a pace you can keep; attention matters more than speed.
- The traditional time for Krishna is Ekadashi, and Janmashtami; any day is fine for a daily practice.
Mantra practice belongs to a tradition of devotion and reflection. It is not a substitute for medical, legal or financial help, and no mantra comes with a promised result.
108 names of Krishna
The traditional list of Krishna's 108 names, each with its transliteration and meaning, numbered as it is recited.
Krishna mantra: common questions
How many times should a Krishna mantra be chanted?
One mala of 108 is the customary daily measure. Some keep a larger vow, such as eleven malas, or a number completed over forty days; follow your own teacher's or family's practice where it differs.