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Vaishnavism / Bhakti Yoga

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण, कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे | हरे राम हरे राम, राम राम हरे हरे ||

Hare Krishna Maha Mantra

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare | Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare

"A direct call to the divine energy of Krishna and Rama"

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Lokanath Swami

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Lokanath Swami

Kirtan / Vaishnava

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Practice Tools

Hare Krishna Maha Mantra

A print-friendly lyric sheet for chanting along

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Meaning & Translation

Sanskrit

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण, कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे | हरे राम हरे राम, राम राम हरे हरे ||

Transliteration

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare | Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama Hare Hare

Deity / Quality Invoked

Krishna

Pronunciation

Hear It Spoken

hah-REY krish-nah | hah-REY rah-mah

Full Translation

The Maha Mantra — the 'great mantra' — consists of three names of the divine: Hare (the divine energy, or Radha), Krishna (the all-attractive), and Rama (the source of all joy). Chanting it is considered the most potent spiritual practice for this age.

Spiritual Significance

According to the Bhakti tradition, chanting the Maha Mantra purifies the heart and brings the practitioner into direct contact with the divine. It is the primary practice of the Hare Krishna movement and a cornerstone of Vaishnava Kirtan.

Cultural Context & History

Popularized globally by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and ISKCON, this mantra originates in the Kali-Santarana Upanishad and has been central to Vaishnava devotion for centuries.

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Words from this page, explained in our A–Z reference.

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