Haridasa Ṭhakura never wanted to enjoy the prostitute, but he tricked her to deliver her by giving her a chance to hear the holy name of the Lord while he chanted. Pure devotees chant the Hare Krsna mantra, and simply by hearing this chanting from a purified transcendental person, one is purified of all sinful activities, no matter how lowborn or fallen one may be. As soon as one is thus completely free from the reactions of sinful activities, he is eligible to render devotional service to the Lord. This is the process for engaging the fallen souls in devotional service. (Srila Prabhupada Cc. Antya-lila 3.126)
[From Geevees]
The following is a slightly contextualized compilation of references on the Hare Krishna maha-mantra from the era predating Sri Chaitanya. Regrettably many of them are from second-hand sources and as such lack proper exact references.
In the Radha Hridya Khanda of the Brahmanda Purana, Romaharsana Suta prays to Sri Veda Vyasa as follows:
yat tvayA kIrtitaM nAtha hari-nAmeti sanjitam |
mantraM brahma-padaM siddhi karaM-tad-vad-no-vibho ||
“O master, O mighty one! Please glorify the Hari-nama mantra situated in transcendence, the cause of all perfection!”
gRhaNAd yasya mantrasya dehI brahma-mayo bhavet |
sadhyaH pUtaH surApo ‘pi sarva-siddhi-yuto bhavet
-ahaM te ‘bhidhAsyAmi mahA-bhAgavato hamsi ||
hare kRSNa hare kRSNa kRSNa kRSNa hare hare |
hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare ||
iti SoDazakaM nAmnAM tri-kAla kalmaSApaham |
nAtaH parataropAyaH sarva vedeSu vidhyate ||
Agni Purana states:
hare kRSNa hare kRSNa kRSNa kRSNa hare hare |
raTanti halayA vApi te kRtArthA na saMzayaH ||
Padma Purana states:
dvAntriM-sad-akSaraM mantraM nAma-SoDa-zakAnvitam |
prajapan vaiSNavo nityaM rAdhA-kRSNa-sthalaM-labhet ||
“Any Vaishnava who chants the mantra consisting of thirty-two syllables and sixteen names will attain the abode of Radha and Krishna.”
The following statement on the congregational chanting of the Hari-nama maha-mantra also found in the Padma Purana:
harer nAma mahA-mantrair nazyet pApa pizAcakaM |
harer agra svarair uccair nRtyaM stan-nAmakrin-naraH |
“Anyone who dances in front of Sri Hari and loudly chants the hari nama maha-mantra will destroy all witches of sin. Just as the water of sacred rivers like the Ganga purify the universe, similarly those who circumambulate Sri Hari and loudly perform nama sankirtana of the 16-word maha-mantra with sweet voices and while clapping the hands, purify the entire universe.”
The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is also related in the Brahmanda Purana, Uttarakhanda, 6.55. The Pippalada-branch of the Atharva Veda states:
svanAma-mUla-mantreNa sarvaM hlAdayati vibhuH |
sa eve mUlam-mantraM japati haririti kRSNa iti rAma iti ||
“The name is the root of all mantras, the splendid one bringing joy to everyone. This root-mantra is chanted as Hari, Krishna and Rama.”
Kali-santarana Upanisad (2) of Krishna Yajur Veda states:
hare kRSNa hare kRSNa kRSNa kRSNa hare hare |
hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare ||
iti soDazakaM nAmnAM kali-kalmaSa-nAzanam |
nAtaH parataropAyaH sarva-vedeSu dRSyate ||
“The sixteen names of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra – ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare’ --destroy all the inauspiciousness of the age of Kali. This is the conclusion of all the Vedas.”
Some renditions of the text reverse the two lines of the maha-mantra, starting with Hare Rama. The Gaudiya tradition, however, does not concur with the alternative reading. Rama-tapaniyopanisad (1.6) explains the meaning of the maha-mantra as follows:
harati tri-vidhaM tapaM janma-koti-zatodbhavam |
pApaM ca smarataM yasmAt tasmAd dharir 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 zabdo nas ca nirvRti-zucakaH |
tayor aikyaM paraM brahma kRSNa 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 satyAnande cid-Atmani |
iti rAma-padenAsau paraM 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.”
The Chaitanya Upanisad published by Kedarnath Bhaktivinoda also has a reference to the Hare Krishna maha-mantra:
sa eva mUla-mantraM japati harir iti kRSNa iti rAma iti || 11 ||
“He chants the original mantra consisting of Hari, Krishna and Rama.”
harati hRdaya-granthiM vAsanA-rUpam iti hariH | kRSiH smaraNe tac ca Nas tad ubhaya-melanam iti kRSNaH | ramayati sarvam iti rAma Ananda-rUpaH | atra zloko bhavati || 12 ||
“He who removes the knot in the heart in the form of material desire, is called Hari. The union by the remembrance of the root krs- and the affix -na, is the hymn of praise - Krishna. He who gives pleasure to everything is the form of bliss - Rama. Thus the verse becomes.”
Ananta-samhita, one among the voluminous pancaratra-agamas, also suspected to be a post-Chaitanya work, states:
hare kRSNa hare kRSNa kRSNa kRSNa hare hare |
hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare ||
“‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare’ -- This sixteen-name, thirty-two syllable mantra is the maha-mantra in the age of Kali by which all living beings can be delivered. One should never abandon chanting this maha-mantra 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 rasabhasa.
About this divinely spiritual maha-mantra, which delivers one from material existence, the original guru, Lord Brahma, has said, kali-santararadi srutite, ‘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 maha-mantra and, having meditated on it, attained perfection.”
In Jnanamrita Sara, a scripture belonging to the Pancaratrika corpus of literature, the following statement is found:
ziSya ‘syodaG mukha-sthasya harer-nAmAni SoDaza |
saMzrAvyaiva tato dagdhAn mantraM trai-lokya-mangalam ||
“Located next to him (the guru), the disciple should hear the sixteen names of Hari from his mouth, thus taking shelter of the mantra which protects from inauspiciousness and causes auspiciousness for the three worlds.”
In the Brahma Yamala, belonging to the tantrika corpus of literature, the following statement is found:
hariM binA nAsti kiJcat pApani-stArakaM kalau |
tasmAl-lokod-dhArANa-ArthaM hari-nAma prakAzayet ||
“Without Hari, there is no way to eradicate the sins of the age of Kali, and therefore it is essential that Hari-nama should be manifest in all the worlds. In this way the entire world can be delivered from the great sins of the age of Kali. First one should twice chant ‘Hare Krishna’, then twice ‘Krishna’, then twice ‘Hare’, then twice ‘Hare Rama’, and in the end, O Maha-Devi, one should chant ‘Rama’ twice, and then ‘Hare Hare’. In this way one should pronounce Krishna’s Hari-nama maha-mantra, which destroys all sins.”
In the Radha Tantra, the following discussion is found:
zRNu mAtarmahAmAye vizva-bIja-svarUpiNi |
hari nAmno mahAmAye kramaG vad surezvari ||
“Hear me, O mother Mahamaya, seed of the universe personified, mistress of the gods! Please explain the sequence of Hari-nama.”
hare kRSNa hare kRSNa kRSNa kRSNa hare hare |
hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare ||
“O best of sons! ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare’, these thirty-two syllables and sixteen names are always the names for the age of Kali. This mantra should be first heard by all human beings.”
hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare ||
iti SoDazakaM nAmnAM tri-kAla kalmaSApaham |
nAtaH parataropAyaH sarva vedeSu vidhyate ||
“The embodied soul who accepts this mantra will become filled with transcendence, and by accepting it, even a drunkard will attain all perfections. I will recite this mantra to you, for you are a swan-like mahabhagavata. ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.’ These sixteen names can destroy the sins of the three worlds, and nothing higher than them is to be found in all the Vedas.”
Agni Purana states:
hare kRSNa hare kRSNa kRSNa kRSNa hare hare |
raTanti halayA vApi te kRtArthA na saMzayaH ||
“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.”
Padma Purana states:
dvAntriM-sad-akSaraM mantraM nAma-SoDa-zakAnvitam |
prajapan vaiSNavo nityaM rAdhA-kRSNa-sthalaM-labhet ||
“Any Vaishnava who chants the mantra consisting of thirty-two syllables and sixteen names will attain the abode of Radha and Krishna.”
The following statement on the congregational chanting of the Hari-nama maha-mantra also found in the Padma Purana:
harer nAma mahA-mantrair nazyet pApa pizAcakaM |
harer agra svarair uccair nRtyaM stan-nAmakrin-naraH |
punAti bhuvanaM vipra! gaGgAdi salilaM yathA ||
hare pradakzinaM kurvann uccais tan nAma krin naraH |
karatAlAdi sandhAnaM susvaraM kAla zabditam ||
hare pradakzinaM kurvann uccais tan nAma krin naraH |
karatAlAdi sandhAnaM susvaraM kAla zabditam ||
“Anyone who dances in front of Sri Hari and loudly chants the hari nama maha-mantra will destroy all witches of sin. Just as the water of sacred rivers like the Ganga purify the universe, similarly those who circumambulate Sri Hari and loudly perform nama sankirtana of the 16-word maha-mantra with sweet voices and while clapping the hands, purify the entire universe.”
The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is also related in the Brahmanda Purana, Uttarakhanda, 6.55. The Pippalada-branch of the Atharva Veda states:
svanAma-mUla-mantreNa sarvaM hlAdayati vibhuH |
sa eve mUlam-mantraM japati haririti kRSNa iti rAma iti ||
“The name is the root of all mantras, the splendid one bringing joy to everyone. This root-mantra is chanted as Hari, Krishna and Rama.”
Kali-santarana Upanisad (2) of Krishna Yajur Veda states:
hare kRSNa hare kRSNa kRSNa kRSNa hare hare |
hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare ||
iti soDazakaM nAmnAM kali-kalmaSa-nAzanam |
nAtaH parataropAyaH sarva-vedeSu dRSyate ||
“The sixteen names of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra – ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare’ --destroy all the inauspiciousness of the age of Kali. This is the conclusion of all the Vedas.”
Some renditions of the text reverse the two lines of the maha-mantra, starting with Hare Rama. The Gaudiya tradition, however, does not concur with the alternative reading. Rama-tapaniyopanisad (1.6) explains the meaning of the maha-mantra as follows:
harati tri-vidhaM tapaM janma-koti-zatodbhavam |
pApaM ca smarataM yasmAt tasmAd dharir 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 zabdo nas ca nirvRti-zucakaH |
tayor aikyaM paraM brahma kRSNa 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 satyAnande cid-Atmani |
iti rAma-padenAsau paraM 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.”
The Chaitanya Upanisad published by Kedarnath Bhaktivinoda also has a reference to the Hare Krishna maha-mantra:
sa eva mUla-mantraM japati harir iti kRSNa iti rAma iti || 11 ||
“He chants the original mantra consisting of Hari, Krishna and Rama.”
harati hRdaya-granthiM vAsanA-rUpam iti hariH | kRSiH smaraNe tac ca Nas tad ubhaya-melanam iti kRSNaH | ramayati sarvam iti rAma Ananda-rUpaH | atra zloko bhavati || 12 ||
“He who removes the knot in the heart in the form of material desire, is called Hari. The union by the remembrance of the root krs- and the affix -na, is the hymn of praise - Krishna. He who gives pleasure to everything is the form of bliss - Rama. Thus the verse becomes.”
Ananta-samhita, one among the voluminous pancaratra-agamas, also suspected to be a post-Chaitanya work, states:
hare kRSNa hare kRSNa kRSNa kRSNa hare hare |
hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare ||
SoDazaitAni nAmAni dvAtriMzad varNakAni hi |
kalau yuge mahA-mantraH sammato jIvatAraNe ||
varjayitvA tu nAmaitad durjanaiH parikalpitam |
kalau yuge mahA-mantraH sammato jIvatAraNe ||
varjayitvA tu nAmaitad durjanaiH parikalpitam |
chandobaddhaM susiddhAnta viruddhaM nAbhyaset padam ||
tArakaM brahma-nAmaitad brahmaNA guruNAdinA |
kalisantaraNAdyAsu zruti-svadhigataM hareH ||
prAptaM zrI brahma-ziSyeNa zrI nAradena dhImatA |
nAmaitad-uttamaM zrauta-pAramparyeNa brahmaNaH ||
tArakaM brahma-nAmaitad brahmaNA guruNAdinA |
kalisantaraNAdyAsu zruti-svadhigataM hareH ||
prAptaM zrI brahma-ziSyeNa zrI nAradena dhImatA |
nAmaitad-uttamaM zrauta-pAramparyeNa brahmaNaH ||
utsRjyaitan-mahA-mantraM ye tvanyat kaepitaM padam |
mahAnAmeti gAyanti te zAstra-guru laNghanaH ||
tattva-virodha-saopRktaM tAdRzaM daurjanaM matam |
sravathA parihAryaM syAdAtma-hitArthinA sadA ||
hare kRSNa hare kRSNa kRSNa kRSNa hare hare |
hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare ||
mahAnAmeti gAyanti te zAstra-guru laNghanaH ||
tattva-virodha-saopRktaM tAdRzaM daurjanaM matam |
sravathA parihAryaM syAdAtma-hitArthinA sadA ||
hare kRSNa hare kRSNa kRSNa kRSNa hare hare |
hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare ||
“‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Rama Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare’ -- This sixteen-name, thirty-two syllable mantra is the maha-mantra in the age of Kali by which all living beings can be delivered. One should never abandon chanting this maha-mantra 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 rasabhasa.
About this divinely spiritual maha-mantra, which delivers one from material existence, the original guru, Lord Brahma, has said, kali-santararadi srutite, ‘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 maha-mantra and, having meditated on it, attained perfection.”
In Jnanamrita Sara, a scripture belonging to the Pancaratrika corpus of literature, the following statement is found:
ziSya ‘syodaG mukha-sthasya harer-nAmAni SoDaza |
saMzrAvyaiva tato dagdhAn mantraM trai-lokya-mangalam ||
“Located next to him (the guru), the disciple should hear the sixteen names of Hari from his mouth, thus taking shelter of the mantra which protects from inauspiciousness and causes auspiciousness for the three worlds.”
In the Brahma Yamala, belonging to the tantrika corpus of literature, the following statement is found:
hariM binA nAsti kiJcat pApani-stArakaM kalau |
tasmAl-lokod-dhArANa-ArthaM hari-nAma prakAzayet ||
sarvatra mucyate loko mahA-pApAt kalau yuge |
hare-kRSNa-pada-dvandvaM kRSNeti ca pada-dvayam ||
hare-kRSNa-pada-dvandvaM kRSNeti ca pada-dvayam ||
tathA hare-pada-dvandvaM hare-rAma iti dvayam |
tad-ante ca mahA-devI rAma rAma dvayaM vadet ||
tad-ante ca mahA-devI rAma rAma dvayaM vadet ||
hare hare tato brUyAd harinAma samud dharet |
mahA-mantraM ca kRSNasya sarvapApa praNASakamiti ||
mahA-mantraM ca kRSNasya sarvapApa praNASakamiti ||
“Without Hari, there is no way to eradicate the sins of the age of Kali, and therefore it is essential that Hari-nama should be manifest in all the worlds. In this way the entire world can be delivered from the great sins of the age of Kali. First one should twice chant ‘Hare Krishna’, then twice ‘Krishna’, then twice ‘Hare’, then twice ‘Hare Rama’, and in the end, O Maha-Devi, one should chant ‘Rama’ twice, and then ‘Hare Hare’. In this way one should pronounce Krishna’s Hari-nama maha-mantra, which destroys all sins.”
In the Radha Tantra, the following discussion is found:
zRNu mAtarmahAmAye vizva-bIja-svarUpiNi |
hari nAmno mahAmAye kramaG vad surezvari ||
“Hear me, O mother Mahamaya, seed of the universe personified, mistress of the gods! Please explain the sequence of Hari-nama.”
hare kRSNa hare kRSNa kRSNa kRSNa hare hare |
hare rAma hare rAma rAma rAma hare hare ||
dvAtriM zadakSarANyeva kalau nAmAni sarvadam |
etanmantraM suta zreSTha prathamaM zRNuyAnnaraH ||
etanmantraM suta zreSTha prathamaM zRNuyAnnaraH ||
“O best of sons! ‘Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare’, these thirty-two syllables and sixteen names are always the names for the age of Kali. This mantra should be first heard by all human beings.”
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