Hare Krishna or Om?

 

Srila Prabhupada has very nicely described the significance of the syllable om in his purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 9.14.48 as follows:

In Satya-yuga there was only one Veda, not four. Later, before the beginning of Kali-yuga, this one Veda, the Atharva Veda (or, some say, the Yajur Veda), was divided into four -- Sama, Yajur, Rg and Atharva -- for the facility of human society. In Satya-yuga the only mantra was omkara (om tat sat).

The same name omkara is manifest in the mantra Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. Unless one is a brahmana, one cannot utter omkara and get the desired result.

But in Kali-yuga almost everyone is a sudra, unfit for pronouncing the pranava, omkara. Therefore the sastras have recommended the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Omkara is a mantra, or maha-mantra, and Hare Krishna is also a maha-mantra. The purpose of pronouncing omkara is to address the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vasudeva (om namo bhagavate vasudevaya). And the purpose of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra is the same. Hare: "O energy of the Lord!" Krishna: "O Lord Krishna!" Hare: "O energy of the Lord!" Rama: "O Supreme Lord, O supreme enjoyer!"

In Satya-yuga people knew how to fulfill the necessities of life simply by worshiping Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The same purpose can be served in this age of Kali by the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra, as recommended in the Bhagavatam. Kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet [SB 12.3.51].

Simply by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra, one becomes free from the bondage of material existence and thus becomes eligible to return home, back to Godhead.

From this purport of Srila Prabhupada we can understand that the chanting of Om is only effective for qualified brahmanas, those who are purely fixed in the mode of goodness. Since in this age of Kali we are all influenced to various degrees by the modes of passion and ignorance, the chanting of the Hare Krishna mahamantra instead of Om is essential for our deliverance from the cycle of birth and death.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

H.H. Sankarshan Das Adhikari can be reached at: sda@backtohome.com. For an ecstatic e-course in Krishna Bhakti, please enrol with Him at: www.ultimateselfrealization.com