Defintion of Hare

[Guest guest]

Hi,

 

Can anyone tell me what the "Hare" part of "Hare Krishna" means please?

 

Thankyou

[Pankaja_Dasa 1]

 

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.2.8

Vrndavana, September 11, 1975

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Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada:

So Hare Krsna and Hare Rama. Therefore it is enjoined by the sastra, "Chant these two names: Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare." So Rama and Krsna is the Supreme Lord, and Hare means Hara. So Hara means the potency, pleasure potency of the Supreme Lord, Hara. It is addressed as Hare. So Hare Krsna means Radha-Krsna, and Hare Rama means Sita-Rama. So either you chant Hare Krsna or Sita-Rama, it is the same. And this is the only way. This is only. There is no difficulty.

 

 

[Guest guest]

The ecstasy with which the Krishna Consciousness devotees dance and jump at the musical chanting of the " Hare Krishna" mantra, accompanied by cymbals, singly and collectively, for hours together, is a sight to be seen to be believed. God is harih, because the root word har means to destroy; He destroys samsaara (= the cycle of births and deaths) as well as sins of man. He carries away ( = harati) the sins of even evil-minded people. He attracts everything by His charm, therefore He is Krishna. He is Krishna, also because the root Kr indicates Existence and the syllable na indicates Bliss. By His very existence He gives bliss, therefore Krishna. From this meaning several traditions about the word Krishna have arisen. Whatever ritualistic purifications are prescribed in the form of penances and sacrifices, they are all superseded by the very remembrance of Krishna the Lord -- says an age-old verse. Says another such verse: The only medicine to cure the one bitten sharply by the serpent of samsaara is the great mantra glorifying the Lord Vishnu, namely 'Krishna'. The sanctity of the hare krishna mantra goes back to one of the Upanishads, known as kali-santarana-Upanishad.