What Is The Mahā-Mantra?

In Sanskrit, maha means "great," mana means "mind," and tra means "deliverance." The maha-mantra, therefore, is the "Great Chanting for Deliverance of the Mind." Especially in our complex modern society, many unwanted thoughts and anxieties cloud the mind. But the chanting of the holy names of God, or the maha-mantra, cleanses the mind of all unwanted thoughts and simultaneously fixes it upon Krsna, or God.

This fixing of the mind upon God is the basic principle of all meditation, and therefore vibration of the transcendental sound of the Hare Krsna maha-mantra is a simple, authorized and effective method of transcendental meditation. Although the Vedic scriptures recommend many different ways of meditation, such as hatha-yoga, raja-yoga and jnana-yoga, they also conclusively state:

"In this Age of Kali there is no other way, no other way, no other way to achieve liberation than to chant the holy name, chant the holy name, chant the holy name of God." (Brhan-naradiya Purana)