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The holy verses:

hare kṛiṣhṇa hare kṛiṣhṇa kṛiṣhṇa kṛiṣhṇa hare hare

hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

Lord Krishna and Lord Ram were incarnations of Lord Vishnu? So these maha-mantras are for Lord Vishnu or the Supreme God?

user5155835
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    Well, the Hare Krishna Mahamantra is mainly chanted by Gaudiya Vaishnavas, and Gaudiya Vaishnavas believe that Krishna is the supreme god. – Keshav Srinivasan Dec 07 '15 at 05:20
  • By the way, you may be interested in my question here, relating to the Hare Krishna Mahamantra: http://hinduism.stackexchange.com/q/2606/36 – Keshav Srinivasan Dec 07 '15 at 05:40
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    @KeshavSrinivasan thank you sir, for giving reference of your question – user5155835 Dec 07 '15 at 05:49
  • Well if you are a devotee of Vishnu, then he is your supreme god and if you are not then Vishnu is the form of supreme god anyways. – Pinakin Dec 07 '15 at 07:03
  • @ChinmaySarupria Your terminology is slightly imprecise. Vaishnavas believe that Vishnu is supreme, but not all Vishnu devotees do. I'm certainly a devotee of Vishnu, Shiva, Ganesha, and many other gods, but I don't think Shiva is the supreme god. I do think that the supreme God (Vishnu) is the Antaryami or inner self of Shiva, just as he is the Antaryami of the other gods and he is the Antaryami of the soul of every human. – Keshav Srinivasan Dec 07 '15 at 08:32
  • @KeshavSrinivasan This is perspective of individuals. Shiva linga represents Shiva-Shakti, Brahma and Vishnu. It is Symbolic represention of Supreme God or Brahman or SADASHIVA (Shaivas call him by SadaShiva). It is the same thing explained differently in different Puranas. Para Vasudeva = Sada Shiva. Shiva is only male energy of Sada Shiva. – The Destroyer Dec 07 '15 at 09:50
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    @KeshavSrinivasan You believe that Shiva is/was a jiva so you cannot be devotee of a jiva. – Pinakin Dec 07 '15 at 11:33
  • @AnilKumar There is no male/female energy. Para Shiva is the highest Shiva in the form of Shambhu, from Shambhu comes Sada Shiva. In any case, Shiva is not different from Sada Shiva. The Shiva with Vasuki around his neck, moon on his head, that is one and only Shiva. It's just different manifestations of the same being. Shiva is Brahman so is Shakti. – Pinakin Dec 07 '15 at 11:37
  • @Chinmay I can definitely be a devotee of a Jiva. I think that all the Devas (apart from Vishnu) are Jivas, but I am still devoted to them. Even though they are Jivas, they are Jivas that have achieved an exalted state due to their past actions, and thus they are definitely worthy of our reverence and worship. In any case, when worshipping other gods, I do keep in mind that Sriman Narayana is their Antaryami, so that when I worship them I also worship him. – Keshav Srinivasan Dec 07 '15 at 11:44
  • @ChinmaySarupria According to Shiva Purana, Shiva and Shakti together is called Shiva-Shakti aka SadaShiva. Shiva you say is Shankara aka Rudra, human manifestation of Shiva. Shiva is formless according to Shiva Purana. I think every story of Hindu Mythology that didn't happen on earth involves allegory. Best example would be Samudra Mathanam. See this what DAMARU of Shiva could mean. Also His dance (NATARAJA) has lot of allegory and scientists are still finding correlation. – The Destroyer Dec 07 '15 at 12:22
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    Yes it refers to Lord Rama, who is the Supreme Brahman personified. :) There is no mantra or expression that can describe the formless Brahman. All mantras therefore take an indirect route, i.e. they descibe the indescribable Brahman by giving Him characteristics, (e.g. name Rama Krishna, form Shiva or sound AUM) and then worshipping Him through that. In reality, that Attributeless Brahman cannot be described, He can only be experienced (like sweetness of sugar cannot be described, it can only be experienced). Praying to God with form is not different from meditating on Supreme Brahman. :) – Sai Dec 07 '15 at 15:46
  • Yeah, Lord Krishna and Lord Rama were manifestations of Lord Vishnu, and they all (Krishna, Rama, Vishnu) are one and the same Supreme Lord or Supreme God or Brahman usually called para brahman, ie Supreme Brahman. Btw, acaryas have also explained that name rāma in the Hare Krishna maha mantra that you have quoted can refer to Lord Balarama (bala-rāma) also, for He is also the same Lord Vishnu or Supreme God, ie Brahman or the Supreme Absolute Truth (Brahman) of the Upanishads. – brahma jijnasa Dec 08 '15 at 10:37

4 Answers4

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Rama and Krishna are the avatars of Lord Vishnu. Devotees of Lord Vishnu believe that Lord Vishnu is the supreme God. So they chant these Maha-mantras. It is based on your belief that to whom you worship and whom you think as supreme.

Eesha
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Different people have different beliefs as to who is 'Supreme Lord'.

However; the Mahamantra

hare kṛiṣhṇa hare kṛiṣhṇa kṛiṣhṇa kṛiṣhṇa hare hare/ hare rāma hare rāma rāma rāma hare hare

is chanted mostly by the followers of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu(Gaudiya Vaishnavas/ISKCON). Gaudiya Vaishnavas accept Krishna as the 'Supreme Lord'. There are references to this in Bhagavat Purana(Srimad-Bhagawatam), Brahma Samhita etc.

Also krishna is not considered as mere incarnation but as Supreme lord himself by many of the vaishnavas.

I would also like to add that there is no difference between Vishnu and His expansion. But to carry out different works;Lord has assumed different forms and exhibited only that much of opulence and potency which was required to carry out the particular mission.

so yes Hare krishna Mahamantra does refer to supreme lord.

Vishal prabhu lawande
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Answer to this question is in mangalacharan of kali santaran upanishad itself. It goes likes this

यद्दिव्यनाम स्मरतां संसारो गोष्पदायते ।

सा नव्यभक्तिर्भवति तद्रामपदमाश्रये ।।1

जिसके स्मरण से यह संसार गोपद के समान अवस्था को प्राप्त हो जाता है, वह ही नव्य (सदा नूतन रहने वाली) भक्ति है, जो भगवान श्रीराम के पद में आश्रय प्रदान करती है ।।

कलिसन्तरणोपनिषद् वेद्यपद तत्त्व स्वरूपकम् ।

पारम ऐश्वर्य विभवं रामचन्द्रपदं भजे ॥2

कलीसंतरण उपनिषद वेदों के सार का अवतार हैं। परम ऐश्वर्य और शक्ति वाले आदिदेव भगवान श्री रामचन्द्र जी का मैं वन्दना करता हूं।

Mangalacharan refers to original and supreme personality of godhead swaym bhagwan shri Ramchandra.

Rambhakt Niroj Prasad
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(कलिसंतरण उपनिषद)

यद्दिव्यनाम स्मरतां संसारो गोष्पदायते ।

सा नव्यभक्तिर्भवति तद्रामपदमाश्रये ।।

जिनके स्मरण मात्र से यह संसार गोपद के समान अवस्था को प्राप्त हो जाता है, उसी को नित्य किशोर रहने वाली भक्ति कहा गया है जो भगवान श्री रामचंद्र के चरणों में आश्रय प्रदान करें।

Veer Bhadra
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