Where is Hare Krishna in the Vedic Literatures?

Question: Where is Hare Krishna in the Vedic Literatures?

This Hare Krishna mahamantra is not directly given either the Bhagavad-gita or in the Srimad Bhagavatam. So besides the Kali Santarana Upanisad where is it given?

Answer: The Hare Krishna Mantra is Everywhere in the Vedas

God Himself in His most munificent incarnation as Lord Caitanya chanted the Hare Krishna Mantra. The great Vaisnava acharyas such as Rupa Goswami chanted Hare Krishna. And the Hare Krishna mantra is declared in the Kali Santarana Upanisad to be the best of all mantras for delivering us from this material world. I do not understand why you need more evidence than this? Actually since the Hare Krishna mahamantra is an incarnation of Krishna in the form of transcendental sound vibration and since Krishna states in the Bhagavd-gita that by all the Vedic wisdom He is to known, the Hare Krishna mantra is fully present implicitly throughout the Vedic literatures. But, in any case, since you have requested here are a few of the many explicit references to the Hare Krishna mantra found in the Vedic literatures:

Ananta Samhita:

hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare

hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

sodasaitani namani dvatrimsad varna kani hi

kalau yuge mahamantrah sammato jiva tarane

"Hare Krishna hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare/ Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. This hari-nama mahamantra consists of sixteen names and thirty-two syllables. In Kali-yuga this mantra can deliver all jivas."

In the Brahma Yamala, Lord Shiva states:

harim bina nasti kincat papani-starakam kalau

tasmal-lokod-dharana-artham hari-nama prakasayet

sarvatra mucyate loko mahapapat kalau yuge

hare-krsna pada dvandvam krsneti ca pada-dvayam

tatha hare-pada-dvandvam hare-rama iti dvayam

tad-ante ca mahadevi- rama rama dvayam vadet

hare hare tato bru-yad harinama samud dharet

mahamantram ca krsnasya sarva papa pranasakam

"He Mahadevi! Look! In Kali-yuga there is no easier way to eradicate sins than by sri-hari-nama. It is therefore essential to propagate sri hari-nama among the general populace. The people in Kaliyuga can be easily liberated from the greatest hell by performing sankirtana of this mahamantra. To chant the mahamantra, first chant Hare Krishna twice, then chant Krishna twice, then Hare twice. After that, chant Hare Rama twice, then Rama twice and again Hare twice. One should chant, articulate and perform sankirtana etc., of Sri Krishna's mahamantra, which destroys all sins."

In the Radhahrdya Khanda of the Brahmanda Purana, Romaharsana Suta prays to Sri Veda Vyasa as follows:

yat tvaya kirtitam natha hari-nameti sanjitam

mantram brahmapadam siddhi karam

"He Vibho! He Prabhu! Please instruct me in the brahma svarupa nama mantra of Sri- Hari which is the bestower of all perfections."

In reply, Sri Veda Vyasa gives the following instruction:

grhanad yasya mantrasya dehi brahmamayo bhavet

sadhyah putah surapo 'pi sarvasiddhi-yuto bhavet

tad-aham te bhidhasyami mahabhagavato hamsi

hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare

hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

iti sodasakam namnam tri-kala kalmasapaham

natah parataropayah sarva vedesu vidhyate

"O my son, I will certainly instruct you in that maha-mantra, the acceptance of which a person in the bodily conception of life can be liberated and even a drunkard can quickly become purified and attain all perfection. I will instruct you because you are a maha-bhagavata and a suitable candidate. Just see! The sixteen word mahamantra:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

can destroy the sins of the three worlds. The four Vedas do not mention a method for achieving liberation from material bondage superior to the chanting of this mahamantra."

The Ananta Samhita also states:

hare krishna hare krishna krishna krishna hare hare

hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare

sodasautani namani dvatrimsad varnakani hi

kalau yuge mahamantrah sammato jiva tarane

utsrajyaitan-mahamantram ye tvanyat kalpitam padam

maha-nameti gayanti te sastra-guru-lani-ghanah

"All sastras agree that the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, which is composed of sixteen names and thirty-two syllables, is the illustrious mantra to deliver the jivas in Kali-yuga. Those who neglect this mahamantra and accept any other process, due to their own imagination or the imagination of others, are actually disobeying guru and sastra. If someone asks, 'Why is this sixteen word hare Krishna mantra the mahamantra' then the following answer is given:

'Among all of Krishna's names no name other than Hari can easily take away sins, great misfortune and ignorance. No name other than Krishna can deliver prema. And no name other than Rama can bestow liberation.' This is why the mahamantra is composed of these three primary names. Secondly, these sixteen names are an invocation. Om, svaha, etc., are not required to make the mantra more potent. For this reason it is called the mahamantra."

So I hope that after hearing all of this evidence that you are now chanting the Hare Krishna mantra regularly at least 16 rounds daily on japa mala beads. Otherwise if we simply inquire but do not chant, we are not advancing on the spiritual path.