Hare Krishna mantra question

[alphamind]

This is a simple question, but I think pronunciation is important when it comes to mantras.

I am unsure about how the “Hare” is pronounced in Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare”.

When I hear it chanted by most sources, it sounds like “Hari” but I would think that if it’s written as “Hare” that the ‘e’ would be pronounced as in ‘elephant’. So why does it sound like “Hari”, and if I’m not being fooled, why is it written as Hare instead of Hari, since that’s how I keep hearing it chanted?

🙂

Hare Krishna!

[alphamind]

I was thinking it’s actually chanted as “Haray”, which is why it sounds more like Hari, so that’s what I’m doing. But I could be wrong, so I’m asking hoping someone is confident to answer.

[iamthat]

Plenty of information online with Youtube videos about how to pronounce this mantra.

But then I also found online that the popular way of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra is actually incorrect, and does not conform to classical Sanskrit pronunciation. Perhaps because we are accustomed to hearing it chanted by Westerners.

Good luck with finding the correct pronunciation.

Peace

[alphamind]

And then there’s the other issue whether it starts with Hare Rama or Hare Krishna first.

Though popularly starts with Hare Krishna, I’ve seen the reverse version as well.

[Jainarayan]

Originally Posted by alphamind

And then there’s the other issue whether it starts with Hare Rama or Hare Krishna first.

Though popularly starts with Hare Krishna, I’ve seen the reverse version as well.

Either is fine. Iirc the original as revealed by Chaitanya Mahāprabhu was Hare Rāma Hare Rāma ...

In this age of kali yuga (not goddess Kālī, different spelling and pronunciation) Chanting the names of God in just about any way, though it's not a free for all, confers benefits. Pronunciation and devotion are still important.

[alphamind]

Originally Posted by Jainarayan

Either is fine. Iirc the original as revealed by Chaitanya Mahāprabhu was Hare Rāma Hare Rāma ...

In this age of kali yuga (not goddess Kālī, different spelling and pronunciation) Chanting the names of God in just about any way, though it's not a free for all, confers benefits. Pronunciation and devotion are still important.

I searched it up and found the theory that while the original is Hare Rama, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu reversed the order for the public because the Brahmins were offended because there’s apparently rules for chanting the original (like not eating meat etc).

I have found that both ways are indeed effective though.

[Jainarayan]

Originally Posted by iamthat

Plenty of information online with Youtube videos about how to pronounce this mantra.

But then I also found online that the popular way of chanting the Hare Krishna mantra is actually incorrect, and does not conform to classical Sanskrit pronunciation. Perhaps because we are accustomed to hearing it chanted by Westerners.

Good luck with finding the correct pronunciation.

Peace

You are correct. Sanskrit is difficult for non-Sanskrit speakers because there are tongue gymnastics non-Sanskrit speakers are not used to. There are two ways of pronouncing sh, r, l, n, m. not to mention long and short vowels, when to use them, how to read and write them.

[Tirisilex]

This video pretty much shows you how to pronounce the Maha Mantra.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Hx0umh_uiA

[peteyzen]

Pronounce it Haray as a previous poster said

Originally Posted by peteyzen

Pronounce it Haray as a previous poster said

That's how I pronounce it also, and like all my friends singing it, including some great knowers of Sanskrit and famous singers :
'Haray', like the Spanish sound 'e', or the French 'é'.

Because it's written हरे, and this is "haray", or Hare in Spanish, or Haré in French.
(It's not हरि, that would be for you Hari in English, or Hari in Spanish or French.)

हरे कृष्ण हरे कृष्ण , कृष्ण कृष्ण हरे हरे |
हरे राम हरे राम , राम राम हरे हरे ||

= Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare
Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare