As a devotee of Krishna, I experience that the chanting of the mantra
‘Krishnaya Vasudevaya Haraye Paramatmane’ brings inner peace, love for the Atman, bliss, and mental clarity within me.
This mantra draws me away from the futile attachments of the world and grants me complete surrender and joy at the lotus feet of Lord Krishna.
Mantra: Om Krishnaya Vasudevaya Haraye Paramatmane॥
Pranataḥ Kleshanāśāya Govindāya Namo Namaḥ॥
Meaning:
Repeated salutations to Krishna—Vasudeva, Hari, the Supreme Atman—Govinda, who destroys the afflictions of those who surrender to Him.
Why do Krishna devotees chant ‘Krishnaya Vasudevaya Haraye Paramatmane’?
In this world, supreme peace and boundless bliss can be attained only by resting one’s head at the lotus feet of Lord Krishna. The true essence of life lies in completely surrendering oneself at His feet.
Human beings continue to wander in the outer world, while the peace, contentment, and completeness they seek are not found outside, but already exist within.
This world appears to be veiled by māyā. Most people live under the illusion that whatever they need—whatever will complete them and fill the inner emptiness—will come from the world itself. Yet experience shows that whatever the world has given has also given a sense of incompleteness.
Still, the mind repeatedly runs in the same direction, searching for solutions at the very place from which the problem has arisen.
Very few are truly blessed with loving devotion to Lord Krishna. For if a person has not immersed themselves completely in love in this life, then what has truly been attained?
Most people try to compensate for their inner incompleteness through worldly objects, relationships, status, recognition, and pleasures.
But this effort never succeeds, because the incompleteness itself has been given by the world. The world is not complete in itself; therefore, it cannot offer completeness.
As long as worldly subjects, objects, and achievements dominate the mind, devotion does not arise. This is why people often say that their mind does not settle in devotion. In truth, this is not a lack of devotion, but a matter of direction.
The mind has become a servant of the world. A mind that worships the world, that is entangled in sensory pleasures and bodily experiences, begins to regard bhakti-yoga as meaningless. Nothing appears to be gained from devotion, because the mind is still thinking in the language of acquisition.
Devotion, bhajan, japa, and kirtan are not practiced so that we may obtain something. These disciplines are not meant to fulfill desires, but to gradually dissolve that entity within us which considers itself the enjoyer, which constantly wants something.
Until this sense of being the experiencer and seeker completely dissolves, peace is not possible.
While chanting the mantra ‘Krishnaya Vasudevaya Haraye Paramatmane,’ the seeker continuously observes the sense of incompleteness within. They do not run away from it, nor do they try to conceal it. They invoke Krishna, and through this invocation, the process of dissolution of that incompleteness begins.
When a person deviates from their original nature of pure consciousness and identifies themselves solely as the body and the world formed by the body, inner afflictions arise. The solution to these afflictions does not lie merely in external worship or formal surrender, but in bowing one’s head inwardly at the feet of the Lord.
What benefits arise from chanting the ‘Krishnaya Vasudevaya’ mantra?
Through this spiritual practice, such benefits are attained that are essential for every seeker and that gradually transform the very direction of life.
Attachment to the world diminishes:
At times, the mind becomes so deeply attached to the world that even when sorrow is received from it, the mind still accepts it. This is because the object of the mind is māyā, and māyā appears attractive even though it is the cause of suffering. Through mantra chanting, this attachment gradually loosens. The world remains the same, but clinging to it begins to fade.
Guidance toward the right path in life:
There are many aspects of the world that can render life completely meaningless and destructive, yet the mind is drawn toward them. Remembrance of God brings inner purification. When purity arises within, discernment awakens naturally. The seeker then clearly understands what is worthy of renunciation and what is not worthy of acceptance.
Realization of the Supreme Atman, the Lord:
Lord Krishna is not a distant entity residing in some specific realm. He abides within your own heart as pure consciousness. When the mind turns away from the world and moves inward, this realization deepens. Nothing in the visible world can be compared to that conscious reality.
Eternal bliss:
Worshipping God alone is true bliss, while worshipping the world is the cause of sorrow. If one desires eternal bliss, then Lord Krishna must be the supreme beloved and the foremost goal of life. When the goal becomes clear, wandering and confusion naturally come to an end.
Tasting the nectar of true love:
Unfortunately, most people do not taste the nectar of true love even once in their entire lives, because there is very little in the world that is truly worthy of love. Lord Krishna alone is worthy of love, because only pure love can touch Him. There are no expectations, no conditions—only surrender.
What preparation is required for the ‘Krishnaya Vasudevaya’ mantra to become effective?
True preparation does not begin externally; it begins within. When a person starts observing themselves, when it becomes clear that by clinging to the fleeting and futile aspects of the world they are repeatedly experiencing sorrow, then true preparation begins.
When the inner tendencies of desire, anger, attachment, greed, and jealousy become clearly visible, and it is felt that these alone have robbed life of its natural joy, leaving the mind heavy and restless—this is the point at which the seeker becomes aware.
This self-observation is not about finding faults; it is about accepting one’s truth. As this understanding deepens—that lasting peace is not possible through the support of the world—an inner inclination toward the Divine naturally arises. This inclination itself is the greatest preparation for this mantra.
For the destruction of these inner impurities and for liberation from inner restlessness, remembrance of God is practiced, and the chanting of the ‘Krishnaya Vasudevaya’ mantra is undertaken.
This chanting gradually draws the mind away from worldly bonds and leads it toward the Supreme Atman. The mind becomes purified, perception becomes clear, and the seeker begins to move steadily toward liberation.
And for those for whom God Himself is the supreme beloved, whose heart is naturally drawn toward Shri Krishna, no special preparation is required for chanting this mantra. Their life, their feeling, and their love themselves become the spiritual practice. Without effort, in natural ease, they remember Krishna—because for them, Krishna is not a goal to be attained, but the very center of life itself.
