The Hare Krishna or Maha Mantra is a chant commonly used in the practice of Krishna consciousness. It is a 16-word mantra that goes:
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna,
Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare,
Hare Rama, Hare Rama,
Rama Rama, Hare Hare
This mantra is believed to help devotees connect with the divine and purify their consciousness.
This Vaishnava mantra mentioned in the Kali-Saṇṭāraṇa Upaniṣad. In the 15th century, it rose to importance in the Bhakti movement following the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This mantra is composed of three Sanskrit names – "Krishna", "Rama", and "Hare"
Since the 1960s, the mantra has been made well known outside India by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada and his movement, International Society for Krishna Consciousness (commonly known as the "Hare Krishnas" or the Hare Krishna movement). In his translation of the Bhagavad Gita, Swami Prabhupada recommends this chant as specifically designed for achieving liberation during the Kali Yuga (the one we’re in now).