The Hare Krishna mantra, also referred to reverentially as the Mahā-mantra ("Great Mantra"), is a 16-word Vaishnava mantra which is mentioned in the Kali-Santarana Upanishad[1] and which from the 15th century rose to importance in the Bhakti movement following the teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. This mantra is composed of two Sanskrit names of the Hindu deities, "Krishna" and "Rama", and the holy name of Hari.

According to a philosophy of ancient India, the soul is spiritually asleep. Just as an alarm clock awakes a sleeping person, the Hare Krishna mantra awakens the soul to its spiritual reality — whereby it can experience its eternal connection with Krishna or God.

To recite a mantra 108 times is said to help bring in harmony with the vibrations of the universe. Famous mathematicians of Vedic culture saw 108 as some of the completeness of presence.

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