Is Chanting Om Namo Narayana instead of Hare Krishna allowed?
A woman devotee (Name hidden) asked like this:
“Hare Krsna, Prabhu! Please clear my below query. Can’t we chant “Om Namo Narayana” ( 16*108 times) in lieu of” Hare Krsna ” maha mantra given that chanting Lord’s name is the moral obligation. Please don’t reveal my name if you wish to post this.”
REPLY:
One can chant any name of Krishna, His avatars and His forms. No doubt.
All names have their own potential.
If you recite VISHNU SAHASRA NAMA , you will find thousand names of Krishna/ Vishnu.
The wealth of Krishna is uncountable. Similarly, the names of Krishna are also uncountable.
(What if my parents want me chanting manthras of other gods with Krishna? READ HERE!)
However, we are expected to follow a recommended syllabus at a time to avoid scattering of focus & attention.
We know that there are plenty of contents in physics or Chemistry. Thousands and thousands of pages of contents. However, if you study the bachelor of Physics or Chemistry, all these thousands of pages are not given in syllabus. Only a few hundred pages of contents/ topics are given in our syllabus.
Why?
This is called the organized way of learning to qualify for Bachelor of Physics or Chemistry. If they fix no syllabus for B.Sc, no one can score hundred percent of marks. Because, it is difficult for everyone to complete the entire contents of Physics or Chemistry within THREE YEARS.
Similarly, our life time is just 70-80 or 90 years. Already we have wasted a certain number of years. So, only a few decades or years are left.
So, within these few decades or years, we have to qualify to go back to Krishna.
That is why, the acharyas like Srila Prabhupada have given beautiful syllabus to be practiced by the devotees.
(Can our chanting give good status for deceased persons in our family? READ HERE!)
A devotee is expected to follow any one sampradhaya or system at a time to avoid confusion. This is like studying in CBSE syllabus or STATE SYLLABUS or ICSE Syllabus. Can you learn in all the three syllabus simultaneously?
No.
Similarly, if you like to follow SRI Sampradhaya, they advise you to chant OM NAMO NARAYANAYA as advised by Sri Ramanujacharya.
If you follow Gaudiya Vaishnavam, they advise to chant Hare Krishna Maha Manthra as advised by Sri Caitanya Maha Prabhu.
If you follow both the sampradhayas at the same time, it may lead to confusion or incompletion of devotional practices.
So, though we are allowed to follow any one of four sampradhayas, it is advisable to follow any one at a time, and respect all other sampradhayas.
(How to chant all the 24 hours a day as said by Sri Caitanya? READ HERE!)
All the names of Krishna are powerful. However, for kaliyuga, Sri Caitanya Maha Prabhu recommended a simple Hare Krishna Maha manthra for all without any restrictions.
This has been proved to be powerful. No doubt in it.
So, if you like to chant a manthra that has no restrictions of varna or ashrama, chant Hare Krishna Maha Manthra and follow four regulative principles of No meat eating, No Gambling, No intoxication and No Illicit relations. All the good things will automatically follow.
Whenever you like to chant, or, whenever you visit Vishnu temples/ SRI VAISHNAVA temples like Tirumala, Srirangam, etc, chant Om Namo Narayanaya.
Have a regular system of chanting any single manthra as your daily routine. If you like to follow the preachings of Sri Caitanya Maha Prabhu and Srila Prabhupada, chant Hare Krishna.
It is really powerful. You too can feel that if you chant it with faith in it.
(Using intoxicants or other Violations while chanting – Will Krishna accept? READ HERE!)