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Why 16 rounds of the Mahamantra?

WillEast

Member
Premium Member
I have been trying to increase the number of rounds that I chant since devotees are encourage to do 16 per day. Why is the number 16 important? Is it necessary to do 16 in order to progress or is there more benefit than doing less?
 

Terese

Mangalam Pundarikakshah
Staff member
Premium Member
I believe when you say Mahamantra, you are referring to the Hare Krsna mantra? If so, from what i understand, 16 does not have a special significance. The amount one should chant is in actuality 64 rounds, but Prahbupada decreased it to 16, for the ease of Westerners. From Nitaiiveda, the website, it says this:

"Every spiritual aspirant should ultimately aim to reach the standard of chanting 64 rounds (100,000 names) daily which was the minimum prescribed by Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Himself. Shrila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada used to say that our ‘lakshya’ (goal) should be to reach the standard of ‘laksha’ (100,000) nama.

After sincerely chanting for many years with a fixed quota, one will become fixed in the chanting. The chanting will then grant the chanter with the divine rememberance of the Lord and the consequential unlimited bliss at every second. At an advanced stage in life when one retires from active devotional service and resides in the dhama, the chanter can increase the chanting furthur to 200,000 names and then ultimately to 300,000 names daily as prescribed in the Hari-nama-cintamani. At that time the chanter will experience the fulfillment of his most cherished desires of rendering direct service to Lord Shri Nitai-Gauranga and Shri Shri Radha-Krishna in the spiritual realm.

As one practices chanting for some time, his speed of chanting will gradually increase according to Shrila Prabhupada. One can achieve the speed of chanting one round (108 times maha-mantra) in 6 minutes. Thus he will take around one and half hour for 16 rounds and 6 hours to chant 64 rounds.

We personally feel that to give 6 hours a day (1/4th of the day) to the highest and the most sublime process of chanting which will perpetually put an end to our cycle of birth and death in this material world (which is going on for millions and millions of lives) and which will ensure our entry into the spiritual world of Vaikuntha (where there is no birth, old age, disease and death) to enjoy the personal association with Lord Krshna in our original spiritual bodies, is not such a big sacrifice and should be done without hesitation by atleast those devotees who want to make this their last life in this material world. The unlimited benefits and results we are going to get in return for the vow of chanting 100,000 names (64 rounds) daily cannot even be estimated. And one will start experiencing these benefits of increasing one’s chanting for the very first day itself.

According to Hari-nama-cintamani, one should not increase the chanting abruptly to 64 rounds but should gradually increase from 4 to 16 to 32 to 48 and then to 64 rounds daily. This is the recommendation to Shrila Haridasa Thakura, Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura and also Shrila Sanatana Gosvami in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa. Though 100,000 names of Krishna are completed by chanting 58 rounds of the maha-mantra, the 64 rounds standard is given by Shrila Bhaktivinoda Thakura as it is in the multiple of ‘grantha’ (4-rounds). Also chanting additional 6 rounds makes up for any lapse or loss in the pronunciation of the 58 rounds."

Link for the quote is here :D : https://nitaaiveda.com/SG_Translate..._Krishna_Maha_Mantra/Hari_Nama_Chintamani.htm
 

Aupmanyav

Be your own guru
Do you have all that time free? Chanting 100,000 names? Do it if you feel like it?
 
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Chakra

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
I've read about this before. The 16 rounds is an arbitrary number; they just have a high number of japa rounds so you can feel the effects of the chanting even later on in the day (chanting something for more than 2 hours will still stick in your lips for a long time).

Attentive japa will always be effective, whether its 1 round or 16.
 

निताइ dasa

Nitai's servant's servant
100,000 names?! Egads! That'll take all day! :eek::p

It takes about 6-8 hours :,). Some of my Godbrothers and sisters chant 64 rounds daily and its crazy. They have amazing taste for the Holy Name.

Okay, I think people have said the reason. Traditionally, you should chant the Mahamantra rounds in groups of 4. This is called one Granthi. In the olden days, the standard was 16 granthis (or 64 rounds), but Srila Prabhupada when he came to the west, saw that people had no taste for the Holy Names, so he reduced it to 4 granthis (16 rounds). Like others have said, quality is better than quantity. Start from 4 rounds and move up slowly as your develop taste. Personally I think it is impossible to chant 64 rounds with attention if the Holy Name hasn't revealed its form/qualities/pastimes to you yet.
 
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