Kali-Saṇṭāraṇa Upaniṣad

The "IAST|Kali-Santāraṇa Upaniṣad" (कलिसन्तरन) is a Vaishnava Vedantic text associated with the Black Yajurveda. It is the source of the "Hare Krishna" mantra, claiming that "These sixteen words are destructive of the evil effects of Kali Yuga." In the canon of 108 Upanishads, it is counted as number 103.

The Upanishad asserts that whoever recites the mantra 35 million times will be absolved from the sin of the murder of a Brahmin, the theft of gold, sexual intercourse with a woman of a lower caste, or even generally from any sin altogether. With a daily quota of 64 rosaries with 108 beads (4 to 6 hours of chanting), this count would be reached in 14 years.

The Upanishad at least predates the 16th century when the mantra was popularized by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, and is believed to be of ancient origin by his followers (Gaudiya Vaishnavism). [ [http://isopanisad.com/introduction/en1 Sri Isopanishad] "five thousand years ago Vyasadeva put the Vedas in writing for the people in this age, Kali-yuga...These are all part of the Vedic literature: the Puranas, the Mahabharata, the four Vedas and the Upanishads. The Upanishads are part of the Vedas." ]

ee also

*Isha Upanishad
*Brahma
*Narada Muni

References

External links

* [http://sanskrit.gde.to/doc_upanishhat/kalisantarana_upan.itx text of the IAST|Kali-Saṇṭāraṇa Upaniṣad] (in ITRANS)
* [http://vedabase.net/cc/adi/3/40/en1 Caitanya Mahaprabhu and the Kali Santarana Upanisad]
* [http://vedabase.net/mm/31/en1 Mukunda-mala-stotra]
* [http://www.celextel.org/library/108upanishads3/kalisantarana.html Translation by K. Narayanasvami Aiyar] dead link|date=January 2008 |url=http://www.celextel.org/library/108upanishads3/kalisantarana.html