How to Chant Japa? A Practical Guide from Śrīla Prabhupāda

What do you need?

• A Japa-mala: A string of beads preferably made of Tulsi wood, consisting of 108 beads plus one larger bead called the Krishna bead (or Sumeru).

• A Japa bead bag: A special bag to keep the beads clean and protect them from touching the ground.

   

The Step-by-Step Guide to Chanting

Step 1: The correct position of the hand

1. Extend your right index finger out through the small hole of the bead bag. Śrīla Prabhupāda explained that the index finger is not used to touch the beads, as this finger symbolizes the ego or impurity in Vedic culture.

2. You use your thumb and your middle finger (possibly supported by the ring finger) to hold and roll the beads.

    

Step 2: Starting at the Krishna bead

1. Hold the large Krishna bead.

2. Before you begin with the actual mantra, you chant the Pancha-tattva mantra first, exactly once, to ask for blessings and protection:

   śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya prabhu-nityānanda śrī-advaita gadādhara śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda

   (Śrīla Prabhupāda made this mandatory because Lord Chaitanya and His associates do not consider offenses and make the chanting immediately successful).

    

Step 3: Chanting on the 108 beads

1. Move your fingers to the first bead right next to the Krishna bead.

2. Hold this bead between your thumb and middle finger, roll it gently, and chant the full maha-mantra audibly:

   Hare Kṛṣṇa Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa Kṛṣṇa Hare Hare Hare Rāma Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma Hare Hare

3. As soon as the mantra is finished, slide your thumb to the next bead (toward you) and repeat the full mantra.

4. Do this on every bead until you have gone through all 108 beads. This is exactly one "round".

    

Step 4: Reaching the end and turning around

1. After 108 beads, you arrive back at the large Krishna bead.

2. Important instruction from Śrīla Prabhupāda: Do not cross over the Krishna bead. This is considered a lack of respect.

3. Instead, turn the entire string of beads around in your hand. The last bead you just chanted on now becomes the first bead for your next round.

4. When you begin a new round, you chant the Pancha-tattva mantra on the Krishna bead first, and after that, you start on the 108 beads again.

    

Important Instructions from Śrīla Prabhupāda for Quality

"The key to japa is simply listening."

Śrīla Prabhupāda repeatedly emphasized the following points to keep the japa pure:

• Audible chanting: You do not have to shout, but the chanting must be loud enough so that your own ears can clearly hear the sound (japa means soft, audible chanting, in contrast to kirtan which is sung loudly).

• Clear pronunciation: Chant the names very distinctly. Avoid rushing through the mantra (such as "krsh-krsh" or "ram-ram"). Every syllable of Ha-re Kṛṣ-ṇa must sound clear.

• Concentrated mind: As soon as the mind wanders to material plans or thoughts, bring your attention immediately back to the sound vibration of the name of Krishna.

• The early morning: Śrīla Prabhupāda always advised chanting the rounds preferably during the Brahma-muhurta (the early morning hours before sunrise), because the mind is then naturally peaceful and in the mode of goodness (sattva-guna).