Hare Krishna dear devotees, All glories to Shrila Prabhupada !
Scriptures say that one name of Krishna is equal to three names of Rama. This is very confusing as the name Krishna and Rama is of the same Lord. Therefore I request someone to enlighten me that why scriptures say that the name of Krishna is more powerful than the name of Rama ?
Following is from Jaiva Dharma-
Vijaya: Which name is the sweetest of all the primary holy names?
Babaji: The Sata-nama-stotra says,
visnor ekaikam namapi sarva-vedadhikam matam
tadrk-nama sahasrena rama-nama-samam smrtam
Chanting one name of Vishnu gives more benefit than
studying all the Vedas, and one name of Rama is equal to a
thousand names (sahasra-nama) of Vishnu.
Again, it is stated in the Brahmanda Purana,
sahasra-namnam punyanam trir avrttya tu yat phalam
ekavrttya tu krishnasya namaikam tat prayacchati
If one utters shri-krishna-nama once, one obtains the same
result that comes from chanting the pure visnu-sahasranama
three times.
The purport is that a thousand names of Vishnu equals one name
of Rama, and three thousand names of Vishnu - that is to say, three
names of Rama - equals one name of Krishna. Chanting Krishna's
name once gives the same result as chanting Rama's name three
times.
Shri-krishna-nama is certainly the supreme name. Therefore, we
should follow the instruction of the Lord of our life, Shri Gauranga
Sundara, and always take shri-nama as He has given it: Hare Krishna,
Hare Krishna, Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama,
Rama, Rama, Hare, Hare.
Replies
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच~युधिष्ठिर के प्रति
मंत्रा नानाविधाः सन्ति शतशो राघवस्य च।
तेभ्यस्त्वेकं वदाम्यद्य तव मंत्रं युधिष्ठिर।।
श्रीशब्धमाद्य जयशब्दमध्यंजयद्वेयेनापि पुनःप्रयुक्तम्।
अनेनैव च मन्त्रेण जपः कार्यः सुमेधसा।
( श्रीमद् वाल्मीकियानंद रामायण, 9~7.44,45a,46a)
हे युधिष्ठिर! वैसे तो श्रीराघाव के अनेक मन्त्र हैं, किन्तु उनमें से एक उत्तम मन्त्र मैं तुमको बतलाता हूँ । पूर्वमें श्रीराम शब्द, मध्यमें जय शब्द और अन्तमें दो जय शब्दोंसे मिला हुआ (श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम) राममन्त्र। बुद्धिमान जनों को सिर्फ इसी मंत्र का जाप करना चाहिए।
Hare Krishna dear Devotees, please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
If Shastra says that among ... cow dung is pure and among bones conhshell is pure we accept it as it is, isn't it?!
Same with other things also, isn't it?!
Krishna has all qualities in full but His expansions do not have in full as Krishna is having them. Lord Rama is Avatar of Krishna. He is Krishna but still He is Avatar of His. And He does not have 4 qualities which Krishna is having. Qualities like:
playing in flute
beautiful tribanga form
pastimes...
Because of that Krishna is top.
Also Rama may refer to Krishna Name as Radha Ramana.
Your servant,
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच~युधिष्ठिर के प्रति
मंत्रा नानाविधाः सन्ति शतशो राघवस्य च।
तेभ्यस्त्वेकं वदाम्यद्य तव मंत्रं युधिष्ठिर।।
श्रीशब्धमाद्य जयशब्दमध्यंजयद्वेयेनापि पुनःप्रयुक्तम्।
अनेनैव च मन्त्रेण जपः कार्यः सुमेधसा।
( श्रीमद् वाल्मीकियानंद रामायण, 9~7.44,45a,46a)
हे युधिष्ठिर! वैसे तो श्रीराघाव के अनेक मन्त्र हैं, किन्तु उनमें से एक उत्तम मन्त्र मैं तुमको बतलाता हूँ । पूर्वमें श्रीराम शब्द, मध्यमें जय शब्द और अन्तमें दो जय शब्दोंसे मिला हुआ (श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम) राममन्त्र। बुद्धिमान जनों को सिर्फ इसी मंत्र का जाप करना चाहिए।
These are one of those questions that we look at everyday but we think right past them. Thank you Prabhu for posting such a wonderful question!
Now to the question itself-- this might help:
Hopefully that gives some perspective on your question.
Gaura Prema Anande.. Haribol!!!
YS
You have done the wrong translation. Nothing like this has been written in the Brahmanda Purana, you have completely changed the verse and its meaning.Lord Shri Krishna himself chants the name of Shri Ram and advises to chant.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच~युधिष्ठिर के प्रति
मंत्रा नानाविधाः सन्ति शतशो राघवस्य च।
तेभ्यस्त्वेकं वदाम्यद्य तव मंत्रं युधिष्ठिर।।
श्रीशब्धमाद्य जयशब्दमध्यंजयद्वेयेनापि पुनःप्रयुक्तम्।
अनेनैव च मन्त्रेण जपः कार्यः सुमेधसा।
( श्रीमद् वाल्मीकियानंद रामायण, 9~7.44,45a,46a)
हे युधिष्ठिर! वैसे तो श्रीराघाव के अनेक मन्त्र हैं, किन्तु उनमें से एक उत्तम मन्त्र मैं तुमको बतलाता हूँ । पूर्वमें श्रीराम शब्द, मध्यमें जय शब्द और अन्तमें दो जय शब्दोंसे मिला हुआ (श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम) राममन्त्र। बुद्धिमान जनों को सिर्फ इसी मंत्र का जाप करना चाहिए।
There is no difference between ramchandra a n krishna there names are on equal level . The purana never directly compare them . Ram and Krishna are one with no difference.
Hare Krishna
Let me offer another perspective here.
First of all, what is our mindset of qoting these shlokas to says 1 name of Krishna = 3 names of Ram, in my humble opinion here also people bring in commpetitive spirit. Oh you think Ram's name is superior but I can show you Krishna's name is even more superior.
Lord Shiva quoted this shloka in Padma Purana to mother Parvati for a reason that 1 name of Ram is equal to Vishnu Shasrnama. the overall context was: Lord Shiva asked Parvati to do something and she said let me first finish my daily routine of chanting Vishnu Shasranama, so Lord Shiva who is so attached to chanting the holy name of Lord Ram, then quoted this shloka.
rama rameti rameti, rame rame manorame;
sahasra-namabhis tulyam, rama-nama varanane;
but as soon as any Krishna Bhakta meets a Ram Bhakta, he want to show his own superiority. so immediately quotes
sahasra-namnam punyanam, trir-avrttya tu yat phalam;
ekavrttya tu krsnasya, namaikam tat prayacchati
"The pious results (punya) achieved by chanting the thousand holy names of Visnu (Visnu-sahasra-nama-stotram) three times can be attained by only one utterance of the Holy Name of Krsna." (Brahmanda Purana)
so in summary, 1 name of Ram is equal to Vishnu Saharanaam (1000 names of Vishnu) - (as stated in Padma Purana)
It is not written anywhere that thrice the name of Shri Ram is equal to the name of Krishna once, you manipulate the scriptures and present it to the people.
Lord Shri Krishna himself advises others to chant the name of Shri Ram.
श्रीकृष्ण उवाच~युधिष्ठिर के प्रति
मंत्रा नानाविधाः सन्ति शतशो राघवस्य च।
तेभ्यस्त्वेकं वदाम्यद्य तव मंत्रं युधिष्ठिर।।
श्रीशब्धमाद्य जयशब्दमध्यंजयद्वेयेनापि पुनःप्रयुक्तम्।
अनेनैव च मन्त्रेण जपः कार्यः सुमेधसा।
( श्रीमद् वाल्मीकियानंद रामायण, 9~7.44,45a,46a)
हे युधिष्ठिर! वैसे तो श्रीराघाव के अनेक मन्त्र हैं, किन्तु उनमें से एक उत्तम मन्त्र मैं तुमको बतलाता हूँ । पूर्वमें श्रीराम शब्द, मध्यमें जय शब्द और अन्तमें दो जय शब्दोंसे मिला हुआ (श्रीराम जय राम जय जय राम) राममन्त्र। बुद्धिमान जनों को सिर्फ इसी मंत्र का जाप करना चाहिए।