Hare Krishna, i had also once asked the same question to a senior devotee and she told me along with offering Praniti to Guru Maharaj , Srila Prabhupada, Pancha Tattvas and Our lordships Sri Sri Radha Krishna , Sri Sishtashtakam must be recited which is an offering towards the holy name. This helps us remain in a humble state while chanting.
Below I've collected a couple of references on japa, which someone might find helpful. T.R. Sharma, in his Studies in the Sectarian Upanisads, quotes the following statement (which I haven't personally looked up) from the Mahabharata:
"I shall certainly perform japa; a man who engages himself in japa, and he neither fully becomes busy in it nor completes it, such a man goes to hell." (Mahabharata, Santi Parva, 197.11).
This seems like a pretty strong statement, though we do know from Srila Prabhupada's books that inattentive or irresolute chanting (like all the the other offenses outlined in Padma Purana) will cause us long-lasting problems that will obstruct our realization of Krsna (vacya-svarupa) as His transcendentally pure, holy name (vacaka-svarupa). But Krsna will be very happy to reveal Himself to us of His own accord as soon as we no longer offend Him (svayam eva sphuraty adah).
Lord Caitanya said that there are no hard and fast rules for chanting Krsna's innumerable names and He Himself used to keep count on His fingers instead of with a japa-mala. There are other ways of doing so as well. Still, as per the traditional standard, Srila Prabhupada taught us to use a japa-mala, with 108 beads. Japa is discussed at length in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa.
Here are some simple slokas one can recite when chanting japa. I've excerpted them as they appear the Sri Stava-kalpa-druma, an anthology of Sanskrit prayers and verses compiled many years ago by one of Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers, H.H. Bhaktisaranga Gosvami Maharaja.
Sri Nama-mala-grahana-mantra (upon taking one's beads):
"His form bent in three places, His hands bent over the holes of His flute, the son of Nanda Maharaja stands resplendent amidst a circle of gopis."
Sri Nama-mala-grahana-mantra (on taking the beads for the purpose of japa [japarthe]):
avighnam kuru male tvam harinama-japesu ca sri radha-krsnayor dasyam dehi male tu prarthaye
"O Mala, please destroy inauspiciousness in my chanting of the holy name of Lord Hari and grant me the position of service to Radha and Krsna. This is all I pray, O Mala."
nama cintamani-rupam namaiva parama gatih namnah parataram nasti tasman nama upasmahe
"The Holy Name is a beautiful transcendental touchstone - it is the supreme goal. There is nothing higher than the Holy Name. I therefore worship the Holy Name."
Sri Nama-mala-samarpana-mantra (consecrating the mala); traditionally, Vaisnavas first offer Krsna everything they use, including their neck beads, japa beads, etc. I don't know that this is intended here though.
"The sacrifice of the name is the highest yajna, which destroys the contamination of Kali-yuga. In order to please Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I offer this sacrifice of the holy name."
Sri Nama-mala-sthapana-mantra (establishing the beads):
patita-pavana nama nistaraya naradhamam radha-krsna-svarupaya caitanyaya namo namah
"The holy name is the savior of the fallen. Oh, please deliver this lowest of men. Obeisances again and again unto Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, unto Sri Sri Radha-Krsna."
tvam male sarva-devanam sarva-siddhi-prada mata tena satyena me siddhim dehi matar namo 'stu te
"O Mala, among all of the gods, you are considered the bestower of all perfection. By dint of this fact, O Mother, please grant me perfection. Obeisances unto you!"
Again, there are never any hard and fast rules for chanting japa, but one has to appreciate the intensity of the pure desire that must have inspired someone to pray like this even to his own japa beads. At least that's something we can all emulate, or pray for.
One older disciple of Srila Prabhupada once told me that at his initiation Srila Prabhupada instructed him to finger the beads while chanting "Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare," and to hold the beads still between the thumb and middle finger while chanting "Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare." Srila Prabhupada told him this would help him to concentrate on Krsna.
VEDA - Vedas and Vedic Knowledge Online - Vedic Encyclopedia, Bhakti-yoga in vedas, Library
VEDA - Information resource for Vedas, Vedic knowledge and philosophy, culture and related topics. Vedic Encyclopedia, Bhakti-yoga in vedas, Library.
I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, along with His associates, Lord Nityananda, Shri Advaita Acharya, Gadadhara, Shrivasa and all the devotees of the Lord. (This mantra is very important and is known as the Pancha-tattva Maha-mantra. In order to derive the full benefit of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, we must first take shelter of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, learn the Pancha-tattva mantra, and then chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. That will be very effective. So this mantra is sung in most kirtanas before singing Hare Krishna, as well as before chanting japa.)
The Hare Krishna Maha-mantra
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Translation
"Oh Lord Krishna, Oh energy of the Lord, please engage me in Your devotional service." (This is a simple call to the Lord and His energies. It should be chanted exactly like a small child crying for it's mother. The transcendental sound vibration of this mantra is the essence of all the Vedas and non-different from Lord Krishna personally. In the temples, this mantra is sung during some portion of almost all kirtanas.)
I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him. When will ŚrīlaRūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?
O my dear Kṛṣṇa, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the gopīs and the lover of Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.
I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.
I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.
nama om vishnu-padaya
krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
shrimate bhaktivedanta-
svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve
gaura-vani-pracharine
nirvishesha-shunyavadi-
pashcatya-desha-tarine
Translation
I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is very dear to Lord Krishna, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.
Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvati Gosvami. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Chaitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.
Replies
Hare Krishna, i had also once asked the same question to a senior devotee and she told me along with offering Praniti to Guru Maharaj , Srila Prabhupada, Pancha Tattvas and Our lordships Sri Sri Radha Krishna , Sri Sishtashtakam must be recited which is an offering towards the holy name. This helps us remain in a humble state while chanting.
Its there in the Vaishnava song book
ceto darpana marjanam......................
Radhe Radhe
I found this in this link: http://www.veda.harekrsna.cz/bhaktiyoga/bhaktiyoga-5.htm
Japa References
Mukunda Datta Das
Below I've collected a couple of references on japa, which someone might find helpful. T.R. Sharma, in his Studies in the Sectarian Upanisads, quotes the following statement (which I haven't personally looked up) from the Mahabharata:
"I shall certainly perform japa; a man who engages himself in japa, and he neither fully becomes busy in it nor completes it, such a man goes to hell." (Mahabharata, Santi Parva, 197.11).
This seems like a pretty strong statement, though we do know from Srila Prabhupada's books that inattentive or irresolute chanting (like all the the other offenses outlined in Padma Purana) will cause us long-lasting problems that will obstruct our realization of Krsna (vacya-svarupa) as His transcendentally pure, holy name (vacaka-svarupa). But Krsna will be very happy to reveal Himself to us of His own accord as soon as we no longer offend Him (svayam eva sphuraty adah).
Lord Caitanya said that there are no hard and fast rules for chanting Krsna's innumerable names and He Himself used to keep count on His fingers instead of with a japa-mala. There are other ways of doing so as well. Still, as per the traditional standard, Srila Prabhupada taught us to use a japa-mala, with 108 beads. Japa is discussed at length in the Hari-bhakti-vilasa.
Here are some simple slokas one can recite when chanting japa. I've excerpted them as they appear the Sri Stava-kalpa-druma, an anthology of Sanskrit prayers and verses compiled many years ago by one of Srila Prabhupada's godbrothers, H.H. Bhaktisaranga Gosvami Maharaja.
Sri Nama-mala-grahana-mantra (upon taking one's beads):
tribhanga-bhangima-rupam
venu-randhra-karancitam
gopi-mandala-madhya-stham
sobhitam nanda-nandanam
"His form bent in three places, His hands bent over the holes of His flute, the son of Nanda Maharaja stands resplendent amidst a circle of gopis."
Sri Nama-mala-grahana-mantra (on taking the beads for the purpose of japa [japarthe]):
avighnam kuru male tvam
harinama-japesu ca
sri radha-krsnayor dasyam
dehi male tu prarthaye
"O Mala, please destroy inauspiciousness in my chanting of the holy name of Lord Hari and grant me the position of service to Radha and Krsna. This is all I pray, O Mala."
nama cintamani-rupam
namaiva parama gatih
namnah parataram nasti
tasman nama upasmahe
"The Holy Name is a beautiful transcendental touchstone - it is the supreme goal. There is nothing higher than the Holy Name. I therefore worship the Holy Name."
Sri Nama-mala-samarpana-mantra (consecrating the mala); traditionally, Vaisnavas first offer Krsna everything they use, including their neck beads, japa beads, etc. I don't know that this is intended here though.
nama-yajno mahayajnah
kalau kalmasa-nasanam
krsna-caitanya-prityarthe
nama-yajna-samarpanam
"The sacrifice of the name is the highest yajna, which destroys the contamination of Kali-yuga. In order to please Lord Sri Krsna Caitanya Mahaprabhu, I offer this sacrifice of the holy name."
Sri Nama-mala-sthapana-mantra (establishing the beads):
patita-pavana nama
nistaraya naradhamam
radha-krsna-svarupaya
caitanyaya namo namah
"The holy name is the savior of the fallen. Oh, please deliver this lowest of men. Obeisances again and again unto Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, unto Sri Sri Radha-Krsna."
tvam male sarva-devanam
sarva-siddhi-prada mata
tena satyena me siddhim
dehi matar namo 'stu te
"O Mala, among all of the gods, you are considered the bestower of all perfection. By dint of this fact, O Mother, please grant me perfection. Obeisances unto you!"
Again, there are never any hard and fast rules for chanting japa, but one has to appreciate the intensity of the pure desire that must have inspired someone to pray like this even to his own japa beads. At least that's something we can all emulate, or pray for.
One older disciple of Srila Prabhupada once told me that at his initiation Srila Prabhupada instructed him to finger the beads while chanting "Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare," and to hold the beads still between the thumb and middle finger while chanting "Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare." Srila Prabhupada told him this would help him to concentrate on Krsna.
(Jaya) shri-krishna-caitanya
prabhu nityananda
shri-advaita gadadhara
shrivasadi-gaura-bhakta-vrinda
I offer my obeisances unto the Supreme Lord, Shri Krishna Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, along with His associates, Lord Nityananda, Shri Advaita Acharya, Gadadhara, Shrivasa and all the devotees of the Lord. (This mantra is very important and is known as the Pancha-tattva Maha-mantra. In order to derive the full benefit of chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra, we must first take shelter of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, learn the Pancha-tattva mantra, and then chant the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. That will be very effective. So this mantra is sung in most kirtanas before singing Hare Krishna, as well as before chanting japa.)
The Hare Krishna Maha-mantra
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
Translation
"Oh Lord Krishna, Oh energy of the Lord, please engage me in Your devotional service." (This is a simple call to the Lord and His energies. It should be chanted exactly like a small child crying for it's mother. The transcendental sound vibration of this mantra is the essence of all the Vedas and non-different from Lord Krishna personally. In the temples, this mantra is sung during some portion of almost all kirtanas.)
oḿ ajñāna-timirāndhasya
jñānāñjana-śalākayā
cakṣur unmīlitaḿ yena
tasmai śrī-gurave namaḥ
śrī-caitanya-mano-'bhīṣṭaḿ
sthāpitaḿ yena bhū-tale
svayaḿ rūpaḥ kadā mahyaḿ
dadāti sva-padāntikam
I was born in the darkest ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him. When will Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī Prabhupāda, who has established within this material world the mission to fulfill the desire of Lord Caitanya, give me shelter under his lotus feet?
vande 'haḿ śrī-guroḥ śrī-yuta-pada-kamalaḿ śrī-gurūn vaiṣṇavāḿś ca
śrī-rūpaḿ sāgrajātaḿ saha-gaṇa-raghunāthānvitaḿ taḿ sa-jīvam
sādvaitaḿ sāvadhūtaḿ parijana-sahitaḿ kṛṣṇa-caitanya-devaḿ
śrī-rādhā-kṛṣṇa-pādān saha-gaṇa-lalitā-śrī-viśākhānvitāḿś ca
I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of my spiritual master and unto the feet of all Vaiṣṇavas. I offer my respectful obeisances unto the lotus feet of Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī along with his elder brother Sanātana Gosvāmī, as well as Raghunātha Dāsa and Raghunātha Bhaṭṭa, Gopāla Bhaṭṭa, and Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī. I offer my respectful obeisances to Lord Kṛṣṇa Caitanya and Lord Nityānanda along with Advaita Ācārya, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa, and other associates. I offer my respectful obeisances to Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and Śrī Kṛṣṇa along with Their associates Śrī Lalitā and Viśākhā.
he kṛṣṇa karuṇā-sindho
dīna-bandho jagat-pate
gopeśa gopikā-kānta
rādhā-kānta namo 'stu te
O my dear Kṛṣṇa, You are the friend of the distressed and the source of creation. You are the master of the gopīs and the lover of Rādhārāṇī. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You.
tapta-kāñcana-gaurāńgi
rādhe vṛndāvaneśvari
vṛṣabhānu-sute devi
praṇamāmi hari-priye
I offer my respects to Rādhārāṇī, whose bodily complexion is like molten gold and who is the Queen of Vṛndāvana. You are the daughter of King Vṛṣabhānu, and You are very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.
vāñchā-kalpatarubhyaś ca
kṛpā-sindhubhya eva ca
patitānāḿ pāvanebhyo
vaiṣṇavebhyo namo namaḥ
I offer my respectful obeisances unto all the Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Lord. They can fulfill the desires of everyone, just like desire trees, and they are full of compassion for the fallen souls.
nama om vishnu-padaya
krishna-preshthaya bhu-tale
shrimate bhaktivedanta-
svamin iti namine
namas te sarasvate deve
gaura-vani-pracharine
nirvishesha-shunyavadi-
pashcatya-desha-tarine
Translation
I offer my respectful obeisances unto His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, who is very dear to Lord Krishna, having taken shelter at His lotus feet.
Our respectful obeisances are unto you, O spiritual master, servant of Sarasvati Gosvami. You are kindly preaching the message of Lord Chaitanyadeva and delivering the Western countries, which are filled with impersonalism and voidism.
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya
prabhu-nityānanda
śrī-advaita gadādhara
śrīvāsādi-gaura-bhakta-vṛnda
I offer my obeisances to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, Prabhu Nityānanda, Śrī Advaita, Gadādhara, Śrīvāsa and all others in the line of devotion.
hare kṛṣṇa hare kṛṣṇa
kṛṣṇa kṛṣṇa hare hare
hare rāma hare rāma
rāma rāma hare hare
http://www.stephen-knapp.com/standard_hare_krishna_songs.htm