The esoteric meaning of the Hare Krishna Mahamantra

Why did Chaitanya Mahaprabhu choose this Hare Krsna mahamantra? And the reason is very important and if you understand  this you will have very deep appreciation for maha mantra.You see according to the shastra there is a rule, that when something is presented in an indirect way, it  actually  has more intimacy and sweetness than when you do it in a direct way. Rama means one whose life is utterly surrendered to giving pleasure to his divine pleasure potency Srimati Radharani. That is the meaning of Rama as lord Chaitanya chanted it. Shyama means Krsna who has a beautiful blackish complexion. And Hare comes from the word Hara which comes from the word Harana which means one who steals.

Srila Rupa goswami, Srila Raghunatha das Goswami and lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu explained this word harana means that it is Sri Radharani who steals the heart of Krsna. And Hare is the calling out of Radharani who has that devotional power to steal the heart of Krsna and Krsna is that one who steals the heart of all living beings. So when we are calling out the name Hare, we are praying to the divine mother, the supreme reservoir of all bhakti, and when she favors us ,the Goswamis explain when she favors us then  because she steals the heart of Krsna, Prabhupada said when she says "Krsna look at what a nice devotee this person is", then Radha and Krsna  they steal our heart.

- H.H.Radhanath Swami