Meaning of Hari
Posted by kathavarta on March 17, 2009
In Hinduism, Hari is another name of Vishnu and Kṛiṣhṇa, and appears as the 650th name in the Vishnu Sahasranama of Mahabharata. In Sanskrit “Hari” sometimes refers to a colour, yellow, or fawn-coloured/khaki (it is the colour of the Sun and that of Soma).
Religious usage
The Harivamsha “lineage of Hari” is a text within both the Puranik and Itihasa traditions.
Within Sikhism it is stated that one of the names of God is Hari. The Golden Temple, the most sacred temple in Sikhism is also called Harimandir or “Temple of God.” According to Sikhism God is formless and Sikhs do not believe “Hari” has any connection with Krishna or Vishnu.
In Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition Hari is a name of both Krishna or Vishnu meaning ‘he who steals, or takes away’- referring to how Krishna takes away all distress and anxieties, and lovingly robs the heart of His devotee. During religious festivals it is a common occurrence to hear people call out Haribol ! Haribol ! meaning ‘please call out the name Hari’; the Hare Krishna mantra contains the name in the vocative.
According to Adi Shankara’ s commentary on the Vishnu Sahasranama,
Hari means “One who destroys samsara, which is the entanglement in the cycle of birth and death, along with ignorance, its cause”.
In the Ravidasi religion it is the holy symbol consisting of the three letters in Gurumukhi with the character for “i” being made into a flame. It adorns all Ravidasi temples, known as Gurdehras.
Influences
The Avestan cognate is zari, sometimes incorrectly identified as the first part of the name of Zarathustra.
The English words gold and yellow are probably also both cognates of Hari. They all derive from the hypothetical Proto-Indo-European root ghel-, meaning “to shine”.
Many words in other unrelated languages in Asia are also derived from the word; due to the influence of Sanskrit as a language of learning in the region. For example:
The word for daylight is ‘Hari’ in Indonesian.
The word for day is ‘Hari’ in Malay.
The word for king in Tagalog, all of which are “Hari”.
The word for Chieftain a King, a ruler of his people and provider for his tribe is ‘Hari’ in Philippines.
While in Negros a ‘Hari’ is he who unites man with the beast, a champion for all that is good and a role model in today’s struggling times.
It is also a commonly used name in many Indian languages.
Visit www.MandirInfo.com for more information on God, Goddess, Guru and religious Holy destinations of the world.
You can also visit www.DivineTravellers.com for your religious Holy destination Yatra (Tour) arrangements in India or any part of the world, for the Group or an Individual.
