"The Hare Krishna mantra is a sacred Sanskrit verse, recited as a means to cultivate awareness of a higher power and revive God-realization, known as Krishna consciousness. Rooted in the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism, the Hare Krishna mantra is mentioned in the Kali-Santarana Upanishad, and is central to the path of Bhakti Yoga. Otherwise known as the Maha or "Great" mantra, the Hare Krishna mantra has only four lines, composed of the names of Hindu deities and their energies: Hare, Krishna and Rama. Hare refers to either the energy of Hari (Lord Vishnu) or Hara (Krishna's consort, Shakti). Krishna and Rama are the names of two avatars of Lord Vishnu. The Hare Krishna mantra is chanted as a petition to God, and its meaning can be interpreted as "Oh Lord, oh energy of the Lord, please engage me in your service."