The Hare Kåñëa mantra is specifically mentioned in many Upaniñads, such as the Kali-

santaraëa Upaniñad, where it is said:

hare kåñëa hare kåñëa

kåñëa kåñëa hare hare
hare räma hare räma
räma räma hare hare

itiñoòaçakaà nämnäà
kali -kalmaña-näçanam
nätaù parataropäyaù
sarva-vedeñu dåçyate
"After searching through all the Vedic literature one cannot find a method of religion
more sublime for this age than the chanting of Hare Kåñëa."
Çré Caitanya-caritämåta Ädi-lélä 3.40

harer näma harer näma

harer nämaiva kevalam
kalau nästy eva nästy eva
nästy eva gatir anyathä
[Cc. Ädi 17.21]

"In this age of Kali there is no other religion than glorifying the Lord by utterance of His
holy name, and that is the injunction of all the revealed scriptures. There is no other way,
there is no other way, there is no other way."

Çré Madhväcärya has brought our attention to this quotation from the Näräyaëa-saàhitä:

dväparéyair janair viñëuù

païcarätraiç tu kevalaiù
kalau tu näma-mätreëa
püjyate bhagavän hariù
"In the Dväpara-yuga one could satisfy Kåñëa or Viñëu only by worshiping opulently
according to the päïcarätriké system, but in the age of Kali one can satisfy and worship
the Supreme Personality of Godhead Hari simply by chanting His holy name."

Çré Caitanya-caritämåta Antya-lélä 7.12

In this age of Kali, real religious propapada should induce people to chant the Hare
Kåñëa mahä-mantra.... Çréla Bhaktisiddhänta Sarasvaté Öhäkura comments in this regard
in his Anubhäñya, wherein he quotes a verse from Näräyaëa-saàhitä:

dväparéyair janair viñëuù

païcarätraiç tu kevalaiù
kalau tu näma-mätreëa
püjyate bhagavän hariù
"In Dväpara-yuga, devotees of Lord Viñëu and Kåñëa rendered devotional service
according to the principles of päïcarätrika. In this age of Kali, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead is worshiped simply by the chanting of His holy names."

Çré Caitanya-caritämåta Madhya-lélä 25.9

kaler doña-nidhe räjann

asti hy eko mahän guëaù
kértanäd eva kåñëasya
mukta-saìgaù paraà vrajet

Çrémad-Bhägavatam (12.3.51)

This age of Kali is full of unlimited faults. Indeed, it is just like an ocean of faults (doña-
nidhi). But there is one chance, one opportunity. Kértanäd eva kåñëasya mukta-saìgaù
paraà vrajet: simply by chanting the Hare Kåñëa mantra, one can be freed from the
contamination of Kali-yuga and, in his original spiritual body, can return home, back to
Godhead. This is the opportunity of Kali-yuga.

kåñëa-varëaà tviñäkåñëaà
säìgopäìgästra-pärñadam
yajïaiù saìkértana-präyair
yajanti hi sumedhasaù
"In this age of Kali, people who are endowed with sufficient intelligence will worship the
Lord, who is accompanied by His associates, by performance of saìkértana-yajïa." (S.B.
11.5.32)
aho bata çva-paco 'to garéyän
yaj-jihvägre vartate näma tubhyam
tepus tapas te juhuvuù sasnur äryä
brahmänücur näma gåëanti ye te

Çrémad-Bhägavatam (3.33.7)

"O my Lord, a person who is chanting Your holy name, although born of a low family
like that of a caëòäla [dog-eater], is situated on the highest platform of self-realization.
Such a person must have performed all kinds of penances and sacrifices according to
Vedic rituals and studied the Vedic literatures many, many times after taking his bath in
all the holy places of pilgrimage. Such a person is considered to be the best of the Aryan
family."

jayati jayati nämänanda-rüpaà murärer

viramita -nija-dharma-dhyäna-püjädi-yatnam
katham api sakåd ättaà mukti-daà präëinäà yat
paramam amåtam ekaà jévanaà bhüñaëaà me

"All glories, all glories to the all-blissful holy name of Çré Kåñëa, which causes the
devotee to give up all conventional religious duties, meditation and worship. When
somehow or other uttered even once by a living entity, the holy name awards him
liberation. The holy name of Kåñëa is the highest nectar. It is my very life and my only
treasure."

Çré Caitanya-caritämåta Antya-lélä 4.71

kåte yad dhyäyato viñëuà

tretäyäà yajato makhaiù
dväpare paricaryäyäà
kalau tad dhari-kértanät

[Çrémad-Bhägavatam 12.3.52]
Whatever result one obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Viñëu, in Tretä-yuga by
performing sacrifices and in Dväpara-yuga by serving the Lord's lotus feet one can also
obtain in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Kåñëa mahä-mantra."

It is said in the Skanda Puräëa:

yasya småtyä ca nämoktyä

tapo-yajïa-kriyädéñu
nünaà sampürëatäm eti
sadyo vande tam acyutam
"I offer my obeisances unto Him, the infallible, because simply by either remembering
Him or vibrating His holy name one can attain the perfection of all penances, sacrifices or
fruitive activities, and this process can be universally followed."

åg-vedo 'tha yajur-vedaù

säma-vedo 'py atharvaëaù
adhétäs tena yenoktaà
harir ity akñara-dvayam

"A person who chants the two syllables ha-ri has already studied the four Vedas-Säma,
Åg, Yajur and Atharva."

Çré Caitanya-caritämåta Ädi-lélä 7.68-72