Prahlada Maharaja states that materialists trying to solve their problems are like frogs croaking in a well. They think their solutions are significant, but they remain trapped. Only the Lord’s mercy can lift one out. Harikrsna vina means: without that divine intervention, the frog remains in the well of duhkha.
This line is from a well-known Bengali kīrtana (devotional song) composed by Śrīla Narottama Dāsa Ṭhākura (c. 16th–17th century), a prominent saint and poet in the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava tradition following Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.
The song is titled “Hari Hari! Viṣaya-viṣānale” (also known as Sanātana-śikṣā or Viṣaya-viṣānale). It expresses the soul’s anguish in material existence and the sole remedy of taking shelter of Hari and the Vaiṣṇavas. harikrsna vina duhkha kona hare
The full stanza (verse 3) reads:
Harikṛṣṇa vinā duḥkha kona hare,
jīvana maraṇa jāpe saṁsāra bāhire. Prahlada Maharaja states that materialists trying to solve
Translation of the couplet:
“Without Hari-Kṛṣṇa, who can remove misery? Life, death, and fear exist outside of this material world (or: the cycle of birth and death continues).” Translation of the couplet:
Why specifically “Harikṛṣṇa”? Hari is the one who removes obstacles and steals away the heart’s darkness. Kṛṣṇa is the all-attractive Supreme Reality, the source of all joy (Ānanda). Together, Harikṛṣṇa represents the personal, loving, accessible form of God who hears, responds, and heals.
When the mantra says “without Him, no sorrow goes away,” it doesn’t mean He is punishing us or withholding help. Rather, it means that we have been looking for peace in the wrong direction—like a fish searching for water on dry land.