Hari (Sanskrit:हरि) is among the primary epithets of theHindu preserver deityVishnu, meaning 'the one who takes away' (sins).[1] It refers to the one who removes darkness and illusion, the one who removes all obstacles to spiritual progress.
The name Hari also appears as the 650th name ofVishnu in theVishnu Sahasranama of theMahabharata and is considered to be of great significance inVaishnavism.
TheSanskrit word "हरि" (Hari) is derived from theProto-Indo-European root "*ǵʰel- to shine; to flourish; green; yellow" which also gave rise to thePersian termszar 'gold', Greekkhloros 'green', Slaviczelen 'green' andzolto 'gold', as well as the English wordsyellow andgold.
The same root occurs in other Sanskrit words likeharidrā, 'turmeric', named for its yellow color.
In Hinduism, beginning withAdi Sankara's commentary on theVishnu sahasranama,hari became etymologized as derived from the verbal roothṛ "to grab, seize, steal", in the context of Vaishnavism interpreted as "to take away or remove evil or sin",[2] and the name of Vishnu rendered as "he who destroyssamsara", which is the entanglement in the cycle of birth and death, along with ignorance, its cause;[3] comparehara as a name ofShiva, translated as "seizer" or "destroyer".[citation needed]
The name "ਹਰਿ" (Hari) is frequently used as a name forWaheguru in theSri Guru Granth Sahib:
ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਹੈ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਪਾਵੈ ਕੋਇ ॥
Hari, Hari, Hari, Hari is the Name (of the Lord); rare are those who, asGurmukh, obtain it. (SGGS, Ang.1313)[5]
In theVaran Bhai Gurdas, an early explanation and interpretation of Sikh theology,Bhai Gurdas also associates the name "ਹਰਿ" (Hari) in the form of Hari Krishan in the Dwapur Yuga with the letter "ਹ" (h) in "ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ" (Waheguru).[6]
However, in the context of theSri Guru Granth Sahib, the name "Hari" refers to theone monotheistic God ofSikhism, as similar to "Hari" is used inVaishnavism forParabrahman as well. However Sarabloh Granth and Dasam Granth call Krishna as Hari several times. Krishna creates several Krishna during his avatar during Ras Leela which is what Guru Ram Das mentioned in Adi Granth that Hari himself creates several Kanha for the Gopis and he himself becomes those Gopis.
