Sometimes they come to fight with us, that "Why you say 'Hare Krsna'? Why you do not say 'Hare Rama'?" Perhaps you have got experience. But sastra says, kirtanad eva krsnasya. It does not mean that we do not accept Rama as the Supreme Per… That does not mean. Sastra said, kirtanad eva krsnasya mukta-sangah param vrajet. And it is said in the sastra that if you chant visnu-sahasra-nama, after chanting thousand times Visnu's name, it is equal to one rama–nama. And after chanting thrice rama–nama, it is equal to one krsna–nama. This is said in the sastra. So this Hare Krsna… Of course, in some Puranas the beginning is Hare Rama, but in many Puranas it is Hare Krsna. So we have no objection. Either you begin with Hare Rama or Hare Krsna, we have no objection. But the sastra says, kirtanad eva krsnasya. The Rama and Krsna, there is no difference, but why in the sastra it is said, kirtanad eva krsnasya? So Hare Krsna is quite to the rulings of the sastra. There is no discrepancies, although we have no objection — either you chant Hare Krsna or Hare Rama.

From Srila Prabhupada's lecture on Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.12.5 — April 16, 1976, Bombay