Meera Bai.
Meera Bai the poet. (1498-1547)
Aisi Lagi lagan, her Pada, by Anup Jalota,
Mharo re Girdhar Gopal, Doosaro na koi..
Paayojee Maine Ram rattan…
Darsan dena…
Kinu Sang Khelu Holi…?
She is regarded as an incarnation of Radha.
Mira was a queen of Rajasthan who is known more for her devotion than her royal position. There are so many stories about Mira Bai that it is very difficult to separate the facts of her life from legend.
She was born about in 1498 and was married at the age of 13. From an early age she showed more interest in religious devotion than to her worldly responsibilities. It is said that she neglected her marital responsibilities. When queried about it, she said that it was impossible for her to be married to the king when she was already married to Krishna.
A major change in her life occurred at the time of the death of her husband. It was customary in those days for a wife to commit is the self immolation upon the husband's funeral pyre. She refused to comply, whereupon her in-laws began harassing her. She then left the palace and began wandering throughout Rajasthan, preaching and gaining followers.
Mira is known for the many bhajans that she left behind. These bhajans are in praise of lord Krishna and held in great esteem for their high literary value.
She is believed to have died around 1550
Meera's songs are in a simple form called a pada (verse), a term used for a small spiritual song, usually composed in simple rhythms with a repeated text.
That dark dweller in Brij,
Is my only refuge.
O my companion, worldly comfort is an illusion,
As soon you get it, it goes.
I have chosen the Indestructible for my refuge,
Him whom the snake of death will not devour.
My beloved dwells in my heart all day,
I have actually seen that abode of joy.
Meera's Lord is Hari, the indestructible.
My Lord, I have taken refuge in you, your maidservant.
Although Meera is often classed with the northern Sant bhaktas, who spoke of a formless divinity, there is no doubt that she presents Krishna as the historical master of the Geeta, who is, even so, the perfect Incarnation of the Eternal, who is omnipresent but particularly focused in his Icon and his Temple. She speaks of a personal relationship with Krishna as her Lover, Lord and Master. The characteristic of her poetry is complete surrender. Her longing for union with Krishna is predominant in her poetry: she wants to be "colored with the color of dusk" (the symbolic color of Krishna).
She finally reached Dwarka, and spent her last days at the temple.
She was a Hindu mystic and poet whose lyrical songs of devotion to the god Krishna are widely popular and a house-hold prayer in northern India.
Mira Bai was a Rajput princess, the only child of Ratan Singh, younger brother of the ruler of Merta. Her royal education included music and religion as well as instruction in politics and government.
An image of Krishna given her during childhood by a holy man began a lifetime of devotion to Krishna, whom she worshipped as her Divine Lover. Mira Bai was married in 1516 to Bhoj Raj, crown prince of Mewar. Her husband died in 1521, probably of battle wounds, and thereafter she was the victim of much persecution and intrigue at the hands of her brother-in-law, Ratan Singh, when he ascended the throne, and by his successor, Vikram Singh.
Mira Bai was something of a rebel, and her religious pursuits did not fit the established pattern for a Rajput princess and widow. She spent most of her days in her private temple dedicated to Krishna, receiving sadhus, and pilgrims from all over India and composing songs of devotion.
At least two attempts made on her life are alluded to in her poems. Once a poisonous snake was sent to her in a basket of flowers, but when she opened it, she found an image of Krishna; on another occasion she was given a cup of poison but drank it without harm.
Finally, Mira Bai left Mewar and returned to Merta, to her parents place. But finding that her unconventional behaviour was not acceptable there either, she set out on a series of pilgrimages, eventually settling in Dwarka.
In 1546 Udai Singh, who had succeeded Vikram Singh as Rana, sent a delegation of Brahmans to bring her back to Mewar. Reluctant, she asked permission to spend the night at the temple of Krishna and the next morning was found to have disappeared.
According to popular belief, she miraculously merged with the image of Krishna but whether she actually died that night or slipped away to spend the rest of her years wandering in disguise is not known.
Mira Bai belonged to a strong tradition of bhakti poets in medieval India who expressed their love of God through the analogy of human relations--a mother's love for her child, a friend for a friend, or a woman for her beloved. The immense popularity and charm of her lyrics lies in their use of everyday images and in the sweetness of emotions easily understood by the common people of India.
