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Mirabai
is the most famous of the women bhakta poets of north India. Though there
is some disagreement about the precise details of her life, it is generally
agreed that she was born in 1498, the only daughter of a Rajput chieftain and
landlord by the name of Ratan Singh, in the neighborhood of Merta, a
fortress-city, founded by her grandfather Rao Dudaji, about 40-50 miles
north-east of Ajmer. Her mother died when Mirabai was only four or five years
old. Mirabai is said to have been devoted to Krishna from a very early age, and
in one of her poems she asks, "O Krishna, did You ever rightly value my
childhood love?" As her father was away much of the time, she was then sent to
be raised at her grandfathers house. Other members of the family were also
inclined towards Vaishnava practices, and in this environment Mirabais own
religious sentiments could grow freely.
Her
form of worship was influenced by a number of her male relatives who were
devotees of a mystical form of Hinduism called Bhakti. In the Bhakti tradition,
one approached one's god through pure love, without any restrictions of caste,
color, or gender. Many Bhakti followers gave up their worldly life and left
their families to became wandering teachers or live together in like-minded
communities. Their message usually was spread through deeply personal poems
through which they conversed with their chosen God. Female devotees who aspired
to live this life also had to give up their husbands and family. They had to
live among people from a variety of castes, including those considered forbidden
to them. In spite of what many felt were acts of subversive, some who overcame
obstacles to follow their spiritual quests in time became respected and even
revered.
Upon
the death of her grandfather, her uncle Viram Dev took her into his charge, and
it is her uncle who consented to have her married off to Bhoja Raj, the heir
apparent to the throne of the famous warrior Rana Sanga of the House of
Sisodiya
In
1516 Mirabai was married to Prince Bhoj Raj of the Rajput kingdom of Mewar, the
most powerful Rajput state in the early 16th century. It's capital was Chittor.
From the start Mira was a problem. She refused to worship her husband's family's
goddess (devi), claiming that she already had offered herself to Lord Krishna
and considered herself married to him. She refused the family's gifts of silks
and jewels. She insisting on associating with the community of bhaktas. And her
husband died after only three short years.
Her husband died sometime before her father passed away in January 1528 in a
battle with the Mughal Emperor Babur in which her father-in-law was also
seriously wounded.
Mirabai
refused to join her husband on his funeral pyre, a practice at the time expected
of high caste Rajput widows.
The
standard narrative is that at this vital juncture Mirabai was left vulnerable to
the hostility of her conservative male relatives, and that this hostility
increased as Mirabai became visibly detached from the affairs of the world and
her obligations to her in-laws.
Instead
she claimed that now she was free to devote herself completely to the worship of
Krishna
Mira's
devotional practices became increasingly intense. She often sang and danced
herself into ecstasies, even in public places like temples. News about her
spread all over India and she soon attracted a following of devotees from all
social groups and castes.
Mira
lived in a time and place when the sexual virtue of women was fiercely guarded.
Her husband's family was shocked by her actions and finally locked her inside
the house.
A
much younger male relative, Vikramajita, is described as having locked her into
a room, but when that failed to bring Mirabai to her senses, he attempted,
unsuccessfully, to poison her. It has been suggested that her relatives expected
her to commit sati, or self-immolation, after the death of her husband; indeed,
in one of her poems Mirabai wrote, "sati na hosyan girdhar gansyan mhara man
moho ghananami", "I will not commit sati. I will sing the songs of Girdhar
Krishna."
In
her songs Mira says that on two occasions they tried to kill her, but she was
miraculously saved both times. At some point she left the palace and city of
Chittor and returned to her birth family. They too disapproved of her actions.
Sometime around 1527 she set off as a wanderer, traveling to places of
pilgrimage associated with the life of Krishna. Her popularity grew.
She went to the
pilgrimage of Mathura, Vrindavana and finally to Dwarika .
Sometime around 1538 Mirabai arrived in Vrindavan, where she spent most of the
remainder of her life before moving, shortly before her death, to Dwarka. One of
the most famous anecdotes from her life, quite likely apocryphal, relates a
meeting she had in Vrindavan with Jiva Goswami, a renowned Vaishnava of the
Chaitanya school. Jiva Goswami at first refused to meet with her since she was a
woman, whereupon Mirabai is said to have retorted: "I used to think that the
Lord Krishna was the only man in Vrindavan and that all the rest of the
inhabitants were gopis. Now Ive discovered that theres someone else here
besides Lord Krishna who thinks of himself as a man." Different traditions
relate that Mirabai met Chaitanya, Tulsidas, Akbar, and Tansen, but none of
these have ever been authenticated, and there is an inconsistency in the
chronology, since Mirabai lived several decades before Akbar.
The
political condition in Medatha and in Chittore had changed very much. Nobody
cared for Mira. Every one had branded her as a disgrace to the community. Her
uncle, Beerama Dev, had to fight hard to retain his kingdom. He had no time to
think of Mira. She, too, did not bother herself about these things. In a state
of utter detachment she went on pilgrimage with saints. Finally she halted at
Dwaraka. The temple of Ranchodji (another name for Sri Krishna) in Dwaraka ,
the
site believed to be that of Krishna's youth
became
her shrine.
Though Mira was extremely popular, the royal families of
Rajasthan hesitated to own her. The news that the Rana had been very unfair to
Mira had spread. After Ratan Simha the Second was murdered, Udaya Simha was
crowned. He thought that if Mira lived alone in the company of monks, it would
bring a bad name to the royal family. So he requested her to return to
Chittore.Having once suffered many tortures there, the pious Mira did not wish
to return to that cage.
Udaya Simha soon realized that Mira would not
come back in deference to his words. He sent five Brahmins of Chittore to meet
her.They requested her to return to Chittore. Mira felt that if she went back to
the palace, the same old tale would be repeated. She was probably about
forty-eight at that time. Even while her husband, Bhojaraja, was living it had
been difficult for her to worship Sri Krishna in the palace. Mira had to shift
to a temple. Now twenty-five years had passed since her husband's death. The
royal family had even tried to murder her. So she had come to live in Dwaraka,
far away from them all. She had resolved that she was related to nobody except
Giridhar Gopal.
She passed her last days in Dwarka on the
coast of the Arabian sea..
Mirabai
most likely passed away in 1546, but here too the evidence is very scanty.
Mira's name is not mentioned
in any of the royal chronicles of Rajasthan. No details of any kind can be found
in the writings of contemporary historians. From all this, it is obvious that
there was a deliberate attempt to wipe out her name from history. Some people
had tried to kill her when she was alive. Probably they tried to prevent all
mention of her in history. This would not be surprising. Jealousy and hatred
make a man stoop to any mean act. The moving songs of Mira who had won the
hearts of the people are still on their lips and so she lives still.
In
Chittaurgarh City,Rajasthan ,India there is a Meerabai Temple, built in
Indo-Aryan Style and associated with the mystic poetess Meerabai .This temple was built during the reign of Maharana Kumbha
and later given to Mira Bai when she needed a place to worship Lord Krishna, the
main subject of her poems. It is a good example of Rajput architecture, designed
in North Indian style on a raised plinth, with a conical roof over the inner
sanctum. The dome is carved in a circle of five human bodies with one head that
symbolises belief that the people of the four castes (Varnas), as well as the
fifth caste Harijans, can all realise God. Within the sanctum are paintings of
Lord Krishna and of Mira Bai in devotion (bhakti) to the god.
Among a few of of Mirabais poems are
Clouds
Dark Friend,what can I say?
Friend,without that Dark raptor
I am true to my Lord
O my friends
Out in a downpour
To listen to the poems and more refer to www.poetry-chaikhana.com
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