Objectives:

Objective 1: To learn about Meerabai’s Birth and childhood days.

Objective 2: To know about the Mirabai’s Divine Devotion with Lord Krishna.

Objective 3: To learn about the Meerabai pastimes.

Objective 1: To learn about Meerabai’s Birth and childhood days.

MiraBai (1498 – 1547) was a Rajput princess who lived in the north Indian state of Rajasthan. She was a devout follower of Lord Krishna. MiraBai was one of the foremost exponents of the Prema Bhakti (Divine Love) and an inspired poetess. She sang in vraja-bhasha, sometimes mixed with rajasthani, in praise of Giridhara Gopala (Shri Krishna), her lord for whom she developed in her heart the most intense love and devotion.

Merta was a small state in Marwar, Rajasthan ruled by the Ranthors, great devotees of Vishnu. MiraBai was raised and nurtured by her grandfather. As customary with royal families, her education included knowledge of scriptures, music, archery, fencing, horseback riding and driving chariots – she was also trained to wield weapons in case of a war. However, MiraBai also grew up in an atmosphere of total Krishna consciousness, which was responsible for molding her life in the path of total devotion towards Lord Krishna.

When she was just four years of age, she manifested her deep devotion to Krishna. MiraBai watched a marriage procession in front of her residence. MiraBai, the child, spotted the well-dressed bridegroom and asked her mother innocently, “Dear mother, who will be my bridegroom?” MiraBai’s mother smiled, and half in jest and half in earnest, pointed towards the image of Sri Krishna and said, “My dear Mira, Lord Krishna – this beautiful fellow – is going to be your bridegroom”. Soon after, MiraBai’s mother passed away. As MiraBai grew up, her desire to be with her beloved Krishna grew intensely and she believed that Lord Krishna would come to marry her.

Objective 2: To know about the Mirabai’s Divine Devotion with Lord Krishna

In due course, she became firmly convinced that Krishna was to be her husband. MiraBai was soft-spoken, mild-mannered, gifted, sweet, and sang with a melodious voice. Rana Sangha, the powerful King of Mewar, approached Rao Duda for MiraBai’s hand in marriage to his son Bhojraj (also known as Rana Kumbha or KumbhaRana). Bhojraj wanted to marry MiraBai for her pious nature and divine intent. Unable to go against her beloved grandfather’s word, she finally consented to the marriage.

After her household duties were over, Meera would go to the temple of Lord Krishna, worship, sing and dance before Lord Krishna deity daily. MiraBai’s mother-in-law forced her to worship Durga and admonished her often. But MiraBai maintained, “I have already given up my life to my beloved Lord Krishna”.

When questioned about her marital responsibilities, Meera responded that it was Krishna to whom she was married. KumbhaRana was heart-broken but remained a good husband and sympathizer of Meera until his death.

Meera was sent a basket with a cobra inside and a message that the basket contained a garland of flowers. Meera, after meditation, opened the basket and found inside a lovely Deity of Sri Krishna with a garland of flowers. The relentless Rana (her brother-in-law) sent her a cup of poison with the message that it was nectar. Meera offered it to her Lord Krishna and took it as His Prasad. It was real nectar to her. The bed of nails that the Rana sent transformed into a bed of roses when Meera reposed on it.

Objective 3: To learn about the Meerabai pastimes

When the torture and scandals continued, Meera sent a letter to Goswami Tulsidas and asked for his advice. She wrote, “I’ve built a total bondage with Lord Krishna and I cannot break it. But my relatives are torturing me to leave lord Krishna”. Tulsidas ji sent a reply: “Abandon those who cannot understand you and who do not worship Rama or Syama, even though they are your dearest relatives. Prahlada abandoned his father; Vibhishana left his brother Ravana; Bharata deserted his mother; Bali forsook even his Guru; the Gopis, the women of Vraja, disowned their husbands to get to their Krishna. Their lives were all the happier for having done so. The relation with God and the love of God are the only elements that are true and eternal; all other relationships are unreal and temporary”. Meera met up once again with her Guru and mentor Rai das, who is said to have lived to a ripe age of 118 years. She went into the slums often to be in the satsang of this great teacher.

The turning point in Meerabai’s life occurred when once Akbar and his court musician Tansen came in disguise to Chittor and listened to Meera’s soul-stirring songs to their heart’s content. Before he departed, he touched the holy feet of Meera and placed a necklace of priceless gems in front of the Deity as a present. Somehow the news reached KumbhaRana and he became furious. He told Meerabai, “Drown yourself in the river and never show your face to the world in future. You have brought great disgrace to my family”. Meerabai obeyed the words of the King. She proceeded to the river to drown herself. The names of the Lord “Govinda, Giridhari, Gopala” were always on her lips. She sang and danced in ecstasy on her way to the river. When she raised her feet from the ground, a hand from behind grasped her and embraced her. She turned behind and saw her beloved Giridhari. She fainted. After a few minutes she opened her eyes. Lord Krishna smiled and gently whispered: “My dear Meera, your life with your mortal relatives is over now. You are absolutely free. Be cheerful. You are and have always been mine”.

Meera walked barefoot on the hot sandy beds of Rajasthan. On her way, many ladies, children and devotees received her with great hospitality. She reached Brindavan (or Vrindaban). It was at Brindavan that she again met and was inspired by Saint Rai das. She went about Brindavan doing Ooncha-vritti and worshipped in the Govinda Mandir which has since become famous and is now a great place of pilgrimage for devotees from all over the world.

A repentant Rana begged Meera to return to the kingdom and assume her role as the queen once more. Meera said that Krishna is the only one King and her life belongs to him. The KumbhaRana, for the first time, truly understood Meera’s exalted state of mind and prostrated before her in reverence.

Jiva Goswami was the head of the Vaishnavites in Brindavan. Meera wanted to have Darshan of Jiva Goswami. He sent word to Meera that he would not allow any woman in his presence. Mirabai retorted: “Everybody in Brindavan is a woman. Only Giridhar Gopala is Purusha. Today only I have come to know that there is another Purusha besides Krishna in Brindavan”. Felt ashamed, he at once went to see Meera and paid her due respects. Meera’s fame spread far and wide. She was immersed in satsang day in and out.

From Mewar, she once again returned to Brindavan, and then went on to Dwaraka. The King went with her. On Krishna’s Janmashtami at the temple of Krishna there was much happiness all around in the abode of the Lord. With Tamburi in one hand and cymbals or chipla in the other the great tapasvini was singing ecstatically with her Gopala smiling in front of her closed eyes. Meera stood up and danced with her song ‘Mere Janama Maran ke sathee’, and when the song ended, Kumbha gently approached her and requested her to come back. Meera said, ‘Ranaji, the body is yours and you are a great devotee, but my mind, emotions and the soul are all his. I do not know what use am I to you in this state of mind’. Kumbha was moved and he started singing with her in unison. Meera rose up abruptly, stumbled and fell at the flowers on the feet of Giridhari. ‘Oh, Giridhari, are you calling me, I am coming’. When Kumbha and the rest were watching in awe, there was a lightning which enveloped Meera and the sanctum doors closed on their own. When the doors opened again, Meera’s saree was enveloping Lord Krishna’s Deity and her voice and the flute accompaniment were the only sounds that could be heard.

Meera bai came to Vrindavan in Year 1524 in search of Lord Krishna and memories of Him. She lived in Vrindavan from 1524 to 1539. After that, she left Vrindavan and went to Dwarika to stay there until her death.

She conversed with Krishna. She ate with Krishna, her Beloved. She drank the Krishna-premarasa. She sang from the core of her heart about her unique spiritual experiences. She was indeed one of the foremost embodiments of prema bhakti that ever walked on earth.