Gracy Saint-Saint Meera Bai
Meera Bai was one of the foremost exponents of the Prema Bhakti (Divine Love) and an inspired poetess. She is regarded as an incarnation of Radha. She sang in vraja-bhasha, sometimes mixed with raqjasthani, in praise of Giridhara Gopala (Shri Krishna), her lord for whom she developed in her heart the most intense love and devotion.
Meera occupies indeed a sacred place in the history of Indian thought and culture for her deep and passionate religious devotion, as also for her poetry in which her genius was well revealed, and which was never bereft of beauty in the true sense of the term. Her odes and hymns are so rich, sweet and inspiring, not because of any high rhetoric or dexterity of language, but because they are characterized by a tenderness and simplicity of feeling as genuine outpourings of a heart completely dedicated to God.
Much legend has gathered around the name of Meera, and there is a good deal of controversy surrounding her time (when she lived) and connection with the Mewar ruling family. According to Tod, the historian, she was the queen of Rana Kumbha of Mewar to whom she was married in 1513.
Although Karnaparampara legends maintain that she was born in Udhaipur to king Bhoonayaka and Chandramukhi, there is consensus among many as to the following account: Born in Kurkhi in 1499 A.D., she was the daughter of Rana Ratan Singh (a Ranthor) of Merta (between Ajmer and Jodhpur). Merta was a small state in Marwar, Rajasthan ruled by the Ranthors, great devotees of Vishnu. Meera was raised and nurtured by her grandfather Rao Duda in the fortress city of Merta. 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, Meera also grew up amidst an atmosphere of total Krishna consciousness, which was responsible in molding her life in the path of total devotion towards Lord Krishna. It is said that at the age of five, she was given a vigraha or statue of Lord Krishna by a mendicant saint passing through the kingdom. Historians claim that this mendicant was Raidas, who initiated Meera into the practice of Shabd or Nada Yoga1. Meera developed an instant loving attachment to the idol and began spending most of her time in bathing, dressing and worshipping the image as though it were real. She danced about the image in ecstasy. She sang beautiful songs in front of the image. She talked to the idol. She slept with the image. She was always present in all divine discourses in the palace, more of which were on Bhagavatam and Krishna Leela.
When she was just four years of age, she manifested her deep devotion to Krishna. Meera watched a marriage procession in front of her residence. Meera, the child, spotted the well-dressed bridegroom and asked her mother innocently, "Dear mother, who will be my bridegroom?" Meera’s mother smiled, and half in jest and half in earnest, pointed towards the image of Sri Krishna and said, "My dear Meera, Lord Krishna - this beautiful fellow – is going to be your bridegroom". Soon after, Meera’s mother passed on. As Meera grew up, her desire to be with her Krishna grew intensely and she believed that Lord Krishna would come to marry her if he could accept a cowherdess Radha as his dear consort. In due course, she became firmly convinced that Krishna was to be her husband. The benign influence of Rao Duda's wisdom, the pain of losing her parents at a tender age and her certainty that she was Krishna's chosen beloved, gave a unique strength and resolve to Mira's personality. Meera was soft-spoken, mild-mannered, gifted, sweet, and sang with a melodious voice. She was reputed to be one of the most extraordinary beauties of her time with fame spreading to several kingdoms and provinces. Her fame spread far and wide. Rana Sangram Singh, commonly known as Rana Sangha, the powerful King of Mewar, approached Rao Duda for Meera’s hand in marriage to his son Bhojraj (also known as Rana Kumbha or Kumbha Rana). Bhojraj wanted to marry Meera for her pious nature and divine intent. Rao Duda agreed to the union. However, Meera could not bear the thought of marrying a human being when her heart was filled with thoughts of every nature, all about her Krishna. But unable to go against her beloved grandfather’s Rao Duda’s word, she finally consented to the marriage. It is also said that Lord Krishna intervened timely in her dream to advise her, “if the gopikas could do their duty to their husbands, tend their families and above all be totally devoted to me all the time, you can do the same thing. Do your duty. I shall not leave you any time”. Meera was wed to Rana Kumbha in 1513, before she turned 14.
As ordained, Meera was dutiful. She left for Mewar with the Rana Kumbha. She obeyed her husband’s commands. Scholars maintain that KumbhaRana was a great devotee of the Lord himself, and wrote the treatise known as ‘Rasipriya’ and a grammatical work ‘SangIta rajam’ on the immortal work of Jayadeva, GIta Govindam. He had sought Meera’s hand out of admiration for her devotion and love to the Lord, which he felt he shared. It is ironic that the Rana should forget this in the years that followed.
After her household duties were over, Meera would go to the temple of Lord Krishna, worship, sing and dance before the image daily. The little image would get up, embrace Meera, play on the flute and talk to her. Kumbha Rana’s mother and other ladies of the palace did not like the ways of Meera, as they were worldly-minded and jealous. Meera’s mother-in-law forced her to worship Durga and admonished her often. But Meera maintained, "I have already given up my life to my beloved Lord Krishna". Meera’s sister-in-law Udabai formed a conspiracy and began to defame the innocent Meera. She informed Rana Kumbha that Meera was in secret love with some one, that she witnessed Meera talking to her lover(s) in the temple, and that she would show him the persons if he would accompany her one night. The ladies further raved that Meera, by her conduct, had brought a great slur on the reputation of the Rana family of Chitore. The enraged Kumbha ran with sword in hand towards Meera, but as luck would have it Meera had gone to her Krishna temple. A sober relative of the Rana counseled him, "Rana! You will forever repent for your hasty behavior and consequences. Enquire into the allegation carefully and you will find the truth. Meera is a great devotee of the Lord. Remember why you sought her hand. Out of sheer jealousy the ladies might have concocted scandals against Meera to incite you and ruin her". Kumbha calmed down and accompanied his sister who persistently took him to the temple at dead of night. Rana Kumbha broke open the door, rushed inside and found Meera alone in her ecstatic mood talking and singing to the idol.
One historical version of Meera’s life states that the Rana Kumbha died in a battle within ten years of their marriage, as did her sympathetic father-in-law Rana Sangha (who named Meera his successor before dying). At this juncture, the Rana’s relatives began persecuting Meera in various ways, even though Meera had no desire for the throne. The tortures and torments came from the brother and successor of KumbhaRana (Meera’s late husband) and his cousin sister Udabai. It was no different from what Prahlada was subjected to by his father Hiranyakashipu. Hari shielded Prahlada. Here, Krishna always stood by Meera. 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 idol 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.
When the torture and scandals continued, Meera sent a letter to Goswami Tulsidas and asked for his advice2. She wrote, "Simply because I am constantly tortured by my relatives, I cannot abandon my Krishna. I am unable to carry on with my devotional practices in the palace. I have made Giridhar Gopala my friend from my very childhood. I feel a total bondage with him. I cannot break that bond".
. Meera met up once again with her Guru and mentor Raidas, 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. This was the impetus and inspiration behind the many queries and controversies that she raised about Kulam in her songs.
Meera obeyed the words of her husband and 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 on Him. 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. Proceed immediately to the bowers of Vraja and the avenues of Vrindavan. Seek Me there, my dear. Start now".
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. She reached the Chitchor Gopala. It was at Brindavan that she again met and was inspired by Sant Raidas. She went about Brindavan doing Oonchavritti 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. Her devotees of Chitore came to Brindavan to see Meera. A repentant Kumbha came to Vrindavan to see Meera in the disguise of a mendicant, revealed himself and prayed that he may be forgiven for all his previous wrongs and cruel deeds. He begged that Meera return to the kingdom and was assume her role as the queen once more. Meera at once prostrated before her husband, and gently added, “What is Kulam or lineage, heritage or inheritance? What is the meaning of the division amongst devotees as Kshatriyas and Brahmanas and shudras and the like? Who is man and who is woman? Krishna is the only Purusha and all of us are women. He is Pati and we are all Pasus. I am no more Queen than you are King. There is only one King and my life belongs to him.” Kumbha reminisced for a moment of the days when he wrote the treatises on Gita Govindam and how he had desired the hand of the finest lady of his times for spiritual reasons. His eyes welled up when he was forcibly taken to his dark days of jealousy, rancor and the torture he inflicted on the great soul of divine import. The KumbhaRana, for the first time, truly understood Meera’s exalted state of mind and prostrated before her in reverence. He then promptly left Vrindavan a changed soul.
Jiva Gosain was the head of the Vaishnavites in Brindavan. Meera wanted to have Darshan of Jiva Gosain. He declined to see her. He sent word to Meera that he would not allow any woman in his presence. Meera Bai 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". Jiva Gosain was put to shame. He felt that Meera was indeed a paramabhaktha or the supreme devotee of the Lord. 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. At the request of KumbhaRana, Meera returned to Mewar and Kumbha agreed to her request that she would reside in the temple of Krishna but would not restrict her movements and wanderings. From Mewar, she once again returned to Brindavan, and then went on to Dwaraka. The King went with her. Dwaraka was to be the place where her Gopala would take her unto Him at the temple of Ranchod.
In the second version, Meera was invited back to Mewar by the Rana just as she had reached Dwaraka. Reluctant to leave her Krishna, Meera asked permission to spend the night at the temple of Ranchhorji. The next morning her lifeless body was found lying at its feet. It is believed that her spirit entered the deity during the night.
Historians and scholars put this date at 1546 A.D.
Meera had Anuraga and Ragatmika Bhakti. She never cared for public criticism and the injunctions or interpretations of the scriptural ordinances. She danced in the streets. She did no ritualistic worship. She had spontaneous love for Lord Krishna. From her very childhood she poured forth her love on Lord Krishna. Krishna was her husband, friend, all relations and the Guru. Krishna was her Prananatha. Meera had no doubt exhausted her vasanas in the preliminary modes of worship in her prior births.
In her divine intoxication, Meera danced in public places. Her exalted state could not be adequately described in words. She was sunk in the ocean of Premabhakti. She had no consciousness of her body and surroundings. Who could gauge the depth of her devotion? Who could understand her internal state of Premabhava? Meera was like Lord Gauranga. She was an embodiment of love and innocence. Her heart was the temple of devotion. Her face was the lotus-flower of Prem. There was kindness in her look, love in her talk, joy in her discourses, power in her speech and fervor in her songs. What a marvelous creation of God! What a personality of charm! Meera veritably taught the world the way to love God.
So many princesses and queens have come and gone. So many princesses, and queens have appeared on the stage of this world and vanished. How is it that the queen of Chitore alone is still remembered? Is this on account of her beauty? Is this on account of her poetic skill? No. It is on account of her renunciation, single-minded devotion to Lord Krishna and the self-realization. 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 Premabhakthi that ever walked on earth.
Meera occupies indeed a sacred place in the history of Indian thought and culture for her deep and passionate religious devotion, as also for her poetry in which her genius was well revealed, and which was never bereft of beauty in the true sense of the term. Her odes and hymns are so rich, sweet and inspiring, not because of any high rhetoric or dexterity of language, but because they are characterized by a tenderness and simplicity of feeling as genuine outpourings of a heart completely dedicated to God.
Much legend has gathered around the name of Meera, and there is a good deal of controversy surrounding her time (when she lived) and connection with the Mewar ruling family. According to Tod, the historian, she was the queen of Rana Kumbha of Mewar to whom she was married in 1513.
Although Karnaparampara legends maintain that she was born in Udhaipur to king Bhoonayaka and Chandramukhi, there is consensus among many as to the following account: Born in Kurkhi in 1499 A.D., she was the daughter of Rana Ratan Singh (a Ranthor) of Merta (between Ajmer and Jodhpur). Merta was a small state in Marwar, Rajasthan ruled by the Ranthors, great devotees of Vishnu. Meera was raised and nurtured by her grandfather Rao Duda in the fortress city of Merta. 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, Meera also grew up amidst an atmosphere of total Krishna consciousness, which was responsible in molding her life in the path of total devotion towards Lord Krishna. It is said that at the age of five, she was given a vigraha or statue of Lord Krishna by a mendicant saint passing through the kingdom. Historians claim that this mendicant was Raidas, who initiated Meera into the practice of Shabd or Nada Yoga1. Meera developed an instant loving attachment to the idol and began spending most of her time in bathing, dressing and worshipping the image as though it were real. She danced about the image in ecstasy. She sang beautiful songs in front of the image. She talked to the idol. She slept with the image. She was always present in all divine discourses in the palace, more of which were on Bhagavatam and Krishna Leela.
When she was just four years of age, she manifested her deep devotion to Krishna. Meera watched a marriage procession in front of her residence. Meera, the child, spotted the well-dressed bridegroom and asked her mother innocently, "Dear mother, who will be my bridegroom?" Meera’s mother smiled, and half in jest and half in earnest, pointed towards the image of Sri Krishna and said, "My dear Meera, Lord Krishna - this beautiful fellow – is going to be your bridegroom". Soon after, Meera’s mother passed on. As Meera grew up, her desire to be with her Krishna grew intensely and she believed that Lord Krishna would come to marry her if he could accept a cowherdess Radha as his dear consort. In due course, she became firmly convinced that Krishna was to be her husband. The benign influence of Rao Duda's wisdom, the pain of losing her parents at a tender age and her certainty that she was Krishna's chosen beloved, gave a unique strength and resolve to Mira's personality. Meera was soft-spoken, mild-mannered, gifted, sweet, and sang with a melodious voice. She was reputed to be one of the most extraordinary beauties of her time with fame spreading to several kingdoms and provinces. Her fame spread far and wide. Rana Sangram Singh, commonly known as Rana Sangha, the powerful King of Mewar, approached Rao Duda for Meera’s hand in marriage to his son Bhojraj (also known as Rana Kumbha or Kumbha Rana). Bhojraj wanted to marry Meera for her pious nature and divine intent. Rao Duda agreed to the union. However, Meera could not bear the thought of marrying a human being when her heart was filled with thoughts of every nature, all about her Krishna. But unable to go against her beloved grandfather’s Rao Duda’s word, she finally consented to the marriage. It is also said that Lord Krishna intervened timely in her dream to advise her, “if the gopikas could do their duty to their husbands, tend their families and above all be totally devoted to me all the time, you can do the same thing. Do your duty. I shall not leave you any time”. Meera was wed to Rana Kumbha in 1513, before she turned 14.
As ordained, Meera was dutiful. She left for Mewar with the Rana Kumbha. She obeyed her husband’s commands. Scholars maintain that KumbhaRana was a great devotee of the Lord himself, and wrote the treatise known as ‘Rasipriya’ and a grammatical work ‘SangIta rajam’ on the immortal work of Jayadeva, GIta Govindam. He had sought Meera’s hand out of admiration for her devotion and love to the Lord, which he felt he shared. It is ironic that the Rana should forget this in the years that followed.
After her household duties were over, Meera would go to the temple of Lord Krishna, worship, sing and dance before the image daily. The little image would get up, embrace Meera, play on the flute and talk to her. Kumbha Rana’s mother and other ladies of the palace did not like the ways of Meera, as they were worldly-minded and jealous. Meera’s mother-in-law forced her to worship Durga and admonished her often. But Meera maintained, "I have already given up my life to my beloved Lord Krishna". Meera’s sister-in-law Udabai formed a conspiracy and began to defame the innocent Meera. She informed Rana Kumbha that Meera was in secret love with some one, that she witnessed Meera talking to her lover(s) in the temple, and that she would show him the persons if he would accompany her one night. The ladies further raved that Meera, by her conduct, had brought a great slur on the reputation of the Rana family of Chitore. The enraged Kumbha ran with sword in hand towards Meera, but as luck would have it Meera had gone to her Krishna temple. A sober relative of the Rana counseled him, "Rana! You will forever repent for your hasty behavior and consequences. Enquire into the allegation carefully and you will find the truth. Meera is a great devotee of the Lord. Remember why you sought her hand. Out of sheer jealousy the ladies might have concocted scandals against Meera to incite you and ruin her". Kumbha calmed down and accompanied his sister who persistently took him to the temple at dead of night. Rana Kumbha broke open the door, rushed inside and found Meera alone in her ecstatic mood talking and singing to the idol.
One historical version of Meera’s life states that the Rana Kumbha died in a battle within ten years of their marriage, as did her sympathetic father-in-law Rana Sangha (who named Meera his successor before dying). At this juncture, the Rana’s relatives began persecuting Meera in various ways, even though Meera had no desire for the throne. The tortures and torments came from the brother and successor of KumbhaRana (Meera’s late husband) and his cousin sister Udabai. It was no different from what Prahlada was subjected to by his father Hiranyakashipu. Hari shielded Prahlada. Here, Krishna always stood by Meera. 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 idol 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.
When the torture and scandals continued, Meera sent a letter to Goswami Tulsidas and asked for his advice2. She wrote, "Simply because I am constantly tortured by my relatives, I cannot abandon my Krishna. I am unable to carry on with my devotional practices in the palace. I have made Giridhar Gopala my friend from my very childhood. I feel a total bondage with him. I cannot break that bond".
. Meera met up once again with her Guru and mentor Raidas, 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. This was the impetus and inspiration behind the many queries and controversies that she raised about Kulam in her songs.
Meera obeyed the words of her husband and 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 on Him. 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. Proceed immediately to the bowers of Vraja and the avenues of Vrindavan. Seek Me there, my dear. Start now".
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. She reached the Chitchor Gopala. It was at Brindavan that she again met and was inspired by Sant Raidas. She went about Brindavan doing Oonchavritti 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. Her devotees of Chitore came to Brindavan to see Meera. A repentant Kumbha came to Vrindavan to see Meera in the disguise of a mendicant, revealed himself and prayed that he may be forgiven for all his previous wrongs and cruel deeds. He begged that Meera return to the kingdom and was assume her role as the queen once more. Meera at once prostrated before her husband, and gently added, “What is Kulam or lineage, heritage or inheritance? What is the meaning of the division amongst devotees as Kshatriyas and Brahmanas and shudras and the like? Who is man and who is woman? Krishna is the only Purusha and all of us are women. He is Pati and we are all Pasus. I am no more Queen than you are King. There is only one King and my life belongs to him.” Kumbha reminisced for a moment of the days when he wrote the treatises on Gita Govindam and how he had desired the hand of the finest lady of his times for spiritual reasons. His eyes welled up when he was forcibly taken to his dark days of jealousy, rancor and the torture he inflicted on the great soul of divine import. The KumbhaRana, for the first time, truly understood Meera’s exalted state of mind and prostrated before her in reverence. He then promptly left Vrindavan a changed soul.
Jiva Gosain was the head of the Vaishnavites in Brindavan. Meera wanted to have Darshan of Jiva Gosain. He declined to see her. He sent word to Meera that he would not allow any woman in his presence. Meera Bai 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". Jiva Gosain was put to shame. He felt that Meera was indeed a paramabhaktha or the supreme devotee of the Lord. 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. At the request of KumbhaRana, Meera returned to Mewar and Kumbha agreed to her request that she would reside in the temple of Krishna but would not restrict her movements and wanderings. From Mewar, she once again returned to Brindavan, and then went on to Dwaraka. The King went with her. Dwaraka was to be the place where her Gopala would take her unto Him at the temple of Ranchod.
In the second version, Meera was invited back to Mewar by the Rana just as she had reached Dwaraka. Reluctant to leave her Krishna, Meera asked permission to spend the night at the temple of Ranchhorji. The next morning her lifeless body was found lying at its feet. It is believed that her spirit entered the deity during the night.
Historians and scholars put this date at 1546 A.D.
Meera had Anuraga and Ragatmika Bhakti. She never cared for public criticism and the injunctions or interpretations of the scriptural ordinances. She danced in the streets. She did no ritualistic worship. She had spontaneous love for Lord Krishna. From her very childhood she poured forth her love on Lord Krishna. Krishna was her husband, friend, all relations and the Guru. Krishna was her Prananatha. Meera had no doubt exhausted her vasanas in the preliminary modes of worship in her prior births.
In her divine intoxication, Meera danced in public places. Her exalted state could not be adequately described in words. She was sunk in the ocean of Premabhakti. She had no consciousness of her body and surroundings. Who could gauge the depth of her devotion? Who could understand her internal state of Premabhava? Meera was like Lord Gauranga. She was an embodiment of love and innocence. Her heart was the temple of devotion. Her face was the lotus-flower of Prem. There was kindness in her look, love in her talk, joy in her discourses, power in her speech and fervor in her songs. What a marvelous creation of God! What a personality of charm! Meera veritably taught the world the way to love God.
So many princesses and queens have come and gone. So many princesses, and queens have appeared on the stage of this world and vanished. How is it that the queen of Chitore alone is still remembered? Is this on account of her beauty? Is this on account of her poetic skill? No. It is on account of her renunciation, single-minded devotion to Lord Krishna and the self-realization. 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 Premabhakthi that ever walked on earth.
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