Meera, better known as Mirabai and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th-century

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

mystic poet and devotee of

Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...

. She is a celebrated

Bhakti ''Bhakti'' ( sa, भक्ति) literally means "attachment, participation, fondness for, homage, faith, love, devotion, worship, purity".See Monier-Williams, ''Sanskrit Dictionary'', 1899. It was originally used in Hinduism, referring to d ...

saint, particularly in the North Indian Hindu tradition. Mirabai was born into a

Rathore The Rathore is a Rajput clan found in Northern India. Subclans Jodhana, Vadhel, Jaitawat, Kumpawat, Champawat, Meratiya, Udawat, Karamsot etc. are the branches or subclans of Rathore Rajputs. Coverage This article discusses the "Kanauji ...

Rajput Rajput (from Sanskrit ''raja-putra'' 'son of a king') is a large multi-component cluster of castes, kin bodies, and local groups, sharing social status and ideology of genealogical descent originating from the Indian subcontinent. The term Ra ...

royal family in

Kudki Kudki, Kurki or Kudaki is a small village, near Pali, Rajasthan, Pali city in Jaitaran tehsil of Pali district in Indian state of Rajasthan. This village is located in north of Pali district near Nagaur district border. This village is birthplac ...

(modern-day

Pali district Pali district is a district in Rajasthan, India. The city of Pali is its administrative headquarters. History In 120 AD, during the Kushana Age, King Kanishka conquered the Rohat and Jaitaran areas, parts of today's Pali district. Until the ...

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern si ...

) and spent her childhood in Merta. She is mentioned in ''

Bhaktamal ''Bhaktamal'' ( hi, भक्तमाल, ), written , is a poem in the Braj language that gives short biographies of more than 200 ''bhaktas''. It was written by Nabha Dass, a saint belonging to the tradition of Ramananda. Though considered a h ...

'', confirming that she was widely known and a cherished figure in the Bhakti movement culture by about 1600 CE.Catherine Asher and Cynthia Talbot (2006), India before Europe, Cambridge University Press, , page 109 Most legends about Mirabai mention her fearless disregard for social and family conventions, her devotion to Krishna, her treating Krishna as her husband and being persecuted by her

in-law In law and in cultural anthropology, affinity is the kinship relationship created or that exists between two people as a result of someone's marriage. It is the relationship which each party to a marriage has to the relations of the other part ...

s for her religious devotion. She has been the subject of numerous folk tales and

hagiographic A hagiography (; ) is a biography of a saint or an ecclesiastical leader, as well as, by extension, an adulatory and idealized biography of a founder, saint, monk, nun or icon in any of the world's religions. Early Christian hagiographies might ...

legends, which are inconsistent or widely different in details.Nancy Martin-Kershaw (2014), Faces of the Feminine in Ancient, Medieval, and Modern India (Editor: Mandakranta Bose), Oxford University Press, , pages 162-178 Millions of devotional hymns in passionate praise of Krishna are attributed to Meerabai in the Indian tradition, but just a few hundred are believed to be authentic by scholars, and the earliest written records suggest that except for two hymns, most were written down only in the 18th century.John Stratton Hawley (2002), Asceticism (Editors: Vincent Wimbush, Richard Valantasi), Oxford University Press, , pages 301-302 Many poems attributed to Meera were likely composed later by others who admired Meera. These hymns are a type of

bhajan Bhajan refers to any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Indian religions, in any language. The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means ''reverence'' and originates from the root word ''bhaj'' ...

, and are very famous across India. Hindu temples, such as in Chittorgarh fort, are dedicated to Mirabai's memory. Legends about Mirabai's life, of contested authenticity, have been the subject of movies, films, comic strips and other popular literature in modern times.

Biography

Authentic records about Meera are not available and scholars have attempted to establish Meera's biography from secondary literature that mentions her and wherein dates and other moments. Meera unwillingly married

Bhoj Raj Bhojraj Singh Sisodia (c. 1495–1526) was the eldest son of Rana Sanga, ruler of Mewar in western India. He is best known as the husband of the reputed bhakti poet-saint Meerabai. Biography Bhojraj Singh was born the eldest of the seven sons ...

, the crown prince of

Mewar Mewar or Mewad is a region in the south-central part of Rajasthan state of India. It includes the present-day districts of Bhilwara, Chittorgarh, Pratapgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Pirawa Tehsil of Jhalawar District of Rajasthan, Neemuch and Man ...

, in 1516.Usha Nilsson (1997), Mira bai, Sahitya Akademi, , pages 12-13 Her husband was wounded in one of the ongoing wars with the

Delhi Sultanate The Delhi Sultanate was an Islamic empire based in Delhi that stretched over large parts of the Indian subcontinent for 320 years (1206–1526).

in 1518, and he died of battle wounds in 1521. Both her father and father-in-law (

Rana Sanga Sangram Singh I (IAST: Rāṇā Saṅgrāma Siṃha; c. 1482 – 1528 CE), popularly known as Rana Sanga or Maharana Sanga, was an Indian ruler from the Sisodia dynasty. He ruled Mewar, the traditional territory of Guhilas (Sisodias) in presen ...

) died a few days after their defeat in the

Battle of Khanwa The Battle of Khanwa was fought at Khanwa on March 16, 1527. It was fought between the invading Timurid forces of Babur and the Rajput confederacy led by Rana Sanga for suprermacy of Northern India. The battle was a major event in Medieval I ...

against first

Mughal Emperor The Mughal emperors ( fa, , Pādishāhān) were the supreme heads of state of the Mughal Empire on the Indian subcontinent, mainly corresponding to the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The Mughal rulers styled t ...

Babur Babur ( fa, , lit= tiger, translit= Bābur; ; 14 February 148326 December 1530), born Mīrzā Zahīr ud-Dīn Muhammad, was the founder of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent. He was a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan through his ...

. After the death of her father-in-law Rana Sanga, Vikram Singh became the ruler of Mewar. According to a popular legend, her in-laws tried many times to assassinate her, such as sending Meera a glass of poison and telling her it was nectar or sending her a basket with a snake instead of flowers. According to the hagiographic legends, she was not harmed in either case, with the snake miraculously becoming a Krishna idol (or a garland of flowers depending on the version). In another version of these legends, she is asked by Vikram Singh to go drown herself, which she tries but she finds herself floating on water.Usha Nilsson (1997), Mira bai, Sahitya Akademi, , pages 16-17 Yet another legend states that the third Mughal emperor

Akbar Abu'l-Fath Jalal-ud-din Muhammad Akbar (25 October 1542 – 27 October 1605), popularly known as Akbar the Great ( fa, ), and also as Akbar I (), was the third Mughal emperor, who reigned from 1556 to 1605. Akbar succeeded his father, Hum ...

came with

Tansen Tansen ( – 26 April 1589), also referred to and commonly known as Sangeet Samrat () , was a Hindustani classical musician. Born in a Hindu Gaur Brahmin family, he learnt and perfected his art in the northwest region of modern Madhya Pra ...

to visit Meera and presented a pearl necklace, but scholars doubt this ever happened because Tansen joined Akbar's court in 1562, 15 years after she died. Similarly, some stories state that Guru Ravidas was her guru (teacher), but there is no corroborating historical evidence for this. Some versions suggest this could likely have happened. Others disagree. The three different oldest records are known as of 2014 that mention Meera, all from the 17th century and written within 150 years of Meera's death, neither mention anything about her childhood or circumstances of her marriage to Bhojraj nor do they mention that the people who persecuted her were her in-laws or from some Rajput royal family. Nancy Martin-Kershaw states that to the extent that Meera was challenged and persecuted, religious or social conventions were unlikely to have been the cause, rather the likely cause was political chaos and military conflicts between the Rajput kingdom and the Mughal Empire. Other stories state that Mira Bai left the kingdom of Mewar and went on pilgrimages. In her last years, Meera lived in

Dwarka Dwarka () is a city and a municipality of Devbhumi Dwarka district in the state of Gujarat in Western India. It is located on the western shore of the Okhamandal Peninsula on the right bank of the Gomti river at the mouth of the Gulf of Kut ...

Vrindavan Vrindavan (; ), also spelt Vrindaban and Brindaban, is a historical city in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in the Braj Bhoomi region and holds religious importance in Hinduism as Krishna spent most of his childho ...

, where legends state she miraculously disappeared by merging into an idol of Krishna in 1547. While miracles are contested by scholars for the lack of historical evidence, it is widely acknowledged that Meera dedicated her life to Lord Krishna, composing songs of devotion, and was one of the most important poet-saint of the Bhakti movement period.

Poetry

A number of compositions by Meera Bai continue to be sung today in India, mostly as devotional songs (''

bhajans Bhajan refers to any devotional song with a religious theme or spiritual ideas, specifically among Indian religions, in any language. The term bhajanam (Sanskrit: भजनम्) means ''reverence'' and originates from the root word ''bhaj'' ...

'') though nearly all of them have a philosophical connotation. One of her most popular compositions remains "''Paayoji maine Naam Ratan dhan paayo''" (पायो जी मैंने नाम रतन धन पायो।, "I have been given the richness of Lord's name blessing"). Meera's poems are lyrical ''padas'' (metric verses) in

Rajasthani language Rajasthani (Devanagari: ) refers to a group of Indo-Aryan languages and dialects spoken primarily in the state of Rajasthan and adjacent areas of Haryana, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh in India. There are also speakers in the Pakistani provinces ...

. While thousands of verses are attributed to her, scholars are divided in their opinion as to how many of them were actually penned by Meera herself. There are no surviving manuscripts of her poetry from her time and the earliest records with two poems credited to her are from early 18th-century, more than 150 years after she immersed into the statue of Dwarkadhish at Dwarka Temple.

Hindi and Rajasthani

The largest collection of poems credited to her are in 19th-century manuscripts. Scholars have attempted to establish authenticity based on both the poem and Meera being mentioned in other manuscripts as well as from style, linguistics and form.Edwin Bryant (2007), Krishna: A Sourcebook, Oxford University Press, , pages 244-245 John Stratton Hawley cautions, "When one speaks of the poetry of Mirabai, then, there is always an element of enigma. (...) there must always remain a question about whether there is any real relation between the poems we cite and a historical Mira." In her poems, Krishna is a yogi and lover, and she herself is a yogini ready to take her place by his side into a spiritual marital bliss. Meera's style combines impassioned mood, defiance, longing, anticipation, joy and ecstasy of union, always centred on Krishna. Meera speaks of a personal relationship with Krishna as her lover, lord and mountain lifter. ( Sanson Ki Mala Pe Simru Main pi Ka Naam) is written by

Meera Bai Meera, better known as Mirabai and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She is a celebrated Bhakti saint, particularly in the North Indian Hindu tradition. Mirabai was born into a Rathore ...

Shows her dedication towards Krishna.The characteristic of her poetry is complete surrender. Meera is often classed with the northern Sant bhaktis who spoke of Lord Sri Krishna.

Sikh literature

''Prem Ambodh Pothi'', a text attributed to

Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708), born Gobind Das or Gobind Rai the tenth Sikh Guru, a spiritual master, warrior, poet and philosopher. When his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, was executed by Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Sing ...

and completed in 1693 CE, includes poetry of Mira Bai as one of sixteen historic ''bhakti saints'' important to

Sikhism Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...

Mirabai's compositions

* Raag Govind * Govind Tika * Raag Soratha * Meera Ki Malhar * Mira Padavali * Narsi ji Ka Mayara *

Sanson Ki Mala Pe Sanson Ki Mala Pe (literally: On the rosary of breath) is one of the most popular songs written by Meera Bai, a 16th-century mystic poet. The verses, Sanson Ki Mala Pe Simru Main, Pi Ka Naam expresses her dedication towards Krishna. The major ch ...

Influence

Scholars acknowledge that Meera was one of the central poet-saints of the Bhakti movement which was during a difficult period in Indian history filled with religious conflicts. Yet, they simultaneously question the extent to which Meera was a canonical projection of social imagination that followed, where she became a symbol of people's suffering and a desire for an alternative.Dirk Wiemann (2008), Genres of Modernity: Contemporary Indian Novels in English, Rodopi, , pages 148-149 Dirk Wiemann, quoting Parita Mukta, states, Meera Bai-The Pure Devotee of Load Krishna

Meera Bai-The Pure Devotee of Load Krishna

The continued influence of Meera, in part, has been her message of freedom, her resolve and right to pursue her devotion to deity Krishna and her spiritual beliefs as she felt drawn to despite her persecution. Her appeal and influence in Indian culture, writes Edwin Bryant, is from her emerging, through her legends and poems, as a person "who stands up for what is right and suffers bitterly for holding fast to her convictions, as other men and women have", yet she does so with a language of love, with words painting the "full range of emotions that mark love, whether between human beings or between human and divine".

English versions

Aliston and Subramanian have published selections with English translation in India.Mirabai, V. K. Subramanian, ''Mystic Songs of Meera'', Abhinav Publications, 2006 ,

Schelling and Landes-Levi have offered anthologies in the USA. Snell has presented parallel translations in his collection ''The Hindi Classical Tradition''. Sethi has selected poems which Mira composed presumably after she came in contact with Saint

Ravidas Ravidas or Raidas, was an Indian mystic poet-saint of the bhakti movement during the 15th to 16th century CE. Venerated as a ''guru'' (teacher) in the modern regions of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Punj ...

. and Meera Pakeerah. Some bhajans of Meera have been rendered into English by

Robert Bly Robert Elwood Bly (December 23, 1926 – November 21, 2021) was an American poet, essayist, activist and leader of the mythopoetic men's movement. His best-known prose book is '' Iron John: A Book About Men'' (1990), which spent 62 weeks on ' ...

and

Jane Hirshfield Jane Hirshfield (born February 24, 1953) is an American poet, essayist, and translator, known as 'one of American poetry's central spokespersons for the biosphere' and recognized as 'among the modern masters,' 'writing some of the most important ...

as ''Mirabai: Ecstatic Poems''.

Popular culture

Composer

John Harbison John Harris Harbison (born December 20, 1938) is an American composer, known for his symphonies, operas, and large choral works. Life John Harris Harbison was born on December 20, 1938, in Orange, New Jersey, to the historian Elmore Harris Harb ...

adapted Bly's translations for his ''Mirabai Songs.'' There is a documentary film ''A Few Things I Know About Her'' by Indian film director Anjali Panjabi. Two well-known films of her life have been made in India, ''

Meera Meera, better known as Mirabai and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She is a celebrated Bhakti saint, particularly in the North Indian Hindu tradition. Mirabai was born into a Rathore ...

'' (1945), a

Tamil language Tamil (; ' , ) is a Dravidian language natively spoken by the Tamil people of South Asia. Tamil is an official language of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the sovereign nations of Sri Lanka and Singapore, and the Indian territory of Pudu ...

film starring

M. S. Subbulakshmi Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi (16 September 1916 – 11 December 2004) was an Indian Carnatic singer from Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour. She is ...

, and ''

'' a 1979

Hindi Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...

film by

Gulzar Sampooran Singh Kalra (born 18 August 1934), known professionally as Gulzar, is an Indian Urdu poet, lyricist, author, screenwriter, and film director known for his works in Hindi cinema. He is regarded as one of greatest Urdu poets of this ...

. Other Indian films about her include: ''Meerabai'' (1921) by

Kanjibhai Rathod Kanjibhai Rathod was an Indian film director. Early life Kanjibhai Rathod from Maroli village in south Gujarat, was considered the first successful director in Indian cinema. His rise to fame in an era when most people stayed away from films d ...

, ''

Sant Mirabai Meera, better known as Mirabai and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th-century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She is a celebrated Bhakti saint, particularly in the North Indian Hindu tradition. Mirabai was born into a Rathore ...

'' (1929) by

Dhundiraj Govind Phalke Dhundiraj Govind Phalke (Pronunciation: ̪ʱuɳɖiɾaːd͡ʒ pʰaːɭke, popularly known as Dadasaheb Phalke () (30 April 1870 – 16 February 1944), was an Indian producer-director-screenwriter, known as "the Father of Indian cinema". His de ...

, ''

Rajrani Meera ''Rajrani Meera'' (Rajrani Mira) is a 1933 Hindi devotional film. It was directed by Debaki Bose for New Theatres Ltd. Calcutta. The cinematographer was Nitin Bose with music composed by R. C. Boral. The film was a bilingual, made in Bengali a ...

''/''Meerabai'' (1933) by

Debaki Bose Debaki Bose (1898–1971), also known as Debaki Kumar Bose, was an Indian director, writer, and actor who is recognized for his contribution in Hindi as well as Bengali cinema. He was born on 25 November 1898 in Akalposh, (now East Burdwan), Bu ...

, ''Meerabai'' (1936) by T. C. Vadivelu Naicker and A. Narayanan, ''Sadhvi Meerabai'' (1937) by

Baburao Painter Baburao Krishnarao Mestry, popularly known as Baburao Painter (3 June 1890 – 16 January 1954) was an Indian filmmaker and artist. He was a man of many talents with proficiency in painting, sculpture, film production, photography, and mechanic ...

, ''Bhakta Meera'' (1938) by

Y. V. Rao Yaragudipati Varada Rao (Telugu: యెర్రగుడిపాటి వరదరావు; 30 May 1903 – 13 February 1979) was an Indian director, producer, actor, screenwriter, and editor known for his works primarily in Telugu, Kannada, ...

, ''Meerabai'' (1940) by Narasimha Rao Bhimavarapu, ''Meera'' (1947) by Ellis Dungan, ''Matwali Meera'' (1947) by

Baburao Patel Baburao Patel (1904–1982) was an Indian publisher and writer, associated with films and politics. Career He was the editor and publisher of India's first film trade magazine, ''Filmindia'', the first edition of which was published in 1935. B ...

, ''Meerabai'' (1947) by

W. Z. Ahmed Wahiduddin Ziauddin Ahmed (1916 – 15 April 2007) was a Pakistani filmmaker, known primarily for his work in the 1940s. After the partition of India, Ahmed continued to make movies in Pakistan but was able to make only two films. Career in ...

, ''Meerabai'' (1947) by

Nanabhai Bhatt Nanabhai Bhatt (12 June 1915 – 24 April 1999) was an Indian film director and producer who worked in Hindi and Gujarati cinema. He is known for making over a hundred fantasy and mythological films, including ''Mr. X'' (1957), ''Zimbo Comes t ...

, ''Girdhar Gopal Ki Mira'' (1949) by Prafulla Roy, ''Raj Rani Meera'' (1956) by G. P. Pawar, ''Meera Shyam'' (1976), '' Meera Ke Girdhar'' (1992) by Vijay Deep. A 26 episodes popular series starring Mrinal Kulkarni was produced by UTV in 1997 based on her life called ''Mirabai''. ''

'', a 2009 Indian television series based on her life aired on

NDTV Imagine Imagine TV was a Hindi general entertainment channel owned by Turner Broadcasting System, and based in New Delhi. The channel was known for shows such as '' Ramayan (2008), Chandragupta Maurya, '' Swayamvar'', ''Baba Aiso Varr Dhoondo'', ''M ...

. The novel Cuckold by Kiran Nagarkar features her as one of the central characters. ''

Shree Krishna Bhakto Meera Shree Krishna Bhakto Meera is a 2021 Indian Bengali mythological drama television series which premiered on 26 July 2021 on Star Jalsha. It is also available on the digital platform Disney+ Hotstar before its telecast. It is produced by Nispal ...

'', a 2021 Indian Bengali mythological television series based on her life is currently airing on

Star Jalsha Star Jalsha is an Indian Bengali language general entertainment pay television channel owned by Disney Star (formerly ''Star India''), a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company India. It broadcasts Bengali-language programming, such as Soap opera ...

. Meera Bai's life has been interpreted as a musical story in ''Meera—The Lover…'', a music album based on original compositions for some well known Meera bhajans, released 11 October 2009. The Meera Mahal in Merta is a museum dedicated to telling the story of Mirabai through sculptures, paintings, displays and a shaded garden.

Adaptations

Out of all serials made on Meerabai, however the 1997 serial Meerabai by Ved Rahi starring Mrinal Kulkarni was more true to life of Meera and the most popular one. It has more than 30 raag based classical bhajans composed by Mohinderjit Singh and sung by Sandhya Rao, Kavita Krishnamurthy and many others. Its title track was sung by 40 chorus singers, the highest till today.

References

External links

Mīrābāī and Her Contributions to the Bhakti Movement
S. M. Pandey and Norman Zide (1965), History of Religions, Vol. 5, No. 1, pages 54–73
Mirabai in Rajasthan
Parita Mukta (1989)
Feminist and Non-Western Perspectives in the Music Theory Classroom: A Study of John Harbison's "Mirabai Songs
Amy Carr-Richardson (2002), College Music Symposium, Vol. 42, pages 20–36
Without Kṛṣṇa There Is No Song
David Kinsley (1972), History of Religions, Vol. 12, No. 2, pages 149-180
"By the Sweetness of the Tongue": Duty, Destiny, and Devotion in the Oral Life Narratives of Female Sādhus in Rajasthan
Antoinette E. DeNapoli (2009), Asian Ethnology, Vol. 68, No. 1, pages 81–109 {{DEFAULTSORT:Meera 1498 births 1547 deaths Hindu female religious leaders 16th-century Hindu religious leaders Hindi-language poets Indian women religious leaders People related to Krishna Ravidassia Hindu mystics Indian women poets Devotees of Krishna Bhakti movement People from Pali district 16th-century Indian poets Poets from Rajasthan Women writers from Rajasthan Indian Hindu saints Scholars from Rajasthan Women educators from Rajasthan Educators from Rajasthan Women musicians from Rajasthan Singers from Rajasthan 16th-century Indian women singers 16th-century Indian singers Women mystics Rajput princesses Indian princesses