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. 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 Rajput 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 ...

of Rajasthan) and spent her childhood in Merta. She is mentioned in '' Bhaktamal'', 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-laws for her religious devotion. She has been the subject of numerous folk tales and hagiographic 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, 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 against first Mughal Emperor

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 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 or Vrindavan, 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'') 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. 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 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.

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. and Meera Pakeerah. Some bhajans of Meera have been rendered into English by Robert Bly 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 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'' (1945), a Tamil language 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 '' Meera'' a 1979 Hindi film by Gulzar. Other Indian films about her include: ''Meerabai'' (1921) by Kanjibhai Rathod, ''

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''/''Meerabai'' (1933) by Debaki Bose, ''Meerabai'' (1936) by T. C. Vadivelu Naicker and A. Narayanan, ''Sadhvi Meerabai'' (1937) by Baburao Painter, ''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 Ellis Roderick Dungan (May 11, 1909 – December 1, 2001) was an American film director, who was well known for working in Indian films, predominantly in Tamil cinema, from 1936 to 1950. He was an alumnus of the University of Southern Californi ...

, ''Matwali Meera'' (1947) by Baburao Patel, ''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 ''Meera Ke Girdhar'' is a 1993 Hindi-language devotional movie directed by Vijay Deep. It is about Hindu mythological story of Meera's love and devotion towards Lord Krishna. Cast *Upasna Khosla *Virendra Mahthan * Arun Bali *Himani Shivpuri ...

'' (1992) by Vijay Deep. A 26 episodes popular series starring Mrinal Kulkarni was produced by UTV in 1997 based on her life called ''Mirabai''. '' Meera'', 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. 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