My India   History   Festivals   Ramayan   Mahabharata   Health
Hindu Philosophy   Hindu Culture   Hidu Life Rituals   Gods and Heroes of Hinduism  Comparing Religions
My resume   Poems   Travel-logs   Music   Bhajans   Videos   Links   Mahabharata katha London 2012

Meerabai

  

Meerabai was an extraordinary saint with an amazing output of hymns and bhajans that are still very popular.  Even now, Meerabai's bhajans resonate with our own spiritual yearnings.

Born at a turbulent time when Hinduism was under sever threat from harsh and uncompromising Muslim armies of Turks, Krayags, Afghanis and Arabs, Meerabai shone like a bright beacon of devotion and determination in dark times.  At a time when Muslims were kidnapping and converting Hindu women at random, Meerabai bravely undertook various pilgrimages all over India, all by herself.  Meerabai sang her way across North India, the heartland of the Islamic kingdom and stayed at Vraj which is within riding distance of Delhi, Agra and Fathpur Sikri (capitals of various Muslim rulers of 15th Century).

Born into the royal house of Rathod (Mewad - Jodhpur), Meera married into the royal house of Mewar (Chittod - Udaipur).  Having lost both her parents early in life, Meera was raised by her uncle Rao Viram Deo at Merta (Medta).  From a young age, Meera was totally devoted to Shri Krushna and constantly referred to him as her ‘Girdhar Gopal’.  When she came of age, Meera was married to Bhoj Raj of Chittor.  Unfortunately political and military fortunes of Chittor were not running well at the time and Meerabai (bai was an honorific adjective used for married princesses) soon lost her husband and father-in-law in warfare with the Dehli Sultanate. 

In those days, women of the warrior caste expected such calamities in life.  They also knew that life could be very hard if you did not have a male family member to support you.  As a princess, Meerabai was brought up to be tough and her devotion to Shri Krushna only deepened after her loss of ‘male supporters’ in the family.  Determined and devoted, she refused to bow to social and political pressure brought upon her and continued to worship Shri Krushna in public. 

Unlike her uncle, husband and father-in-law, the new king of Chittor, Vikramaditya, didn’t appreciate Meera’s zeal for sharing her religious devotion in public.  As Meerabai was related to a powerful clan of Rajputs, he could not force her to die as a ‘Sati’ nor could he shut her up in a darkened room.  Vikramaditya tried various covert and overt means to silence her and keep her out of public limelight.  When Meerabai discovered that her brother-in-law had tried various surreptitious means to assassinate her, she left Mewar and returned to her uncle’s castle in Merta.

Meerabai’s phenomenal intellect, ability to sing from the heart and simplify complex philosophy in colloquial language made her a popular ‘living saint’.  After a brief sojourn in Merta, Meerabai took an arduous pilgrimage to Vraj, Gokul, Mathura and Vrindavan where Shri Krushna had grown up.  However once there, Meerabai found that leaders of emerging bhakti sects were unwilling to engage with her or admit her into their ranks. 

Through her bhajans and her popularity amongst the people, Meerabai must have been known to Vitthalnathji (Gusaiji), Rup Goswami, Raidas, Kabir and even Tuslidas.  Yet none of them admitted her in to their sect.  Examining the literature of the various sects that flourished in North India at the time, it is obvious that Meerabai’s sincere attempts at engaging with them were rebuffed.  Their reluctance seems to stem from a number of social and political reasons. 

For sects that were actively growing at the time, it did not make sense to have an “enemy of the state” in their sect.  It would not have been conducive to good relationship with the government.  Meerabai was a widowed princess from Mewar, a state that was constantly at war with various Muslim rulers.  Politically, she would have been unwelcome in sects that were hoping to get royal patronage or at least avoid royal displeasure at the time.  Meerabai also challenged social rules and norms by refusing to live quietly as a simple widow.  Her behaviour would have been an uwelcome exaple for others to follow. 

With her sharp intellect, she challenged many social and sectarian norms prevalent at the time, making her an ‘unknown quantity’ for many religious leaders.  For example, once she wanted to do satsang with Rup-Goswami of Gaudia sect.  However, he refused to meet her and sent a very lame excuse that as a male sanyasi, he did not meet females.  Meerabai sharply rebuked him by stating that according to Gaudia sect, all jivas are of the feminine gender and only Krushna is MALE.  For male religious leaders at the time, such fighting spirit from lay female follower was unusual and unacceptable.  Hence though unreasonable, it is understandable why Meerabai never aligned herself with any sect at the time.

Later, when Mewar was defeated by the Mughals, there was even less reason for sects to admit her.  For example, Gaudia and Pushti Marg were patronised (please don’t argue about the word, it’s a historical fact) by Emperor Akbar and his royal courtiers at Agra / Fathpur Sikri.  Once again it was prudent not to accept Meerabai as a “saint” as this would send the wrong signal to ladies of these royal houses.  As she had deliberately discarded the rigid rules of how royalty should live, she was an outcast and as a result, she has never been included in list of saints by Gaudia or Pushti sect.   

Meerabai was well aware of all this.  She was a saint, but she was also a princess.  She knew how people thought and behaved and why.  Hence Meerabai never forced the issue and asked for advice and guidance when she wanted it from the various other ‘living saints’ at the time.  BUT, at the same time, she carved her own niche in the world of poet saints.  It’s a major achievement as she did this without the help of any organised “sect” or institution that would support her socially, financially or politically.  Meerabai did well to survive in a male dominated world of 15th Century when women were forced to tow the line, socially and spiritually.  Her faith in her Girdhar Gopal was absolute!  Her “bharoso” in her Thakorji was so strong, she managed to go around North India at a time when no woman would dare do it on her own. 

While on a pilgrimage to Dwarika, Meerabai received an embassy from the new king of Mewar, Udai Singh, humbly requesting her to return.  The royal family of Mewar may have felt that insulting a ‘living saint’ had cost them their kingdom and loss of Chittor.  Restoring the saint may restore their political fortunes.  Meerabai resisted their emotional blackmail and died in the city founded by her beloved Giridhar-Gopal.  

Though Hindu sects may not have admitted her into their ranks, Meerabai’s bhanjans (written in various regional languages) continue to be popular amongst Hindus across the globe.  Phenomenal singers such as Lata Mangeshkar and MS Shubhalakshmi have sung her bhajans and several films have been made about her life in various regional languages across India.   

Meerabai was a visionary saint of extraordinary talent and courage.  Let us share her passion for divine love which lives on in her wonderful bhajans.

 

© Bhagwat Shahah   
[email protected]

Return to Index

Return to Bhagwat's main page

Return to ShriNathji's Haveli