Mirabai
The life, legends and devotional songs of Mirabai, the 16th-century Rajput princess and poet-saint who gave her life to Krishna.
Mirabai, also known as Meera, is one of the most beloved poet-saints of India. A Rajput princess who lived in the early 16th century, she devoted her life to Krishna, whom she regarded as her true husband, defying the expectations of her royal family. Her passionate devotional songs are still sung across India and around the world, and her story has inspired countless retellings in poetry, music, film and dance.
Life and legend
Historical records of Mirabai's life are scarce, and much of what is known comes from devotional biographies and popular tradition. She is usually dated to around 1498–1547.
Childhood devotion
Mirabai was born into the Rathore royal family of Merta, in present-day Rajasthan. According to a popular story, as a small girl she saw a wedding procession and asked her mother who her own bridegroom would be. Her mother pointed to an image of Krishna, and from then on Mirabai regarded Krishna as her husband. She called him Giridhar Gopal, “the cowherd who lifted the mountain”.
Marriage and widowhood
Around 1516 she was married to Bhoj Raj, the crown prince of Mewar, the son of the powerful Rana Sanga of Chittor. According to tradition, she continued to worship Krishna devotedly, spending her time with wandering holy men and singing and dancing in temples, behaviour considered improper for a royal wife. Her husband died a few years after the marriage. Mirabai is said to have refused to commit sati, declaring that her true husband, Krishna, was immortal.
Persecution
Mirabai's in-laws are said to have tried to stop her devotion, and even to kill her. In famous stories, a cup of poison sent to her turned to nectar, and a venomous snake hidden in a basket became a garland of flowers or a sacred image of Krishna. These stories are told as signs of Krishna's protection of his devotee.
Pilgrimage and final union
Mirabai eventually left the palace and travelled as a wandering devotee to Vrindavan, the land of Krishna's childhood, and finally to Dwarka, the city he ruled. According to legend, when messengers came to bring her back, she went into the temple of Krishna and merged into his image, never to be seen again.
Her songs
Hundreds of songs (padas or bhajans) are attributed to Mirabai, in a mixture of Rajasthani and Braj Bhasha, an early form of Hindi. Many were probably composed by later singers in her name. They express intense longing for Krishna, the pain of separation, joy in his presence, and defiance of social convention. Among the best known are Mere to Giridhar Gopal (“My only one is Giridhar Gopal”) and Payoji maine Ram ratan dhan payo (“I have found the jewel of the name of God”).
Significance
Mirabai is an important figure in the bhakti movement, which taught that sincere love of God matters more than social rank or ritual. As a woman who chose devotion over the duties expected of a royal wife and widow, she has become a symbol of spiritual freedom and courage. Mahatma Gandhi admired her steadfastness and often cited her as an example of non-violent resistance.
Her life has been the subject of many films, including a 1945 Tamil and Hindi film starring the singer M. S. Subbulakshmi, and her songs are performed by classical and popular musicians alike.
Sources and further reading
- Parita Mukta, Upholding the Common Life: The Community of Mirabai (Oxford University Press, 1994).
- John Stratton Hawley, Three Bhakti Voices: Mirabai, Surdas, and Kabir in Their Times and Ours (Oxford University Press, 2005).
- Robert Bly and Jane Hirshfield (trans.), Mirabai: Ecstatic Poems (Beacon Press, 2004).