Mirabai was a medieval Hindu spiritual poet and Krishna devotee. She was one of the most popular bhakti- Saint of the Bhakti movement. Her hymns dedicated to Lord Krishna are still very popular and revered in north India. Mirabai was born to a royal family in Rajasthan. Mirabai has many legendery about life. All these legendery tell the story of Mirabai’s bravery and reflect her love and devotion to Krishna. Through these, it is also known how Miraba bravely fought social and family duties and became absorbed in their devotion by treating Krishna as her husband. Her father-in-law did not consider her Krishna bhakti to be compatible with the royal family and occasionally tortured her.
In Indian tradition, thousands of devotional poems written in praise of Lord Krishna are related to Mirabai, but scholars believe that only a few of these poems were composed by Mirabai. Many such poems believed to have been written by Mirabai are said to have been written by her admirers. These poems are called ‘Bhajans’ and are very popular in North India.
Biography of Mirabai
| Name | Mirabai[1] |
| Date of Birth | 1498 AD |
| Place of birth | Kurki Village, Merta, Medieval Rajputana (present-day Rajasthan) |
| Mother | Veer Kumari |
| Father | Ratan Singh Rathaur |
| Spouse | Rana Bhojraj Singh (eldest son of Maharana Sanga of Mewar) |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Death | 1547 AD, Ranchodd Temple Dakor, Dwarka (Gujarat) |
Early Life of Mirabai
Mirabai was born in 1498 into a Rathore Rajput royal family in Kurki to Ratan Singh, in Merta village of (Rajasthan). Mirabai’s father Ratan Singh Rathore was a Jagirdar and mother was Veer Kumari. Meerabai was brought up by her grandparents. Her grandmother was an absolute devotee of Lord Krishna who believed a lot in God.
Mirabai has no reliable historical documents on life. Scholars have tried to highlight Mirabai’s life from literature and other sources. According to this document, Mirabai was born in 1498 to a royal family in Merta, Rajasthan.
Her father Ratan Singh Rathour was the ruler of a small Rajput royal state. She was the only child of her parents and her mother died when she was young. She was taught subjects like music, religion, politics and governance. Mirabai was brought up under the supervision of her grandfather, who was a serious worshiper of Lord Vishnu and a warrior as well as a devotees and saints and who use to come and go there. So, Mira came in contact with saints and religious people from an early age.
Also Read : Biography of Tulsidas
Marriage Life of Mirabai
Mirabai was married to Rana Sanga’s son and Prince Bhoj Raj of Mewar in 1516. Her husband Bhoj Raj was wounded in one of the ongoing wars with the Delhi Sutanate in 1518 and died in 1521. Within a few years of her husband’s death, both her father and her father-in-law were also killed in the Battle of Khanwa with Babur, the founder of the Mughal Empire. 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 with a basket of snake instead of flowers. According to the historical legends, she was not harmed in either case. In another version of this legend she is asked by Vikram Singh to go drown herself, which she tries but she finds herself floating on water.
Krishna Bhakti
After her husband’s death, Mirabai’s devotion to God increased day by day. Mirabai often went to the temple and danced in front of the idol Krishna in front of Krishna’s devotees. Mirabai’s Krishna bhakti and dancing and singing like this were not liked by her husband’s family, which led to several attempts to poison her to death.
It is believed that in 1533 ‘Rao Veeramdev’ called Mirabai ‘Merta’ and in 1534 Bahadur Shah of Gujarat occupied Chittoor the year after Mirabai’s departure from Chittoor. After that, in 1538, The Ruler of Jodhpur, Rao Maldev, occupied Merta, after which Viramdev escaped and took shelter in Ajmer and Mira goes out on a pilgrimage to Broz. In 1539, Mirabai met Roop Goswami in Vrindavan. After living in Vrindavan for a few years, Mirabai moved to Dwarka in about 1546.
Mirabai’s compositions
Attracted towards Krishna-Bhakti, Mirabai’s works are: Raag Govind, Govind Tika, Raag Soratha, Meera Ki Malhar, Mira Padavali, Narsi ji Ka Mayara. She gave more importance to emotions and respect than knowledge.
Poems of Mirabai
A number of compositions by Mirabai have a philosophical connotation. Most of what we know about Mirabai is from her poems. Her poetry expresses her desires and desire for her soul to meet Sri Krishna. Sometimes the pain of her separation and at other times the joy of divine union are expressed. Her devotional poems were designed to be sung as bhajans, and many are still sung today. One of her most popular compositions remains “Payoji maine Ram Ratan dhan Paayo.” Mira’s poems are lyrical padas (metric verses) in Rajasthani language.
Spiritual Legacy of Mirabai
Mirabai dedicated herself to her spiritual practice and lived a life of singing and writing devotional poems in praise of Hindu gods and goddesses. Her poems have been through oral traditions for centuries and are still read today. Meerabai’s spiritual journey was one of liberation and self-transformation. She managed to get rid of the bonds of social expectations and find true happiness and freedom in her heart. Her legacy has been inspiring people around the world to connect with their own divine nature and celebrate the joys of life.
Death
There is certainly no clear mention of when Meerabai died. However, it is estimated that Meerabai died in 1547. It is even said that Meerabai had magically disappeared in the idol of Krishna. However, there is no clear evidence of this. Many consider Mirabai’s death as a mystery.
Conclusion
Meerabai was a poet and devotional singer. She is known for her devotion to Krishna through which she was freed from worldly addiction.
FAQ
1. When and where was Mirabai born?
Ans: Mirabai was born on 1498 AD at Kurki.
2. Is Mirabai a Hindu poet?
Ans: Meera, known as Mirabai and revered as Saint Mirabai, was a sixteenth century Hindu mystic poet and devotee of Krishna. She is a famous bhakti saint, especially in the North Indian Hindu tradition.
3. How did Mirabai worship Lord Krishna?
Ans: Mirabai started visiting Sri Krishna’s temple after completing all the work daily. She worshipped Sri Krishna and sang bhajans in her melodious voice.
4. Who was Mirabai in her previous birth?
Ans: It is said that Mirabai was a follower of Lord Krishna in her past life. Her name is said to be Lalita at that time. She was born again as Mirabai in Kalyug. It is said that she did not get salvation from the cycle of births and death in her past life with Lord Krishna so she was born again as Mirabai.
5. What was Mirabai’s husband’s name?
Ans: Mirabai’s husband’s name was Rana Bhoj Raj Singh.
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