How did meera bai died

Mirabai

16th-century Hindu mystic poet, saint and devotee of the god Krishna

For the Indian weightlifter, see Saikhom Mirabai Chanu.

"Meera" redirects here. For other uses, see Meera (disambiguation).

Meera, better known as Mirabai,[2] and venerated as Sant Meerabai, was a 16th-century Hindumystic poet and devotee of Krishna.

She is a celebrated Bhakti saint, particularly in the North Indian Hindu tradition.[3][4][5] She is mentioned in Bhaktamal, confirming that she was widely known and a cherished figure in the Bhakti movement by about [6][7] In her poems, she had madhurya bhava towards Krishna.

Most legends about Mirabai mention her fearless disregard for social and family conventions, her devotion to Krishna, and her persecution by her in-laws for her religious devotion.[1][6] Her in-laws never liked her passion for music, through which she expressed her devotion, and they considered it an insult of the upper caste people.

It is said that amongst her in-laws, her husband was the only one to love and support her in her Bhakti, while some believed him to have opposed it. She has been the subject of numerous folk tales and hagiographic legends, which are inconsistent or widely different in details. According to a legend, when her in-laws attempted to murder her with poison, Mirabai tied a thread on Krishna's idol, trusting in his divine protection, through which she was saved by Krishna through divine intervention.

This legend is sometimes cited as the origin of the ritual of tying rakhi to God's idol.[1][8]

Millions of devotional hymns in passionate praise of Krishna are attributed to Mirabai 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 first written down in the 18th century.[9] Many poems attributed to Meera were likely composed later by others who admired Meera.

These hymns are a type of Bhajan, and are very famous across India.[10]

Some Hindu temples, such as Chittor Fort, are dedicated to Mirabai's memory.[1] Legends about Mirabai's life, of contested authenticity, have been the subject of movies, films, comic strips and other popular literature in modern times.[11]

Biography

Primary records about Meera are not available, and scholars have attempted to establish Meera's biography from secondary literature that mentions her.

Meerabai was born into a Rathore Rajput royal family in Kudki and spent her childhood in Merta. She was the daughter of Ratan Singh Rathore and grand daughter of Rao Dudaji of Merta.[12][13]

Meera unwillingly married Bhoj Raj, the crown prince of Mewar, in [14][15] Her husband was wounded in one of the ongoing wars with the Delhi Sultanate in , and he died from battle wounds in Both her father and father-in-law (Rana Sanga) died a few days after their defeat in the Battle of Khanwa against Babur, the first Mughal Emperor.[13]

After the death of Rana Sanga, Vikram Singh became the ruler of Mewar.

According to a popular legend, her in-laws tried to assassinate her multiple times. These attempts included sending Meera a glass of poison and telling her it was nectar, and sending her a basket with a snake instead of flowers.[2][14] According to hagiographic legends, she was not harmed in either case, with the snake miraculously becoming, depending on the version, a Krishna idol or a garland of flowers.[8][14] In another version of these legends, she is asked by Vikram Singh to drown herself.

When she attempts to do so, she merely floats on the water.[16] Yet another legend states that the third Mughal emperor, Akbar, came with Tansen to visit Meera and presented her with a pearl necklace. Scholars doubt this happened, as Tansen joined Akbar's court in , 15 years after Meera's death.[16] Similarly, some stories state that Ravidas was her guru (teacher), but there is no corroborating historical evidence for this.[16][17]

As of , the three oldest records that mention Meera[18] are all from the 17th century and written within years of Meera's death.

Neither mentions anything about her childhood, the circumstances of her marriage to Bhojraj or that the people who persecuted her were her in-laws or from some Rajput royal family.[19] 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 after being poisoned by her brother-in-law in [1][2] While miracles are contested by scholars for the lack of historical evidence, it is widely acknowledged that Meera dedicated her life to Krishna, composing songs of devotion, and was one of the most important poet-saints of the Bhakti movement period.[2][16][20]

Poetry

A number of compositions by Meera Bai continue to be sung today in India, mostly as devotional songs (bhajans) towards Krishna, though nearly all of them have a philosophical connotation.[22] Her poems describe her love, salutation, and separation from Krishna, and her dissatisfaction with the world.[13] One of her most popular compositions remains "Payoji maine Ram Ratan dhan payo" (पायो जी मैंने राम रतन धन पायो।, "I have been given the richness of God's name blessing").[23][24] Meera's poems are lyrical padas (metric verses) in the Rajasthani language.[16] Several meters are used within her padas, but the most common meter found is mātric (syllabic) poetic line.

  • Meerabai date of birth and death
  • Mirabai husband name
  • 10 lines on mirabai in english
  • Meera bai biography pdf

    • Rāgas or melodies are attributed to these padas, allowing them to be sung.[13] While thousands of verses are attributed to her, scholars are divided as to how many of them were actually penned by Meera herself.[25] There are no surviving manuscripts of her poetry from her time, and the earliest records with two poems credited to her are from the early 18th century, more than years after her legendary disappearance in [9]

    Hindi and Rajasthani

    The most extensive collection of Meera's poems exists in manuscripts from the 19th century.

    To establish the authenticity of the poems, scholars have looked at various factors such as the mention of Meera in other manuscripts, as well as the style, language, and form of the poems.[9][27] 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."[28]

    In her poems, Krishna is a yogi and lover, and she herself is a yogini ready to take her place by his side in a spiritual marital bliss.[9] Meera's style combines impassioned mood, defiance, longing, anticipation, joy and ecstasy of union, always centred on Krishna.[27]

    My Dark One has gone to an alien land.
    He has left me behind, he's never returned, he's never sent me a single word.
    So I've stripped off my ornaments, jewels, and adornments, and cut my hair from my head.
    And put on holy garments, all on his account, seeking him in all four directions.
    Mira: unless she meets the Dark One, her God, she doesn't even want to live.

    —&#;Mira Bai, Translated by John Stratton Hawley[29]

    Meera speaks of a personal relationship with Krishna as her lover, God and mountain lifter. The characteristic of her poetry is complete surrender.

    After making me fall for you so hard, where are you going?
    Until the day I see you, no repose: my life, like a fish washed on shore, flails in agony.
    For your sake I'll make myself a yogini, I'll hurl myself to death on the saw of Kashi.
    Mira's God is the clever Mountain Lifter, and I am his, a slave to his lotus feet.

    —&#;Mira Bai, Translated by John Stratton Hawley[30]

    Meera is often classed with the northern Sant bhaktis, who spoke of Krishna.

    Ravidas as Mira's Guru

    There is a small chhatri (pavilion) in front of Meera's temple in Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan which bears Ravidas' engraved foot print.[31][32] Legends link him as the guru of Mirabai, another major Bhakti movement poet.[33][34]

    Queen Mira Bai composed a song dedicated to Guru Ravidas where she mentioned him as her Guru.&#;

    Sadguru sant mile Ravidas
    Mira devaki kare vandana aas
    Jin chetan kahya dhann Bhagavan Ravidas

    -- "I got a guru in the form of Sant Ravidas, there by obtaining life's fulfillment."[35]

    Sikh literature

    When the Adi Granth was compiled in , a copy of the text was given to a Sikh named Bhai Banno who was instructed by Guru Arjan to travel to Lahore to get it bound.

    Biography of saint cecilia: For all questions, including media inquiries, please use our contact form for the quickest response. Although she was born a princess, she was willing to live as a beggar, face regular persecution, and threats to her life, rather than renounce her devotion to Krishna. Guru Nanak. These are vital points of life force, and when they are out of balance, energy cannot properly flow throughout the body.

    While doing so, he made a copy of the codex, which included compositions of Mirabai. These unauthorized additions were not included in the standardized edition of the scripture by the Sikh gurus, who rejected their inclusion.[36][37][38][39]

    Prem Ambodh Pothi, a text attributed to Guru Gobind Singh and completed in CE, includes poetry of Mira Bai as one of sixteen historic bhakti saints important to Sikhism.[40]

    Mirabai's compositions

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

    Influence

    Scholars acknowledge that Meera was one of the central poet-saints of the Bhakti movement, a period in Indian history rife 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.[41] Dirk Wiemann, quoting Parita Mukta, states,

    If one accepts that someone very akin to the Mira legend [about persecution and her devotion] existed as an actual social being, the power of her convictions broke the brutal feudal relationships that existed at that time.

    The Mira Bai of the popular imagination, then, is an intensely anachronistic figure by virtue of that anticipatory radical democracy which propels Meera out of the historicity that remains nonetheless ascribed to her. She goes beyond the shadowy realms of the past to inhabit the very core of a future which is embodied within the suffering of a people who seek an alternative.

    —&#;Dirk Wiemann / Parita Mukta, On Meera[41][42]

    The continued influence of Meera, in part, has been her message of freedom, her resolve and right to pursue her devotion to Krishna and her spiritual beliefs as she felt drawn to despite her persecution.[41][42] 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".[17]

    English translations

    English translations of Meera's poems titled Mystic Songs of Meera and The Devotional Poems of Mirabai have been written by A.J.

    Alston and V.K. Subramanian respectively.[43][44] Some bhajans of Meera have been rendered into English by Robert Bly and Jane Hirshfield as Mirabai: Ecstatic Poems.[45] Schelling and Landes-Levi have offered anthologies in the USA.[46][47] Snell has presented parallel translations in his collection The Hindi Classical Tradition.[48] Sethi has selected poems which Meera composed presumably after she came in contact with Ravidas.[49]

    Popular culture

    Composer John Harbison adapted Bly's translations for his Mirabai Songs.

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

    In , Indian film director Anjali Panjabi released a documentary film about Meera, titled A Few Things I Know About Her.[50]

    In , Meera Bai's life was interpreted as a musical story in Meera—The Lover…, a music album based on original compositions for some well known bhajans attributed to her.[51]James, a Bangladeshi musician, dedicated his song "Mirabai" to her.[52]

    The Meera Mahal in Merta is a museum dedicated to telling the story of Mirabai through sculptures, paintings, displays, and a shaded garden.[53]

    Film and TV adaptations

    Two well-known films of her life have been made in India: Meera (), a Tamil language film starring M.

    S. Subbulakshmi, and Meera (), a Hindi film by Gulzar, in which she is portrayed by actress Hema Malini. Other Indian films about her include: Meerabai () by Kanjibhai Rathod, Sant Mirabai () by Dhundiraj Govind Phalke, Rajrani Meera/Meerabai () by Debaki Bose, Meerabai () by T. C. Vadivelu Naicker and A. Narayanan, Sadhvi Meerabai () by Baburao Painter, Bhakta Meera () by Y.

    V. Rao, Meerabai () by Narasimha Rao Bhimavarapu, Meera () by Ellis Dungan, Matwali Meera () by Baburao Patel, Meerabai () by W. Z. Ahmed, Meerabai () by Nanabhai Bhatt, Girdhar Gopal Ki Mira () by Prafulla Roy, Raj Rani Meera () by G. P. Pawar, Meera Shyam (), Meera Ke Girdhar () by Vijay Deep.[54]

    Mirabai, a episode series based on her life, starring Mrinal Kulkarni, was produced by UTV in [55]Meera, a Indian television series based on her life, aired on NDTV Imagine.

    Shree Krishna Bhakto Meera, a Indian Bengali mythological television series based on her life, aired on Star Jalsha. Her life was also chronicled in the longest running mythological show, Vighnaharta Ganesh, where Lord Ganesh narrates her story to one of Lord Shiva's gana, Pushpadanta. Mira was portrayed by Lavina Tandon, while Krishna's role was essayed by Hitanshu Jinsi.[56]

    See also

    References

    1. ^ abcdeUsha Nilsson (), Mira bai, Sahitya Akademi, ISBN&#;, pages
    2. ^ abcd"Mira Bai".

      Encyclopædia Britannica. Archived from the original on 4 December Retrieved 30 July

    3. ^Karen Pechelis (), The Graceful Guru, Oxford University Press, ISBN&#;, pages ,
    4. ^Neeti Sadarangani (), Bhakti Poetry in Medieval India: Its Inception, Cultural Encounter and Impact, Sarup & Sons, ISBN&#;, pages
    5. ^Ryan, James D.; Jones, Constance ().

      Encyclopedia of Hinduism. Infobase Publishing. p.&#; ISBN&#;.

    6. ^ abCatherine Asher and Cynthia Talbot (), India before Europe, Cambridge University Press, ISBN&#;, page
    7. ^Annals And Antiquities of Rajasthan Vol. 1 Page no.

      75

    8. ^ abNancy Martin-Kershaw (), Faces of the Feminine in Ancient, Medieval, and Modern India (Editor: Mandakranta Bose), Oxford University Press, ISBN&#;, pages
    9. ^ abcdJohn Stratton Hawley (), Asceticism (Editors: Vincent Wimbush, Richard Valantasi), Oxford University Press, ISBN&#;, pages
    10. ^Edwin Bryant (), Krishna: A Sourcebook, Oxford University Press, ISBN&#;, page
    11. ^Edwin Bryant (), Krishna: A Sourcebook, Oxford University Press, ISBN&#;, page
    12. ^"Founding of Sahitya Akademi", Independent India, , Routledge, p.&#;11, 8 October , doi/ (inactive 1 November ), ISBN&#;, retrieved 9 February : CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November (link)
    13. ^ abcdPandey, S.

      M.; Zide, Norman (). "Mīrābāī and Her Contributions to the Bhakti Movement". History of Religions. 5 (1): 54– doi/ ISSN&#; JSTOR&#;

    14. ^ abcUsha Nilsson (), Mira bai, Sahitya Akademi, ISBN&#;, pages
    15. ^Nancy Martin-Kershaw (), Faces of the Feminine in Ancient, Medieval, and Modern India (Editor: Mandakranta Bose), Oxford University Press, ISBN&#;, page
    16. ^ abcdeUsha Nilsson (), Mira bai, Sahitya Akademi, ISBN&#;, pages
    17. ^ abEdwin Bryant (), Krishna: A Sourcebook, Oxford University Press, ISBN&#;, page
    18. ^are Munhata Nainsi's Khyat from Jodhpur, Prem Ambodh from Amritsar, and Nabhadas's Chappy from Varanasi; see: JS Hawley and GS Mann (), Culture and Circulation: Literature in Motion in Early Modern India (Editors: Thomas De Bruijn and Allison Busch), Brill Academic, ISBN&#;, pages
    19. ^J.

      S. Hawley and G. S. Mann (), Culture and Circulation: Literature in Motion in Early Modern India (Editors: Thomas De Bruijn and Allison Busch), Brill Academic, ISBN&#;, pages

    20. ^John S. Hawley (), Three Bhakti Voices: Mirabai, Surdas, and Kabir in Their Times and Ours, Oxford University Press, ISBN&#;, pages
    21. ^Edwin Bryant (), Krishna: A Sourcebook, Oxford University Press, ISBN&#;, page
    22. ^Subramanian, VK (1 February ).

      Mystic songs of Meera (in Hindi and English). Abhinav publications. ISBN&#;. Archived from the original on 23 November Retrieved 23 November

    23. ^"Lyrics – Ram Ratan Dhan Paayo (Lata Mangeshkar rendition)".

      Biography of saint meerabai in hindi Mystic Songs of Meera. In her last years, Meera lived in Dwarka or Vrindavan , where legends state she miraculously disappeared by merging into an idol of Krishna after being poisoned by her brother-in-law in Poetry [ edit ]. Until the day I see you, no repose: my life, like a fish washed on shore, flails in agony.

      . Top Hindi Lyrics. Archived from the original on 9 December Retrieved 23 November

    24. ^The poetry of Meera&#;: a compendium of her songs translated in English(PDF). Poetry Hunter. Archived(PDF) from the original on 23 November Retrieved 23 November
    25. ^"Meera ke bhajan (Hindi)".

      . Hindi Vidya. 10 June Archived from the original on 23 November Retrieved 23 November

    26. ^Khanuja, Parvinderjit Singh; Taylor, Paul Michael; National Museum of Natural History (U.S.), eds. (). Splendors of Punjab heritage: art from the Khanuja family collection (1st&#;ed.). New Delhi, India: Lustre Press/Roli Books.

      pp.&#;74 (figure 89). ISBN&#;.

    27. ^ abEdwin Bryant (), Krishna: A Sourcebook, Oxford University Press, ISBN&#;, pages
    28. ^John Stratton Hawley (), Asceticism (Editors: Vincent Wimbush, Richard Valantasi), Oxford University Press, ISBN&#;, page
    29. ^John Stratton Hawley (), Asceticism (Editors: Vincent Wimbush, Richard Valantasi), Oxford University Press, ISBN&#;, page
    30. ^John Stratton Hawley (), Asceticism (Editors: Vincent Wimbush, Richard Valantasi), Oxford University Press, ISBN&#;, page
    31. ^Singh, Mahendra ().

      Dalit's Inheritance in Hindu Religion. Gyan Publishing House. ISBN&#;. Retrieved 29 August

    32. ^Chittauragarh Fort: An Enigma with a Thin Line between History and MythologyArchived 13 October at the Wayback Machine. 24 August ,
    33. ^Peter Heehs (), Indian Religions: A Historical Reader of Spiritual Expression and Experience, New York University Press, ISBN&#;, pages
    34. ^"Guru Ravidas, seer, social reformer".

      The Hindu. 25 February Retrieved 29 August

    35. ^Shri, Satya (23 January ). Demystifying Brahminism and Re-Inventing Hinduism: Volume 1 – Demystifying Brahminism. Notion Press.

      Biography of saint meerabai university Archived from the original on 13 November Colors of India : Mirabai. Mirabai Poems The poems of Mirabai were traditionally known as 'pada', a term that was used in the 14th century to refer to the small spiritual songs. Toggle the table of contents.

      ISBN&#;. Retrieved 29 August

    36. '^Clary, Randi Lynn. Sikhing’a husband: Bridal imagery and gender in Sikh scripture. Rice University,
    37. ^Singh, Pashaura. "Recent Research and Debates in Adi Granth Studies." Religion Compass ():
    38. ^Zelliot, Eleanor. "The Medieval Bhakti Movement in History: An Essay on the Literature in English." Hinduism.

      Brill,

    39. ^Singh, Pashaura. "Scriptural adaptation in the Adi Granth." Journal of the American Academy of Religion ():
    40. ^JS Hawley and GS Mann (), Culture and Circulation: Literature in Motion in Early Modern India (Editors: Thomas De Bruijn and Allison Busch), Brill Academic, ISBN&#;, pages
    41. ^ abcDirk Wiemann (), Genres of Modernity: Contemporary Indian Novels in English, Rodopi, ISBN&#;, pages
    42. ^ abParita Mukta (), Upholding the Common Life: The Community of Mirabai, Oxford University Press, ISBN&#;, pages viii-x,
    43. ^Subramanian, V.

      K. (). Mystic Songs of Meera. Abhinav Publications.

      Biography of saint paul The exhibit explored the heritage, daily experiences, and the many diverse contributions that immigrants and Indian Americans have made to the United States. Finally, she went to Dwarka. Brill, A number of compositions by Meera Bai continue to be sung today in India, mostly as devotional songs bhajans towards Krishna , though nearly all of them have a philosophical connotation.

      ISBN&#;.

    44. ^Alston, A.J., The Devotional Poems of Mirabai, Delhi
    45. ^Bly, Robert / Hirshfield, Jane,Mirabai: Ecstatic Poems, Boston, Massachusetts
    46. ^Schelling, Andrew, For Love of the Dark One: Songs of Mirabai, Prescott, Arizona
    47. ^Landes-Levi, Louise, Sweet on My Lips: The Love Poems of Mirabai, New York
    48. ^Snell, Rupert.

      The Hindi Classical Tradition: A Braj Bhasa Reader, London , pp 39, –

    49. ^Sethi, V.K.,Mira: The Divine Lover, Radha Soami Satsang Beas, Punjab
    50. ^"Legend of Mira Bai retold by Anjali Panjabi". The Times of India. 4 October Archived from the original on 14 July Retrieved 23 September
    51. ^"Vandana Vishwas: Home".

      Archived from the original on 24 February Retrieved 12 October

    52. ^"জেমসের 'মীরা বাঈ' গানের মীরা বাঈ-এর গল্প!". egiyecholo (in Bengali). 2 October Retrieved 9 September
    53. ^Sengar, Resham. "Experiencing the presence of Meerabai at Meera Mahal in Rajasthan". The Times of India.

      Archived from the original on 13 November Retrieved 21 February

    54. ^Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (). Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema. British Film Institute.

      Biography of saint meerabai She lived during a time of war and spiritual decline, but her life offered a shining example of the purest devotion. Many were inspired by her infectious devotion and spontaneous love for Sri Krishna. The characteristic of her poetry is complete surrender. Additionally, in the Sanskrit alphabet, there are 54 letters.

      ISBN&#;. Retrieved 12 August

    55. ^"Ved Rahi's serial 'Meera' to telecast on DD1". India Today. 30 April Retrieved 30 September
    56. ^"Lavina Tandon feels 'blessed' to play 'Mirabai'". The Times of India. 31 August ISSN&#; Retrieved 27 August

    Further reading

    • Robert Bly and Jane Hirshfield (), Mirabai: Ecstatic Poems, Beacon Press, ISBN&#;
    • Chaturvedī, Ācārya Parashurām(a), Mīrāʼnbāī kī padāvalī,( edition)
    • Goetz, Hermann, Mira Bai: Her Life and Times, Bombay
    • Levi, Louise Landes.

      Sweet on My Lips. The Love Poems of Mira Bai. Cool Grove PrBrooklyn NY, , ,

    • Mirabai: Liebesnärrin. Die Verse der indischen Dichterin und Mystikerin. Translated from Rajasthani into German by Shubhra Parashar. Kelkheim, (ISBN&#;)
    • Hawley, John Stratton. The Bhakti Voices: Mirabai, Surdas, and Kabir in Their Times and Ours, Oxford
    • Sethi, V.K.: Mira—The Divine Lover; Radha Soami Satsang Beas, Punjab, India;
    • Bankey Behari ().

    • Biography of saint cecilia
    • Biography of saint meerabai movie
    • Biography of saint meerabai e

      • The Story of Mira Bai. Gorakhpur: Gita Press. OCLC&#;

    External links

    • Mīrābāī and Her Contributions to the Bhakti Movement, S. M. Pandey and Norman Zide (), History of Religions, Vol. 5, No. 1, pages 54–73
    • Without Kṛṣṇa There Is No Song, David Kinsley (), History of Religions, Vol.

      12, No. 2, pages –

    • Mirabai in Rajasthan, Parita Mukta ()
    • Sangari, Kumkum (14 July ). "Mirabai and the Spiritual Economy of Bhakti". Economic and Political Weekly. 25 (28): – JSTOR&#; Retrieved 15 April
    • Feminist and Non-Western Perspectives in the Music Theory Classroom: A Study of John Harbison's "Mirabai Songs, Amy Carr-Richardson (), College Music Symposium, Vol.

      42, pages 20–36

    • "By the Sweetness of the Tongue": Duty, Destiny, and Devotion in the Oral Life Narratives of Female Sādhus in Rajasthan, Antoinette E. DeNapoli (), Asian Ethnology, Vol. 68, No. 1, pages 81–