Mirabai
How much do you trust God, on a scale of 1-10?
This saint would’ve answered 100, because she gave us an example of how deep & strong the bond of bhakti can be, almost like a real marriage … that’s Sant Mirabai & here’s her story.
Mirabai was born around 1498 in Rajasthan in a royal Rathore family. She grew attached to the image of Krishna since childhood.
In 1516, at 18 years, she was married of to the crow prince of Mewar, bringing her to Chittorgarh, but tragedy struck & she lost her husband in battle.
But Mirabai refused to be the victim & hide in the background as per the traditional customs for widows in those days.
With her ektara & veena guitars, paired with kartal hand cymbals, she spent her days singing bhajans, visiting temples, dancing in front of Krishna, talking to other gurus & saints from various backgrounds - which created a lot tensions between her in-laws & her.
But all the attempts made to cage or hurt her failed - as Mirabai completely submitted to Krishna’s protection & love, considering herself his bride & partner.
As Mughal invasions intensified around 1520, she left the city to travel back home, then to Vrindavan, and finally to Dwarka.
She famously said that Krishna is the only Purusha & all of us are just his Gopis, dependant on his grace.
To express that bhava, she orally composed many intimate lyrical padas or poems meant to be sung in local Rajasthani or Braj Bhasha languages, using simple examples & analogies from village life, which made her work relatable & accessible to the common people.
She did not build any sect or organisation but inspired hundreds of devotees simply through her own example.
She refused to accept caste barriers & openly embraced everyone, teaching us that gender & social status are irrelevant in bhakti.
Mirabai merged with Krishna in Dwarka in 1547 at 47. But at a time when women saints were almost unheard of, she became a shining example of qualities every devotee should have, being at par with Chaitanya Maharprabhu & Surdas who were igniting bhakti in other parts of the country.
1) Vairagya i.e. renouncing worldly comforts, wealth & ties.
2) Madhurya Bhava i.e. love for the Lord as a partner, celebrated through music, dancing & art
3) Sharanagati i.e. complete surrender to Him & finding solace in his pasttimes