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DI:Personality
Meerabai
The Diamond Necklace Brings Grief
But it was not so easy for a MogulEmperor to go and see a Rajput lady in Rajasthan. It
was risky to go undisguised. Many of the Rajputs were hostile to Muslims. Though Akbar
was able to make friends with quite a few of them, he had many enemies too. So according
toTansen's plan both entered Chittore in the guise of monks. Hindus do not harm monks.
Moreover, the guise of ascetics made it easier for them to see Mira.
So, both Tansen and Akbar came disguised as hermits to the temple where Mira lived.
At that time Mira was singing and dancing before Krishna. Her face was glowing like a
lamp. Her voice was so sweet that the listeners stood amazed and thrilled. Forgetful of
the entire world she was singing of Lai Giridhar and was dancing. Seeing Mira in that
state, the Mogul Emperor was filled with wonder and devotion. He felt ashamed that he
stood before such a saint in the false guise of a monk. He reproached himself in his
mind.
"Tansen, come let us confess before this great saint who we really are and beg her to
forgive us," said Akbar. "My Lord, if these people come to know that we are not really
monks, just think of the consequence. If they find out that you, the Mogul Emperor, have
come to see a Rajput lady, they will never allow us to go alive," warned Tansen.
Akbar was overcome with devotion and forgot himself in the song and dance of Mira.
The song and the dance ended, and Mira offered her salutation to Sri Krishna and sat
down.
Akbar went up to her and bowed in salutation touching her feet. Then he took out a fine
diamond necklace and was about to place it at her feet. Mira said, "Please don't do it.
I do not take gifts of this kind."
"Mother, this I have brought as an offering to Sri Krishna. Pray accept it for Giridhar.
I cannot take back what I have brought for Sri Krishna.Please do not refuse,"implored the
Emperor.
"All right, it is Sri Krishna's," said Mira and put it round the neck of Sri Krishna's
Idol. The necklace was dazzling. It caught the eye of every visitor. All wondered who
could have given such a gift.
Some one identified it as belonging to Akbar.
Then how did it come there?
By and by the news spread: the great Mogul Emperor had come to the temple to see Mira
and he touched her feet in reverence and offered a precious diamond necklace to Sri
Krishna.
Rathan Simha the Second was then the Rana. This news reached him. He burned with anger.
To him it was a question of the honor of the family. "A Mogul has not only stepped upon
the sacred Rajput land but has gone back alive even after touching a Rajput lady. What a
disgrace to the family!"
He thought that Mira herself, by leading the life of an ascetic, was responsible for it.
So he began to harass her.
So goes the story. Historically viewed certain details are not correct. Tansen entered
Akbar's court in 1562, that is, 15 years after Mira's death. If this story is true, Akbar
could not have been on the throne at the time of the visit. Mira is said to have breathed
her last in Dwaraka in 1547,when Akbar was only a five year-old child. But it is not
certain that Mira died in 1547. There is also a version that Akbar was a crown prince
when he met Mira Bai. Anyway, this is a very popular story about Mira Bai. Whatever the
truth of the details, it must be true that later Mira was subjected to terrible
tortures.
The indignant Rana and his men ma several attempts to kill her. Mira accepted everything
without protest. She came out of every danger safely. Her own song testifies to this:
Samp pitaro, Rana bhejo Mira hath diyo joy !
Nai dhby jab dekhan lagi Saligram gayi poy !!
Jahar ka pyala Rana bhejyo Amarit diyo vanoy !
Nai doy jaI pevan lagi amar hogayi joy !!
Sul sej Ranane bheji dijo Mira suvoy !
Sanjh bhayi Mira sovan lagi mano phul bichoy !!
Mira ke prabhu sada sahayi rakho vidhan hatoy !
Bhakti bhav me mast dolti Giridhar pai bali joy !!
"The Rana sent to Mira a basket full of flowers with a snake concealed in it. Mira,
engaged in worship, put her hand into the basket to take some flowers. What a wonder!
The snake had changed into a saligrama." (A saligrama is a small round - shaped stone
picked from the banks of the river Gandaki; it is worshipped as a symbol of Lord Vishnu
by the Vaishnavites.)
"Determined to kill Mira somehow the Rana sent a cup of poison. She prayed to Lord
Krishna and drank the poison. The poison turned into nectar.
"The Rana got a bed of sharp nails made. Mira lay down on it as soon as it grew dark. The
nails instead of piercing her body became flowers. Mira was saved from all these dangers
by none other than her Lord. Intoxicated with immense love, she wanders all over in
search of her Lord, dedicating herself to him entirely."
Since several of her songs mention a number of tortures inflicted on her by the Rana,
the account must be true. How was Mira able to escape from so many dangers? Mira believed
it to be only the grace of her Lord. Her devotees also have the same belief.
The Rana never tried to kill her openly. May be he thought it was a sin to kill a woman
and feared it, or he thought that such an act would enrage the people who loved her very
much. When all his secret plots failed and Mira stood unscathed through all acts of
violence, he cursed her, "Why shouldn't this ignoble woman drown herself and die?"
'I Have None but Giridhar Gopal'
Mira came to know about this wish of Rana. She too thought that it was right. If she
were drowned it would be a great relief toher mother-in-law and her relations. And she
too could join her Lord, Sri Krishna. It was the simplest solution. With these thoughts
Mira went to the river.
Standing on the edge of the water she prayed in her mind to Lal Giridhar, Sri Krishna:
"O, my Lord! Take me unto thy self."
She was about to jump into the river. But a voice seemed to address her: "it is a great
sin to kill oneself. Don't do it, don't jump into the water. Go to Brindavan."
Brindavan was the place where Krishna spent his childhood. Mira set out for Brindavan.
None troubled her there about family prestige. No codes of courtly conduct curbed her
freedom. She was free from the constant fear of the Rana.
In happy abandonment Mira sang and danced before Sri Krishna: 'Mere tho Giridhar,Gopal,
Dusaro na koyi' (Except Giridhar Gopal I have no one).
The Only Man In Brindavan
There is a fascinating story connected with Mira's life in Brindavan. There were many saints in Brindavan. Jeeva Goswami was prominent among them.He followed a very strict vow. He would not allow even the shadow of a woman to touch him. So women could never go and see him. Having joined Chaitanya Dev's Bhakti Movement he was spreading the cult of Bhakti.
Having a high regard for saints and sages Mira went to see this great man. At the very entrance of the hermitage she was stopped by a disciple of Goswami. He said, "The Swamiji will not see anywoman."
Mira only laughed at this and said,"Ithought the only man in Brindavan is Sri Krishna. Now, I see there is a rival to Him." These words pierced the heart of Goswami like a sharp pointed lance. He came out of his cottage and walked up barefooted and conducted Mira into the hermitage with all honor.
This is the story.
In the Bhakti cult the love of the wife for her husband is said to be the best form of devotion. According to this all are women in this world. God is the only Man. In Brindavan the only man is Sri Krishna. All the rest, the devotees, are Gopis. There is no distinction of sex among devotees. They should imbibe the feeling that God is their husband. If a devotee has this feeling he cannot obstinately refuse to see women. Knowing this, if he behaves with the presumption of being a man,it amounts to being a rival to God.
After leaving the palace Mira came in contact with many great men and famous poets. This strengthened her devotion and poetic talent.
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