HarmoNYom "A Voice for Indian Classical Music": About! Meerabai Bhajans

Born as a Rajput princess in the Rathore Clan, near Merta in Rajasthan, Meera Bai took to adoring the idol of Lord Krishna since a very young age. She assumed that Lord Krishna was her husband.. She sang and danced before the idol, and cooked for it, bathed it and even slept with it.. To her, her Giridhar Gopal meant everything " मेरे तो गिरिधर गोपाल , दूसरो न कोई "।

Her religious tendencies were encouraged by her mother and after her mother died, she was put up with her Grandfather. Their family held the worship of Lord Krishna in high regard and so Meera wasn't interrupted in anyway to carry on with her worship. Her bhajans suggest that she had an in-depth knowledge of music and poetry.

Lata Mangeshkar sings Meerabai bhajan - Mhara re Giridhar Gopal

She was married to Prince Bhoj Raj of Chittor, son of Rana Sangha. She still held Lord Krishna her husband and apparently had her idol by her side even on the bridal seat. She refused to worship the family deity and continued to sing and dance in the shrine of Lord Krishna and often met other devotees who came to the shrine. This is was seen as a threat to the female piety, Meera now being a princess of a highly esteemed royal state. After her husband died within three years of the wedding, Meera refused to enter the fire, saying her husband was Lord Krishna. Her activities now seemed quite unacceptable to her husband's family members, and attempts were made to kill her twice as she was now seen as a blot of shame.

She says in one of her Bhajans:

पग घूँघरू बाँध मीरा नाची रे।
मैं तो मेरे नारायण की आपहि हो गई दासी रे।
लोग कहै मीरा भई बावरी न्यात कहै कुलनासी रे॥
विष का प्याला राणाजी भेज्या पीवत मीरा हाँसी रे।
'मीरा' के प्रभु गिरिधर नागर सहज मिले अविनासी रे॥

"Meera dances with the anklets on her feet,
I'm my Narayan's, I'm his slave
The Rana has sent a cup of poison and Meera drinks it happily
People say Meera is mad, and the relations say Meera has betrayed her clan
Meera says Oh my Lord Giridhar, please come and meet me soon"

She miraculously survived all the attempts to murder her. She took to the dangers with a smile, knowing already about them. But her unflinching faith made her ready to face them all.

Lakshmi Shankar - Mirabai Meerabai Bhajan - Janama Marana

Inspite of all the negative attitude around her, Meera could only think about her Lord Giridhar. She was ready to face any obstacle, but nothing made her shun her love for Lord Krishna. She left her in-law's place , only to find herself moving out of her own house as well.

Meera began to travel wide and far.. Her lord Giridhar was the only thing she knew. Her bhajans speak for themselves, in volumes about her unparalleled devotion.

Her description about Lord Krishna is fabulous.

बसो मोरे नैनन में नंदलाल।

मोहनी मूरति सांवरि सूरति, नैणा बने बिसाल।

अधर सुधारस मुरली राजत, उर बैजंती-माल।।

छुद्र घंटिका कटि तट सोभित, नूपुर सबद रसाल।

मीरा प्रभु संतन सुखदाई, भगत बछल गोपाल।।

" Stay in my eyes, oh beloved of Nanda
With adorable persona, Dark complexion and magnificent eyes
The nectar providing flute adorning the lower lip, the never fading Vaijayanti Mala on the chest
The bells in the anklet giving beautiful sounds,
Meera's Lord the giver of prosperity and happiness....."
And her pining away to see her Lord is heart rendering:

प्यारे दरसन दीज्यो आय, तुम बिन रह्यो न जाय॥

जल बिन कमल, चंद बिन रजनी। ऐसे तुम देख्यां बिन सजनी॥

आकुल व्याकुल फिरूं रैन दिन, बिरह कलेजो खाय॥

दिवस न भूख, नींद नहिं रैना, मुख सूं कथत न आवै बैना॥

कहा कहूं कछु कहत न आवै, मिलकर तपत बुझाय॥

क्यूं तरसावो अंतरजामी, आय मिलो किरपाकर स्वामी॥

मीरां दासी जनम जनम की, पड़ी तुम्हारे पाय॥

"My beloved, give me Darshan, I am not able to live without you
Just like the Lotus cannot live without water and the Moon without the night,
The same way I cannot live without you.
Anxiety filled in me, I roam day and night
Seperation from you is like Death to my heart.
There's no hunger during the day, no sleep in the night, nothing comes out of my mouth
What do I say, i know nothing to say, satisfy my thirst by meeting me
Why do you test me, O Omnipotent Lord, Have pity, please come and meet me
Meera your slave in all births, falls at your feet"

Sainya main Girdhar ke - Bina Mehta - Mirabai Bhajan Ashit Desai
Album Gori Mori Vhaala Mora Gujarati

Her Bhakti has Madhurya Bhava ( the Bhakti as shown by a wife towards her husband) also known as the Nayaka-Nayika Bhava, wherein the Lord is considered the Nayaka and all his devotees his Nayikas.

She is reported to have gone to Vrindavan, the place Lord Krishna is reported to have played in his childhood. During her final days, Meera is reported to have gone to Dwarka. It is believed that Meera disappeared into the idol of the Lord Krishna at Dwarka.

Her bhajans are immortal and are continued to be sung to this day throughout India. Mahatma Gandhi even portrayed her as the Independent woman, who chose her freedom and will and had the strength to live for all that she believed in. Meera, the Krishna Bhaktaa, still lives on. (Source: http://rebelliousmasala.blogspot.com/2009/11/mere-toh-giridhar-gopal-sant-meerabai.html)