Meera was a sixteenth century Rajput princess, still remembered fondly in the Hindu world for her intense love of the Divine in the form of Lord Krishna. Ardent devotion to God is known as bhakti in the tradition, It finds ample expressions in hymns and lyrics in the culture.
The songs that Meera is said to have composed have touched the hearts of many generations of Hindus for more than five centuries, especially after they were shown through the medium of movies.
One day when Meera was very young an itinerant ascetic gave her a little icon of Lord Krishna for which she took instant fascination. She saw Divinity there in a compact form, and kept it close to her heart.
Soon after she reached her teens her parents got her married to a handsome prince. But she had no interest in worldly life. Constantly worshiping Krishna., Meera rejected Goddess Kali, the Deity of Rajput Royals.
Barely five years into married life, her husband died in a battle. Now Meera was drawn even more to Krishna. She spent her time with songs and hymns that she composed on Lord Krishna.
Now her husband’s brother Ratan Singh was crowned king of the realm. News of her abnormal attachment to God spread all through the kingdom. Meera was becoming an embarrassment to the Rajput royal family. Life became difficult for her. Tales have been told about how the king tried to get rid of her. Once, he hid a venomous snake in a basket of flowers sent to her for her daily prayers. But when Meera opened the basket, the serpent had become a Krishna icon. Then, a lethal potion was sent to Meera camouflaged as a drink. Meera imbibed it with no fatal result.
She knew what had happened, She composed a verse which said: “The king sent poison to kill me, but it did not make me die. Instead, I shine the brighter by that thing, like a fire-treated nugget of gold.”
The persecutions continued. They tried to drown her, but to no avail. We are reminded of Christian martyrs under some Roman rulers.
Meera could not stand it any longer. She moved to Brindavan, and then she went to Dwaraka. These are places where, per sacred history, Lord Krishna had once lived.
Meera was summoned to come home from the temple from Dwaraka where she was staying. Unable to disobey a royal command she begged for one more night in the temple. But when morning came she was not there or anywhere else in town. It is believed that Meera had merged with the figure of Krishna in that temple.
Meera is a supreme example ff the bhakti mode in the Hindu world in which one feels pain and pleasure from one’s intense devotion to the Divine.
Meera prayed for pure and loving piety and for the banishing all evil thoughts. She wondered why the wise are often penniless while wealth accumulates with fools.
Meera’s songs reflect her conviction of a Krishna with whom she is in love. She is now a saint of the Hindu world. Her devotion to God is reflected in the magnificent music she composed. This has secured her a permanent place in the collective memory of the Hindu world where one often recalls her story on which more than one movie has been made.
Spurts of Thought 