Sant Meerabai

SANT MEERABAI !!

Vrindavan is the holy land where Lord Krishna spent his childhood days. Meera left her home for Vrindavan, singing love songs for Lord Krishna. She sang:

 "That dark Dweller in Braj (Lord Krishna) is my only refuge."

In Vrindavan, Meera came to the monastery of Jiva Goswami. She wanted to see him. Goswamiji had earlier taken a vow that he will not see any woman. The disciples of Goswamiji did not want to let her in. Meera said, “I thought that in Vrindavan, Lord Krishna is the only male person. Now I see that Jiva Goswamiji is another.” All devotees, man and woman, consider themselves to be Spiritual brides of Lord Krishna, just as the gopis did. When the disciples brought the news to Goswamiji, he realized that he had a really special visitor and came out to greet her with folded hands. Meera became Sant Meerabai.

Meera spent some time in Vrindavan, singing for Lord Krishna at every temple. 

"Let me be your servant, O Lord."

Afterwards, Meera went to Dwarka, in Gujarat. She went to the Ranachodji Krishna temple. She wrote more songs, and sang them. She had no more Worldly distractions. Meera wrote more than 400 songs. Her songs are a journal of the deep love she had for Lord Krishna. She wrote in Rajasthani and Vraj dialects. The lyrics are reverently called pada. Devotees get inspiration from her songs. Some of her songs are set in tunes created by her, including Raag Govind and Raag Mira Malhar. Her writings are in the Madhurya (sweet love) tradition of devotion.

The Rajputs fought on till 1535 CE, when the Nawab of Gujarat, Bahadur Shah, defeated them. To avoid being captured, Rajput women committed mass suicide in fire. Later, in 1547 CE, the elder Rajputs sent for her, asking her to return home. Meera refused to go. Then they sent a group of priests to reason with her. The priests told her that they will fast until she relents.

Meera entered the temple, to pray and ask Lord Krishna what she should do. Lord Krishna told her to come to Him. As she approached the stone image of the Lord, her body disappeared into it. Only her sari was found draped around the image.