Meditation Times August 2011

MEDITATION TIMES
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A PRODUCTION OF www.taoshobuddhameditations.com Published by: www.taoshobuddhameditations.com Country of Origin: Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies. Chief Editor/Graphics Layout & Design: Swami Anand Neelambar
Editorial Team: Taoshobuddha, Swami Anand Neelambar International Contributors: Hadhrat Maulawi Jalaluddin Ahmad Ar-Rowi, Lars Jensen
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In This Issue
Editorial Dua-I-Sharif Rabia al Basri Way of Rabia Anecdotes Poems of Rabia Basri Mirabai the Embodiment of Love. Miras Love for Krishna Seed of love and Path Mirabai Biography Obstinate or Crazy Mira and Akbar Mira in Vrindavan Mira in Dwarka Nectar in poison Songs of Mira
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Women of Divinity
Mystics of Songs
Taoshobudhha Meditations
Meditation Times
MEDITATION TIMES
Published by Taoshobuddha Meditations Trinidad, West indies
EDITORIAL
We introduce two stalwarts of devotion. And also they embody the feminine aspects on the path to life eternal. Very few masters have been female. But certainly all masters transcend the male-female duality. Rabia Al Adawiya is the embodiment of love eternal. In the early days of Sufism very little was written down. There were luminaries, saints, friends of God, and wali, who lived their own spiritual passion, and their deepest devotion. One such spiritual luminary was Rabia Al Basri. I shall paraphrase one of her poems that is in synchronicity with my being.
Oh beloved, if I seek thee for fear of hell Then verily cast me into the fires of hell. Oh beloved, if I seek thee for desire to attain jannat heaven Then verily bar me from entrance into your firdous heavenly abode. Oh beloved, but if I seek thee for thy own sake Then certainly cast me a glance with thy merciful eyes. If thy favour be bestowed on me Then grant thy compassion to thy seekers Who are enraptured with your Name. I would embrace the fires of hell If thy grace be then bequeath to thy seekers. Oh beloved, thy name is my jannat. Thy merciful is my firdous.
Mira is a launching place for your pilgrimage. Her scripture is the scripture of love. Mira herself is devotion. You wont find systematic argument. Fixed logic is not found there. There lightning has struck the heart. In Mira, found nowhere else, is a natural expression of love. There have been other devotees, but they all pale before Mira; they become the background. Miras star is a very bright, shining star. Come, let us go toward this star. If just a few drops of Miras juice rain on your life, flowers will bloom in your desert. If in your heart just a few tears make rain clouds like Miras rain clouds, and in your heart a melody begins playing as it played to Mira, it is enough. One drop will colour you and make you anew. So dont listen to Mira logically, intellectually. Mira has nothing to do with logic and intellect. Listen to Mira with feeling, with devotion. Look with the eye of trust. Push aside logic, leave it to crawl along the bank. For a little while, let yourself go completely mad with Mira. This is the world of the mad. This is the world of lovers. Only then can you understand, otherwise you will miss. Osho Talks on Mira Translated from Hindi
Another spiritual icon is Mirabai. She is the epitome of bhakti devotion.
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Taoshobudhha Meditations
Meditation Times
Meditation Times Volume IV Issue VIII August 2011
DUA-I-SHARIF
A Publication of Tashobuddha Meditations
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ya oudaya ya ALlah mere rb mere mailk krtI hU< Agr daejk ke fr se #badt mE terI tae bezk tU muHe daejk kI Aaitz me< )e<k krtI hU< #badt terI mE Agr jNnt kI ouznuma cah me< ya Agr #badt hE merI jNnt ke sr sBj vagae< kI oaitr tae bezk jNnt se mhm kr muHe AaEr ykInn hram kr jNnt ke dr AaEr drvaje merI oaitr Agr merI #badt AaEr priStz is)R AaEr is)R terI muhBbt kI oaitr hE Taea ya oudaya mhm n kr muHe ApnI muhBbt se AaEr Ata kr muHe Apne nUranI
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Meditation Times Volume IV Issue VIII August 2011 AaEr munBbr cehre ke dIdar se sda ke il@ ApnI inSbt AaEr tjiLlyae se ya oudaya ya ALlah iloa hE #badt ka jae isla nsIbae< me< mere %se bOz de duZmnae kae tU AaEr jae kuD -I dena Agr tU cahe Aaiort me< tU Ata kr %se hbIbae kae Apne jha< tk hE mera Apna taLluk mere il@ tae bs ka)I hE terI muhBbt ik tU phcanta hE muHe tera dIdar AaEr terI tjiLlya< hI
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Ya Allah Ya Khudaya My Master If I worship you because of fear of hell Certainly throw me in the eternal fire of hell If I worship you for the desire of heaven Or because of the walled garden of heaven Certainly deprive me of the heavenly realm Also close the doors of heaven too for me If my prayer or worship is for thy love Deprive me not from thy love and grace Grant me the boon of the light of thy presence Serenity, ecstasy and grace for ever Whatever be the rewards of thy worship Verily grant to thy enemies and ignorant ones Who fail to recognize thy presence solemn? Still if you want to give me anything Give it certainly to thy messengers For me thy love eternal incessant alone And thy recognition is enough and comforting!!!
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1102 Meditation Times Volume IV Issue VIII August
Khudaya !
5 Page
azrat Rabia Al Adawiya is the embodiment of love eternal. Love flows through her veins. Love for Allah Subhan Wa Taala is her solace and her heart beat. Myriad salutations to Rabia the embodiment of love eternal!!! In the early days of Sufism very little was written down. There were just luminaries, saints, friends of God, and wali, who lived their own spiritual passion, and their deepest devotion. One such saint was Rabia Al Basri, a woman who was born in the eighth century into slavery. However her owner was so impressed by the intensity of her devotion that he gave her freedom. She became known for stressing the love that exists between the mystic and God. Always looking towards God, she cared for nothing that might distract from or interfere with this relationship. She was once asked, Do you love God? Yes, Rabia replied. Do you hate the devil? No, my love of God gives me no time to hate the devil Subhan Allah! was the tranquil reply of Rabia.
Like many early Sufis Rbia practiced severe renunciation and austerities. I have heard once Rabia was sitting in a darkened room in meditation on a beautiful spring day. Her servant called to her to come out and see what the Creator had made. From within her room Rabia replied: Why not come in and see the Creator? Contemplation of the Creator so much preoccupies me that I do not care to look upon His creation.
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In meditation we learn to feel the stillness of the mind and the senses too. Thus we can directly experience the inner reality of the heart. At another occasion one friend had a dream that gave her a glimpse of the sweetness beyond the mind. I am sitting in a congregation and the teacher silently speaks to me, saying, I will show you what this meditation can offer you. The congregation begins to meditate and when I fall into meditation I hear the sound of the most beautiful chord of music whose notes become louder and whose vibration fills my whole being until its essence absorbs me in an intense sweetness and bliss which I can only describe as a glimpse of heaven. The notes cease as the meditation ends. Such bliss is the substance of the Self which cannot be experienced at the level of the mind. The mind is known as the slayer of the Real. Mind separates us from spiritual Truth which is found within the heart. The mind understands through duality, - the differentiation of subject and object. Truth is always a state of oneness: the knower and the knowledge are one, and the lover and Beloved are united. Meditation is the technique to take us from the world of duality to the oneness within the heart.
Rabia al Basri
ot much is known about Rabia al Basri, except that she lived in Basra in Iraq, in the second half of the 8th century AD. She was born into material poverty. However she had infinite reservoir of love. She is the embodiment of Ishk-I-Haquiqui. Rabia gave a new meaning to Love. Rabia freed love from the quicksand of personal love. Her love for Allah Subhan Wa Taala was indeed a transcendence from worldly to love divine or love eternal. From Ishk-IMazazi to Ishk-I-Haquiqi was the way of Rabia. Rabias love for Haq or Allah was the outcome of understanding her austere life. But many spiritual stories are associated with her and what we can glean about her is reality merged with legend. These traditions come from
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Farid ud din Attar a later Sufi saint and poet, who used earlier sources. Rabia herself though has not left any written works. Love for Rabia was the ultimate way to relate to the Allah Subhan Wa Taala. Love is the fragrance of Rabias being. It is a way of communion with the unknown and unknowable. Love is the Ultimate way to Relate for Rabia. Rabia contended that Love is not a relationship. You cannot give it a name, form, shape or anything finite. Love is an unseen but realized truth. When it grips you are overwhelmed. It comes from the unknown and unknowable the Allah Subhan Wa Taala. And then gives you the taste of your being. And before you become aware you dissolve into the vastness of love. You attain to Fana-Fi-Allah and Baka-Bi-Allah as you subsist in Allah Subhan Wa Taala. Love relates. Indeed love is the only way to relate. Love is a way to relate to sentient and insentient beings when you subsist in Allah. Then Love is awareness. Also Love is a way of life. Love descends from Allah as the understanding. And finally becomes your being. Love is the way to manifest your being. Certainly love cannot be a relationship. A relationship implies that something is finished. A relationship is a noun. The full stop has come. The honeymoon is over. Now there is no joy, no enthusiasm, now all is finished. Yet still you can carry it on like the dead corpse. Life moves on just to keep your promises. You can carry it on because it is comfortable, convenient, and cozy. You carry it on because there is nothing else to do. You carry it on because if you disrupt it, it is going to create much trouble for you. Relationship means something complete, finished, and closed. Love is never a relationship. Love opens its wings in the unknown and unknowable field. And before it reaches the known realm it disappears. This is what you need to meditate upon. If you start seeking newness then you are moving to the realm of world of conflicts, duality and misery. Love is milestone. A little meditation on its nature changes the gestalt and directs your energy towards the inner realm. Love is relating. It is always like a river, flowing, unending. Love knows no full stop. Once your love for Allah Subhan Wa Taala beging it never comes to end. It is not like waning for the moon. Instead it is the Sun of the Noor-IIllahi. Loves honeymoon for haq begins but never ends. It is not like a novel that starts at a certain point and ends at a certain point.
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Love is an ongoing phenomenon. Lovers end, love continues. Like haq love is the beginning and the end too. It is a continuum. It is a verb, not a noun. And why do you reduce the beauty of relating to relationship? Why are you in such a hurry? To relate is insecure, and relationship is certainty. Relating is just a meeting of overnight stay and in the morning we say love for haq is bliss. It is beyond time and love. a security. Relationship has a two strangers, maybe just an goodbye. Quite contrary to this space. Life may end but not the
Who knows what is going to happen tomorrow? And you are so afraid that you want to make it certain. You want to make it predictable. You would like tomorrow to be according to your ideas. Naturally you do not allow it freedom to have its own way. So we immediately reduce every verb to a noun. In the world with more meditativeness around, with a little more enlightenment spread over the earth, people will love, love immensely, but their love will remain a relating, not a relationship. It will be love for haq truth. Certainly there will be something more of poetry and more of God in it. The flowers of love take years to come and sometimes many years. The longer it takes, the deeper it goes. And longer these last. But it has to be a commitment from individual heart to the cosmic heart. It has not even to be verbalized, because to verbalize it is to profane it. Love expresses itself in verses, songs and dances. Rumi whirling or Miras dance are all expression of immense love. When love for Allah springs forth from within it can assume a song, a dance, a melody, a painting. Indeed love expresses itself in myriad ways. Love is a silent commitment; eye to eye, heart to heart, and being to being. It has to be understood, not said. Love is the way to penetrate deeper and deeper into his realm of inner feelings, into the deep recesses of his being. Indeed you are trying to unravel a mystery which cannot be unraveled. But the effort is always fulfilling.
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That is the joy of love. This is the exploration of consciousness. And if you relate, and never reduce it to a relationship, then the other will become a mirror to you. Exploring Allah Subhan Wa Taala, unaware you will be exploring yourself too. Getting deeper into your being, knowing inner feelings, thoughts, and deeper stirrings, you will be discovering your own inner sanctum as well. In Love you become mirror to life and living, and then love becomes a meditation. Such is the love of Rabia for her eternal beloved Allah Subhan Wa taala whom she felt in her heart beat, experienced in deep recess or her rooh.
Birth and Early Life
abia was born between 95 and 99 Hijri in Basra, Iraq. This is 8th century AD. Much of her early life is narrated by Farid al-Din Attar, a later Sufi Saint and poet, who used earlier sources. Rabia herself did not leave any written works. She was the fourth daughter of her family and therefore was named Rabia, meaning fourth. Although not born into slavery, her family was poor yet respected in the community. According to Farid al-Din Attar, Rabias parents were so poor that there was no oil in house to light a lamp, nor a cloth even to wrap her with. Her mother asked her husband to borrow some oil from a neighbor, but he had resolved in his life never to ask for anything from anyone except the Creator. He pretended to go to the neighbors door and returned home empty-handed. In the night Prophet Muhammad appeared to him in a dream and told him, Your newly born daughter is a favorite of the Lord, and shall lead many Muslims to the right path. You should approach the Amir of Basra and present him with a letter in which should be written this message: You offer Durood to the Holy Prophet one hundred times every night and four hundred times every Thursday night. However, since you failed to observe the rule last Thursday, as a penalty you must pay the bearer four hundred dinars.
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Rabias father got up and went straight to the Amir with tears of joy rolling down his cheeks. The Amir was delighted on receiving the message, knowing that he was in the eyes of Prophet. He distributed 1000 dinars to the poor and joyously paid 400 dinars to Rabias father. The Amir then asked Rabias father to come to him whenever he required anything, as the Amir would benefit very much by the visit of such a soul dear to the Lord. After the death of her father a famine overtook Basra and Rabia separated from her sisters. Legend has it that she was accompanying a caravan, which fell into the hands of robbers. The chief of the robbers took Rabia captive, and sold her in the market as a slave. The new master of Rabia used to take hard service from her. The legend also says she was sold to serve as prostitute. When the people would be send to her Rabia would pass the whole night in prayer and the men too as she could not be the Imam. And with the dawn the man will walk away quietly. The owner one day suspected something. So he decided to peep into the room and he observed as the man would enter she will encourage him into prayer. The man remained in prayer whole night. And in the morning would disappear never to come back again. After she had finished her household jobs Rabia would spent many of her days observing fast.Once the master of the house got up in the middle of the night, and was attracted by the voice in which Rabia was praying to her Lord. She was entreating in these terms: Lord! You know well that my keen desire is to carry out Your commandments and to serve Thee with all my heart, O light of my eyes. If I were free I would pass the whole day and night in prayers. But what should I do when you have made me a slave of a human being? At once the master felt that it was sacrilegious to keep such a wali in his service as captive. He decided to serve her instead. In the morning he called her and told her his decision; he would serve her and she should dwell there as the mistress of the house. If she insisted on leaving the house he was willing to free her from bondage. She told him that she was willing to leave the house to carry on her worship in solitude. This the master granted and she left the house. Rabia went into the desert to pray and became an ascetic. Her murshid was Hazrat Hassan Basri.
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Throughout her life, her Love of God, poverty and self-denial did not waver. They were her constant companions. She did not possess much other than a broken jug, a rush mat and a brick, which she used as a pillow. She spent all night in prayer and contemplation, chiding herself if she slept because it took her away from her active Love of God. As her fame grew she had many disciples. She also had discussions with many of the renowned religious people of her time. Though she had many offers of marriage, and (tradition has it) one even from the Amir of Basra, she refused them as she had no time in her life for anything other than God. More interesting than her absolute asceticism, however, is the actual concept of Divine Love that Rabia introduced. She was the first to introduce the idea that God should be loved for Gods own sake, not out of fearas earlier Sufis had done. She taught that repentance was a gift from God because no one could repent unless God had already accepted him and given him this gift of repentance. She taught that sinners must fear the punishment they deserved for their sins, but she also offered such sinners far more hope of Paradise than most other ascetics did. For herself, she held to a higher ideal, worshipping God neither from fear of Hell nor from hope of Paradise, for she saw such self-interest as unworthy of God's servants; emotions like fear and hope were like veilsi.e. hindrances to the vision of God Himself. She prayed: O God! If I worship You for fear of Hell, burn me in Hell, and if I worship You in hope of Paradise, exclude me from Paradise. But if I worship You for Your Own sake, grudge me not Your everlasting Beauty. Rabia was in her early to mid-eighties when she dissolved in Allah Subhan Wa Taala, having followed the mystic Way to the end. She believed she was continually united with her Beloved. As she told her Sufi friends, My Beloved is always with me Rabias final departure from this world is recorded in a beautiful account by a Persian biographer. He says that during her last moments, many of her followers surrounded her but she bade them to leave, asking them to make way for the arrival of Allahs messengers.
A Publication of Tashobuddha Meditations Page 12

When they had left her, they all heard her voice making the profession of faith La illaha ilallah. And then a voice said O soul at rest, return to thy Lord, satisfied with Him, giving satisfaction to Him. So enter among my servants and enter into my paradise. [Al-Quran] Rabia died in Jerusalem in 185 AH.
Way of Rabia
abia was the first who set forth the doctrine of Divine Love and who is widely considered to be the most important of the early Sufi poets.
Much of the poetry that is attributed to her is of unknown origin. After a life of hardship, she spontaneously achieved a state of self-realization. When asked by Sheikh Hasan al-Basri how she discovered the secret, she responded by stating: You know of the how, but I know of the how-less. One of the many myths that surround her life is that she was freed from slavery because her master saw her praying while surrounded by light, realized that she was a saint and feared for his life if he continued to keep her as a slave. While she apparently received many marriage offers - including a proposal from Hasan al-Basri himself, she remained celibate and died of old age, an ascetic, her only care from the disciples who followed her. She was the first in a long line of female Sufi mystics.It is also possible that she helped further integrate Islamic slaves into Muslim society. Because of her time spent in slavery early in life, Rabia was passionate against all forms of it. She even refused a slave later in life, despite her heightened spiritual status.
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Anecdotes
abia had unique way of teaching through anecdotes, parables and stories.
One day, Rabia was seen running through the streets of Basra carrying a torch in one hand and a bucket of water in the other. When asked what she was doing, she said, I want to put out the fires of Hell, and burn down the rewards of Paradise. They block the way to God. I do not want to worship from fear of punishment or for the promise of reward, but simply for the love of God. In his Life of St Louis, Jean de Joinville reports this story of a woman, but no name or religious affiliation is given to the woman, and the report appears to be contemporary (when in fact Joinville lived three centuries after Rabia). At one occasion she was asked if she hated Satan. Hazrat Rabia replied: My love to God has so possessed me that no place remains for loving or hating anyone else. When Hazrat Rabia would not come to attend the sermons of Hazrat Hasan Basri, he would deliver no discourse that day. People in the audience asked him why he did that. Hasan replied: The syrup that is held by the vessels meant for the elephants cannot be contained in the vessels meant for the ants. Once Hazrat Rabia was on her way to Mecca, and when half-way there she saw the Kaaba coming to meet her. She exclaimed: It is the Lord of the house whom I need, what have I to do with the house? I need to meet with Him Who said, Who approaches Me by a spans length I will approach him by the length of a cubit. The Kaaba which I see has no power over me. What joy does the beauty of the Kaaba bring to me? At the same time the great Sufi Wali Hazrat Ibrahim bin Adham arrived at the Kaaba, but he did not see it. He had spent fourteen years making his

way to the Kaaba, because in every place of prayer he performed two rakats. Hazrat Ibrahim bin Adham said: Alas! What has happened? It maybe, that some injury has overtaken my eyes. An unseen voice said to him, No harm has befallen your eyes, but the Kaaba has gone to meet a woman, who is approaching this place. Ibrahim Adham responded: O indeed, who is this? As he ran he saw Rabia arriving, and that the Kaaba was back in its own place. When Ibrahim saw that, he said, O Rabia, what is this disturbance and trouble and burden which you have brought into the world? Rabia replied, I have not brought disturbance into the world. It is you who have disturbed the world, because you delayed fourteen years in arriving at the Kaaba. Ibrahim: Yes I have spent fourteen years in crossing the desert because I was engaged in prayer. Rabia: You traversed it in ritual prayer - Salat but with personal supplication. Then, having performed the pilgrimage, she returned to Basra and occupied herself with works of devotion.
ne night Rabia came on the road outside her home and started searching something under the lamp-post. Crowd gathered. Rabia continued her search very intensely.
People enquired: What are you searching on the road?
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Rabia responded: I am searching for my needle that fell somewhere. The people also started searching for the needles. Then someone from the crows further said: Rabia the road is very big area and the needle is very small. Tell me which part of the road needle fell so that we can search for the needle in the right place. Rabia responded: The needle fell inside the room where I was working. Someone from the crowd said: We know Rabia you are crazy. But we did not know that you will be crazy to this extent. The needle is lost inside the room and you are searching outside. Very innocently Rabia responded: Indeed the needle was lost inside. But there was darkness so I came in the light to search for the lost needle. Such were the ways and means of teaching of Rabia Al Basri.
alih Qazwani always taught his disciples,
Who knocks at the door of someone constantly, one day the door must be opened to him? Rabia one day heard it and said: Salih, how long will you go on preaching thus, using the future tense, saying will be opened? Was the door ever closed? It was ever open. Separation... simply unbearable! One day, people asked why she kept no knife in the house. Rabia replied, Cutting asunder is the work of the knife. I fear it may not asunder the bond between that exists between me and my beloved Lord. A fervent prayer
ne day she was going on an errand. Whilst passing a street a vagabond pursued her. She ran to save herself from him and in doing so her foot slipped and she fell down and broke her arm.
She thereupon prayed to the Lord,


I am poor orphan and a slave. Now my hand too is broken. But I do not mind these things if Thou be pleased with me. But make it manifest to me that you are pleased with me. The Divine voice in reply said, Never mind all these sufferings. On the day of judgment you shall be accorded the status that shall be the envy of the angels even. Then she returned to her masters service. Thanking the Lord
ne day Sufyan Thauri went to Rabia. She passed the whole night in worship, standing before the Lord. When the morning broke she remarked,
God be praised that He conferred His grace on us that we could pass the whole night in prayers. As a mark of gratitude, let us pass the whole day in fasting. The joy of pain! A man was crying, Ah! How great is a pain! Rabia approached him and said, Oh! What a lack of pain! He asked her why she said the contrary. She replied, Because pain is the privilege of great devotees, who cherish even with the joy even so much anguish that even talking and drawing breath become a matter of strain to them. Why no bandage for His blessings?
ne day Rabia saw a man passing on the way with his forehead tied with a bandage. She asked him why he put on the bandage. He replied that he was suffering from headache.
What is your age? she asked. He replied that he was thirty. She asked, Till today, how have you passed your life? He replied, In perfect health. She said, For thirty years the Lord kept you sound, and you did not fly any colors on your body to express your gratitude for His gift, so that people

could ask you the reason for would have praised Him, but a little headache you have harshness to you in making yours! your joy and knowing of Gods blessings on you when for your own fault you have suffered from tied a bandage and go about exhibiting His you suffer from headache. What a base act is
Neither this nor that world, you are enough for me O Lord, If tomorrow on Judgment Day You send me to Hell, I will tell such a secret That Hell will race from me Until it is a thousand years away O Lord, Whatever share of this World? You could give to me, Give it to Thy enemies; Whatever share of the next world? You want to give to me, Give it to Thy friends. You are enough for me. O Lord, If I worship Thee From fear of Hell, burn me in Hell. O Lord, If I worship Thee From hope of Paradise, bar me from its gates. But if I worship Thee for Thy sake alone Then grace me forever the splendor of Thy Face. -
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Poems of Rabia Basri

Love
I have loved Thee with two loves a selfish love and a love that is worthy of Thee. As for the love which is selfish, Therein I occupy myself with Thee, to the exclusion of all others. But in the love which is worthy of Thee, Thou dost raise the veil that I may see Thee. Yet is the praise not mine in this or that, But the praise is to Thee in both that and this.~ Rabia al Basri -
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Reality
In love, nothing exists between heart and heart. Speech is born out of longing, True description from the real taste. The one who tastes, knows; the one who explains, lies. How can you describe the true form of Something In whose presence you are blotted out? And in whose being you still exist? And who lives as a sign for your journey? ~ Rabia al-Basri
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If I Adore You
If I adore You out of fear of Hell, Burn me in Hell! If I adore you out of desire for Paradise, Lock me out of Paradise. But if I adore you for Yourself alone, Do not deny to me Your eternal beauty. Rabia al-Basri
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Ya Allah! If I worship thee for fear of hell Burn me in hell If I worship thee in hope of paradise Exclude me from paradise But if I worship thee for your own sake Grudge me not Thy everlasting Beauty, splendor, and grace
These are the words of the female mystic Rabia al Basri. She grew in the tender love and training of the higher intuitive powers of God and is one of the few women in the realm of Sufism. Indeed she is considered the first female mystic or saint in Islam. She was not trained by a murshid but was born a devotee with great love for Allah. Rabias parents died in her childhood and sometime later when Basra was in the grip of a fierce famine, she got separated from her sisters. She was captured by a man who sold her off for six dirhams. The purchaser subjected her to hard labor. Many hardships fell upon her but she immersed herself in relentless devotion and worship of Allah. Her devotion for Allah was fired by a deep-rooted love and longing for the Divine.

Rabias worldly possessions are said to have been a broken jug from which she drank, an old rush mat to sit upon and a brick for a pillow. She spent each night in prayer and often chided herself for sleeping as it prevented her constant contemplation and active love of God.
Broken Mug Rabias Posession
Little is known of her early years except that she spent her youth as a slave and was later freed. What we do know of her however, is that throughout her life her asceticism was absolute and unwavering as was her love for God. Poverty and self-denial were Rabias constant companions. For example, her worldly possessions are said to have been a broken jug from which she drank, an old rush mat to sit upon and a brick for a pillow. She spent each night in prayer and often chided herself for sleeping as it prevented her constant contemplation and active love of God. She refused all offers of marriage of which there were many because she had no room for anything in her life that might distract her from complete devotion to God. Indeed, in this same manner she rebuffed anything that could distract her from the Beloved, i.e. God. More interesting than her absolute asceticism however, is the concept of Divine Love that Rabia introduced. She was the first to introduce the idea that God should be loved for His own sake and not out of fear - as earlier Sufis had done. For example, she is reported to have walked the streets of Basra with a flaming torch in one hand and a bucket of water in the other. When her intentions were questioned, Rabia replied: I want to pour water into Hell and set fire to Paradise so that these two veils disappear and nobody

worships God out of fear of Hell or hope of Paradise, but only for the sake of His eternal beauty. In her masters house she fasted by day and spent the night praying. One night her master is said to have been awakened by a strange voice urging him to free Rabia his slave. When he looked through the window of his apartment, he saw Rabia in prostration offering the litany O God, you know that the desire of my heart is to fulfill your commands and that the light of my eye is in serving you. If the affair was with me I would not rest even an hour from serving you, but you yourself have left me at the mercy of a creature. Her master then perceived a lantern suspended above her head giving out a blinding light. When day broke he summoned Rabia and set her free. Rabia left the house and wandered through the desert in search for what Allah had apportioned for her. For a while she served God in a hermitage and according to one version returned to her master some days later, playing a flute with the skill of a professional musician. Determined to perform the pilgrimage she then set out for the desert to pray and became an ascetic. Unlike many Sufi saints she did not learn from a teacher or master but turned to God himself. It is said that on the way to the desert the donkey carrying her bundle died. She entreated the Lord saying O my God, do kings deal thus with a woman, a stranger and the weak? Thou art calling me to thine own house but in the midst of the way thou hast suffered my donkey to die and left me alone in the desert. She had hardly completed her prayer when the donkey stirred up and came to life. Rabia was a mystic of the newly emerging Sufi order. She often spoke of the concept of Hubb-e-Illahi or Divine Love in Sufi philosophy. She expressed her love of God as: I love you with two loves, a love of passion and a love prompted by your worthiness of that. As for the love of passion, it consists in occupying myself with remembering you and no one else. And as for the love of which you are worthy, it consists in your lifting the veils so that I may see you. However mine is not the merit in this or that. But yours is the merit in this or that. She was so singularly devoted towards achieving divine union that all other attractions were meaningless to her. Rabia was the one who first set forth the doctrine of mystical love and who is widely considered to be the most important of the early Sufi poets. Much of

the poetry that is attributed to her is of unknown origin. After a life of hardship she became spontaneously realized. When asked by Sheikh Hasan - al-Basri how she discovered the secret, she responded: You know of the how, but I know of the how-less.
Whirling Dance of Ecstasy
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Mirabai
The Embodiment of Love
ira is a devotee of Krishna. She is worthy of being ranked with the mystics and poets. The mystics give no importance to their personal lives. They see only God in everything and forget themselves. That is why not much is known about them. Mira too has not said about her life. She has mentioned in some of her songs that she was from Medatha and belonged to the family of Doodaji. She has also described in her songs how she suffered at the hands of the Rana. If the spiritual horizon of India is aglow it is because of Mira. Mira represents the feminine energy of Kabir while Nanak represents the masculine energy. Out of Nanak a new stream of religion emerged as Sikh Religion. However, out of Mira no stream of religion emerged. Still the contribution of Mira in the realm of Vaishana devotion or Bhakti remains un-parallel.
mIra tae em ka %<g izor hE ya @esa khae mIra em ka mansraevr hE #ske ilye tuMhe maetI cunne kI Aadt falnI haegI t-I tum mIra kae AaEr Zyam ke it %ske em kae smH skaege AaAae Aaj mIra ke jIvn ka Avlaekn kre mIra em ka mhasagr hE mIra kae Zyam kI Anu-Uit ApnI cetna ke A AnNt ghra#yae< me hu$ mIra ne raxa ranI ke :[ ke it em kae
Meditation Times Volume IV Issue VIII August 2011 gIt ka p dekr smSt AiStTv kae :[my kr idya
Mira is the embodiment of love divine. I take you through this lake of eternal love that Mira is. For this you have to be a swan and develop the habit of eating pearls alone. Miras love for Krishna is the outcome of many lives. Mira says she was Lalita. Krishnas principal Gopi she was. She danced with Krishna on the banks of the blue river, in Vrindavan, and everywhere. Her love for Krishna is the subtle embodiment of her being. This love is embedded in her each breath. Mira say her name is Lalita. Pundits do not agree with this statement of Mira. It is not important to me what Pundits say. Mira has said that she is Lalita I need no more proof. As Lalita she danced with the blue boy the solace of her being on the banks of the blue river Yamuna. Memories still linger in her being like the dissolving notes of an enchanted melody. The beauty of the blue boy, the Yamuna river, its bank, the cool Kalindi shore, the moonlight lurking through the trees, the call of the flute, the chirping of the birds what a semblance of ecstasy. Her memory of Krishna is fresh like breeze in her being. Everything and every scene are fresh in her inner sky. Mira still remembers the day Shiva came to be part of the cosmic dance of her Kanha and she as Lalita stopped him from entering for the raslila. Mira remembers this in all its fine details. Mira sang and danced the ecstasy of Radha-Krishna love. And freeing love from the bondages Mira gave a new horizon, a new breeze, and a new
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dimension to love. Mira transcended love divinizing and eternalizing it beyond finiteness. The echoes of all these Mira sang through her songs. However such echoes are deeply embedded in her songs available only for the one who uses these songs of Mira as meditations. Overflowing the ecstasy that she witnessed, Mira closes her eyes to envision everything in retrospect. She sings playing her lute the Songs of Immortality Love Eternal. All the compositions of Mira reflect this eternal quest for love eternal. Krishna is multi-dimensional. He has not left any raga or rasa untouched through his manifestation. Krishna is the only one in the entire history of human consciousn ess who remains ecstatic yet untouched by any circumstances or situation while traversing through his role as incarnation. He is always singing and laughing. This you can see through his unconditional bliss and awareness under even the most intricate or excruciating situations. At no time Krishna is caught unaware. Do not remind me that Krishna is incarnation. This is your problem. This is the problem of ego that you are. Ego saves itself by making such statements. Now when you say Krishna is incarnation you are spared. He is incarnation and you are. Then it is ok. You have found excuse. Therefore by saying so you Mira represents the feminine are closing all possibilities of your energy of Kabir while Nanak transformation. This word incarnation is represents the masculine very meaningful. But not for you! So too energy. the word Krishna consciousness will remain empty one for you like a decoration hanging on the wall of your consciousness. You can sing around it and thus feel happy that something is happening. You can go on talking of Krishna Consciousness however there is no fragrance of Krishna Consciousness reflecting through actions, or thinking or life. Observe the state of awareness of Krishna as it manifests through infinite acts as enshrined by Krishna Dwaipan Sri Veda Vyas as Srimad Bhagvad

Purana. During each act Krishna is guided by the consciousness beyond time and space. Such is the state of awareness of an incarnation. Then it should be your prayer and aspiration that even an iota of this awareness be part of yours. Thus your inward journey of transcendence begins.
Build by Maharana Kumbha in 1449. The Mira Temple is one of the most beautiful Temple on Chittorgarh Fort
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Build by Maharana Kumbha in 1449, this lord Vishnu Temple has beautifully carved idols in its sanctum, mandap and pillars
Kumbha Shyam Temple, where Meera Mandir worshipped Lord Krishna, Chittorgarh Fort, Rajasthan
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View of Mira Temple from Tower Of Victory, in Choorgarh
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Miras Love for Krishna
The Temple of Lord Krishna in the premises of Mira Temple
Mira is a devotee of the highest order beyond all finiteness that man can ever conceive. Mira adorns the spiritual horizon of India and her contribution is absolutely unparalleled. Many bhajans, overflowed Mira echoing RadhaKrishna love. It is not that Mira had to make any effort to compose or sing these bhajans. Her gestures, every syllable that she overflowed echoes the glory of her love. It seems Mira is intoxicated with Krishnas presence.

Krishna is the life elixir of Mira and trinkles through her gestures, dance movements, songs and through her presence. All these have now become embodiment of Love Eternal. Each song Mirabai sang expressed her inspiration, aspiration and relentless self-giving and overflow from the deepest core of her being. From an early age Mirabai felt an irresistible attraction, bond and devotion to Krishna. As a young child she was given a doll of Krishna, which she worshipped and adored, as if it embodied the living presence of Krishna her solace. Although people misunderstood her, she considered Krishna to be her best friend, lover and husband. It is extremely difficult to find a parallel to this wonderful being Mira. She is a saint, a philosopher, a poet and a sage. She was a versatile genius and a magnanimous soul. Her life has a singular charm, with extraordinary beauty and marvel. Precise information about the life of Mirabai is hard to verify. However through her poetry and the writings of others historians have pieced together the different elements of her life. A key moment in the life of Mira was her arranged marriage to Prince Bhoj Raj. The Prince was the eldest son of a very influential Hindu family. The marriage gave Mirabai a very high social status. However Mirabai felt little if any attraction to the worldly comforts and pleasures of the Palace. Whenever she had the opportunity Mirabai would escape from her daily duties to spend time in prayer and meditation on her beloved Krishna. Her soul felt a spontaneous and overwhelming love for Krishna whom she addressed differently as Shyam, Girdhar, Girdhar Gopal. Her poems speak of the unbearable pangs of separation she felt when she could not contemplate and see her Krishna. Her spirit soared to reach the abode of her beloved beyond the finiteness of the horizon.
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Only he knows the bitterness of love Who has deeply felt its pangs. When you are in trouble No one comes near you When fortune smiles. All come to share the joy. Love shows no external wound. But the pain pervades every pore Devotee Mira offers her body As a sacrifice to Girdhar for ever. Unfortunately the intensity of her awareness and religious inclinations were not in any way liked by her husbands family. In fact they sought to actively stop her from spending time praying to Krishna. They felt her only duty was to her husband and the good image of the family. Members of the family started to spread malicious gossip and create physical afflictions. But no matter what they did, they could not undermine the unwavering devotion and love, Mira had for Krishna. On the death of her husband things only seemed to get worse. The remaining family tried to get Mirabai to commit Sati. Sati is the practice of voluntary suicide by sitting on the pyre of her deceased husband. This was quite common amongst Hindu widows. However Mirabai refused, saying she was betrothed to Krishna. And he alone was her real husband. After this incident, life got increasingly intolerable for Mira, so with the advice of various Sadhus she left the palace to live as a wandering Sanyasin on the streets of Vrindaban a city on the banks of Yamuna reminiscent of Krishna. Miras Saintly disposition spread throughout northern India and people looked upon her as an incarnation of Radha. Her devotional bhajans were infectious in their capacity to offer spiritual upliftment. Mira composed hundreds of poems in a simple, unpretentious style. They are full of intensity and transcendental spirituality. Through her songs she expressed, with a powerful intensity, the spiritual fever of an aspirant mad with the love of God. Mira is the most respected and loved poetess in the history of India. Many were inspired, by her example, to follow the devotional path of Vaishanvism. Mira is a well-known Hindu mystical poetess, whose writings are praised all over. It is said that, she was a disciple of Ravidas. She is famous for her devotional compositions. She wrote nearly 1300 prayer songs. Most of her compositions were written in the praise of Krishna. She wrote most of the poems in the Rajasthani dialect of Hindi.
Early Life
ira was a great saint and devotee of Krishna. Despite criticism and hostility from her family, she lived an exemplary saintly life and composed many devotional songs that are cherished as bhajans.
Historical information about the life of Mirabai is a matter of some scholarly debate. The oldest biographical account was Priyadass commentary in Nabhadas Sri Bhaktammal in 1712. Nevertheless there are many aural histories, which give an insight into this unique poet and Saint of India. There are no two opinions about the fact that Mira belonged to Medatha in Rajasthan. She calls herself in one of her songs a Medathani - a woman who belongs to Medatha. She has also stated that she is a Doodajini - one of Doodajis families of the Rathod royal dynasty. There were several petty feudal states in Rajasthan. Medatha was one of them. Rao Doodaji was its Rana. Princes in Rajasthan were usually called Ranas. Rana Rao Doodaji had four children. The eldest was Beerama Dev and the youngest, Ratan Sinha. Ratan Simha was a brave warrior. For a long time he did not have children. At last, by the grace of God, a daughter was born to him. She was named Mira. Mira was born in the year 1498 in the Chaukari village at Merta in Nagaur District of Rajasthan. She was the daughter of Rattan Singh and the granddaughter of Rao Duda, He was the ruler of Merta, an independent yet powerful state in Rajasthan. Her father rattan Singh was the younger son of Rao Duda. As a result he was the ruler of only 12 small towns and villages near Merta. Her father Ratan Singh was a descendent of Rao Rathod, the founder of Jodhpur. There have been five major events that changed the course of her life. When she was barely two years old her mother passed away. Thereafter Rao Duda brought Mira to Merta. In Merta Mira grew up under the benign care of the warrior grandfather Rao Duda as her guardian. Rao Duda was religious and had devotion way of life. The palace was regularly visited by saints, sadhus and alike. This brought Mira in contact with the holy men from her childhood. Thus her spiritual tendencies developed. There is not record available of her education. And it seems there was no formal education for Mira. As was the customary in royal families Mira

learned scriptures, music, spinning, sewing, archery, fencing, horse-riding, and chariot driving. Thus she was trained to carry out domestic chores in the household and to wield weapons in case of war. Mira was intelligent and was quick to grasp. She made good progress in both fields. Her learning broadened her outlook in life. Her military training bestowed her with courage, firmness and determination. Mira was soft-spoken, mildly mannered. She was gifted with sweet and melodious voice. Affectionate, kind, and charitable by nature she was reputed to be one of the most extraordinary beauties of her time. Rana Sangram Singh, popularly known as Rana Sanga who was the powerful king of Mewar, personally approached Rao Duda for the hand of Mira for his eldest son, heir to throne Prince Bhojraj. The engagement ceremony was performed with great rejoicing both at Chottor, the capital of Mewar and Merta. However Rao Duda who brought up Mira as his child and was both father and mother to Mira did not live to see her marriage. Rao Duda passed away a few months after her engagement. Mira deeply loved her grandfather. Thus his passing away came as the greatest shock for her. This incident further deepened her aversion to outer life. Rao Viram Singh who was the elder brother of Miras father and was equally fond of Mira arranged her marriage and gave her as bride in 1516. Mira then was eighteen years of age. The marriage was performed with great pomp and fervor. For the ceremony the city of Merta looked like a beautiful bride. Rana Sanga who came with marriage party was accompanied by many rulers and chiefs. Everyone was happy with the match because he had found a beautiful and accomplished daughter-in-law in Mira. Everyone thought she was ideally suited to be the future queen of Mewar. At the time of marriage Mira was given a number of villages along with jewellary and clothes by Rao Viram Dev. Rana Sanga received his daughterin-law with great affection and with gifts of ornaments. He also allotted the revenue of a large number of villages to Mira. Prince Bhojraj whom Mira was married, was a handsome young man and earned a name as a warrior. Although Mira apparently looked happy in marriage but this proved to be short-lived. In 1526-27 Prince Bhojraj died in a battle after nearly ten years of marriage. This came as a shock to Mira. And six months later two more shocks came in her life. First her father Rattan Singh died in 1527 fighting for Rana Sanga against Mughal Emperor Babur. Thereafter Rana Sanga, who took the place of Rao Duda in Miras life,
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sustained severe wounds in the battle and within a few months was fatally poisoned by some courtiers who intrigued against him. Mira was greatly shaken by these sudden turn of events. She realized the transient nature of the world. These events sowed the seeds of renunciation from life and intense devotion to Krishna. Thus her inborn devotional tendencies came to the fore and her thoughts turned inwards. Many of her songs echo her detachment to life. Life is short and full of turmoil, why lament for this.
Seed of Love and the Path
t is said once when Mira was still a child there was a marriage procession. The procession was passing in front of the palace. Mira was yet a small girl. People in the procession bowed to the Rana and proceeded. It was a wedding procession. The bride - groom was very attractively dressed. Mira saw him. He might have looked like a big doll to those innocent eyes. What is that? She asked her grandfather. He is a bridegroom, replied he. But the little girl could not quite understand the meaning of the word bridegroom. I too want one like that to play with. Please get me one little Mira insisted. What could anyone say to such a request of the child? It is but natural of children to ask for every new thing they see. Without a second word the grandfather brought out a lovely idol of Sri Krishna and placing it in her hands, said, Look, my dear, here is your bridegroom. Take good care of him. Mira got what she had asked for. What else did she care for? She played with that idol and behaved as if Krishna was her husband. This story is also narrated differently as well. It is said it was her mother whom she asked, if she will also have her husband. When the mother

answered in affirmative like an innocent child Mira enquired, Who then is her husband? To convince the compelling child the mother tried to pacify Mira saying that her husband is Krishna. Mira took this to her heart even as an innocent child. This is how Mira took Krishna as her husband not only then, instead maintained the same for the rest of her life through every oddity that she faced in life later. This was no ordinary event. Many girl children insist on such things. But very rarely among them a Mira is born. It was a divine play to remind Mira of her association with Krishna. It is also interesting how Mira got the idol of Sri Krishna. Rao Doodaji had much respect for monks and saints. Almost every day some monk or the other came to the palace as a guest of honor. Once a hermit called Raidas came to the palace. He was prominent among the disciples of Saint Ramanand who had spread the Vaishnava tradition in North India. He had a beautiful idol of Krishna that he loved so dearly. He used to worship it as his personal deity and always kept with him. He loved it so dearly that he could have never dreamt of parting with it. When Mira saw the statue of Krishna it was like dj vu. In a moment entire past and life with Krishna flashed in front of her eyes. She remembered when she danced with her solace the blue boy on the banks of River Yamuna. The dance, the sound of the dancing bells, the melody of the flute, the full moon lurking between the trees, and birds chirping and frisking gaily all gleamed in her eyes. The aura of ecstasy surrounded her. So Mira insisted on having that statue. She asked for it. But the sadhu (Raidas) also loved that so dearly that he refused to give. Mira started crying. She would listen to no one. She was stubborn and insisted on having it. Who would be prepared to part with his personal deity just to pacify a child? The hermit left the palace after enjoying the kings hospitality. Rao Duda assured Mira to get another even more beautiful statute. But Mira insisted on having the same statue. Nothing pacified her. Mira did not stop crying. She gave up food and drink and went on crying for the idol.
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Next morning Raidas returned to the palace and placed the idol of Krishna, so dear to him, in Miras hands. Her joy knew no bounds. Greatly surprised, What is this? asked Dudaji. The hermit said, Last night Sri Krishna appeared in my dream and said: My beloved devotee is crying for me. Go and give the idol to her. The statue actually belonged to her. You were mere custodian until now. It is my duty to obey my Lords command, that is why I came back running. Mira is a great person. So saying the hermit blessed Mira and went away. Some scholars say that this happened about the year 1501-2. It is also said that the sanyasi was not Raidas instead somebody else. Mira herself has said in a song: My mind has become one with Hari. I can see my path clearly. My master Raidas himself has given me the pill of wisdom. The name of Hari has been deeply inscribed on my heart... The name of the Sanyasi is not important. However this is how it happened. And this is important to me. You will recall that in the life of Buddha three events happened when he saw a sick, an old and a dead body. It is said that these were past master who appeared to remind Siddhartha and also put him on the path. So too this Sanyasi, irrespective of his name came to begin Mira journey in this life. Mira has clearly stated that Raidas was her spiritual master. So the story narrated earlier may be believed. The problem lies not so much in the story as in the name of Raidas mentioned in it. Raidas, the disciple of Ramanand, was born in or about the year 1400. The story can be true only if Raidas lived for more than a hundred years. One other important point is that Raidas was a devotee of Rama. Therefore many persons do not believe that he had an idol of Lord Krishna. But it cannot be said that he never worshipped Krishna and that he did not have an idol of Krishna at all. Vrindavana, Dwaraka, and the banks of river Jamuna, which are associated with Krishnas life, are places in North India. So naturally the people there were particularly devoted to Sri Krishna. In such circumstances, it would not have been unusual even if Raidas had an idol of Sri Krishna. Some scholars say that the hermit of this story was only a disciple of Raidas. It was a tradition to give the same name of the Guru to the disciple succeeding to the Gurus position. So this view may be correct.

Somehow or the other, the idol of Sri Krishna came to the great tiny hands of little Mira, as a gift from some holy man. Sri Krishna became her companion all through her life. Some scholars say that the hermit of this story was only a disciple of Raidas. It was a tradition to give the same name of the Guru to the disciple succeeding to the Gurus position. So this view may be correct. Mira was brought up in the palace of her grandfather. Along with her general education she received lessons in music and dance too. She acquired a good mastery over them. She must have been especially proficient in music. The sweet musical quality of her songs is rarely found in the lyrics of other poets. This melody is the main reason for the immense popularity of her songs. Sri Krishna had already filled her heart. This the early life of Mira began as journey into the realm of Krishna.
Mirabai Biography
Conflict with the family
he family Mira entered after marriage was renowned for bravery and heroism. Though the Rana had to face all alone the adversities of life, he bore them with courage but never accepted the Moghul rule in Rajasthan. Constantly fighting against the Mughals, he had held high the banner of Rajasthans tenacity, courage and heroism. Such a man was her father- in-law. And his eldest son Bhojraj was her husband. This brave spirit of Rajasthan was the pride of India. Bhojraj, too, was a hero. His family had been from

times immemorial followers of the Shakta tradition. They worshipped the Goddess of Power in the forms of Durga, Kali, Chamundi and Parvathi. They did not so much like the worship of Vishnu. Miras mother-in-law, in particular, did not like it at all. It may seem strange that one should regard God as the husband and behave accordingly. But it is not a new thing in the Bhakti movement. There are several types of Bhakti (devotion). They are classified according to the relation that exists between God and the devotee. If God is regarded with parental affection, it is called as ones own dear child Vatsalya Bhava (or the devotion of a parent to a child). The relation between Yashoda and Krishna, Rama and Kaushalya are good examples of this type. Instead of this, if a devotee considers God as his Master and firmly believes that he lives only by that Masters Grace and owes everything in life to Him, the relation would be that, which exists between Master and servant, It is called Dasya Bhava - devotion of a servant to the Master. The relation between Hanuman and Sri Rama is an example of this. When God is taken for an intimate friend, it is called Sakhya Bhava - the devotion of a friend to a friend. The friendship of Sri Krishna and Kuchela is of this type. When the relation between God and the devotee is one of love and of the intimacy that exists between husband and wife, it is called Madhurya Bhava'. This is considered the highest form of devotion. The devotee is the wife and God is the husband. A wife serves her lord in several roles. She looks after him with affectionate care like a mother. She stands in attendance with respect and obedience like a servant; she treats him with sweet familiarity like a friend. In Madhura Bhava the devotees relationship with God is exactly that of the wife with her husband. Right from her childhood Mira had cultivated this kind of love for God. At the time of her marriage, she showed, in the presence of all people, that Sri Krishna was her husband. That became the conviction of her life. In her mother's home there was no hindrance to her devotion to Krishna. In fact it was only there this faith struck deep root in her heart. However her new family did not approve of her piety and devotion to Krishna. To make things worse Mira refused to worship their family deity Durga. She said she had already committed herself to Krishna. This angered the family. Her family became increasingly disproving of her actions. However the fame and saintly reputation of Mirabai spread throughout the region.

Mirabai used to interact with people of all social classes and castes. Then, she would go around singing and dancing in the public temples. It is due to this reason that, she had to face serious consequences. Her husband died couple of years after their wedding knots were tied. Following her husbands death, she was asked to perform Sati, a custom of self-immolation that is practiced by all Hindu widows. In her writings, Mira made a mention that her in-laws attempted to kill her twice. However, by Gods grace, she was saved. It was getting very tough for Mira to tolerate all these sufferings. At the age of thirty, she decided to leave the palace. She went on a pilgrimage trip to Mathura, Vrindavan and Dwarka. Mira got so engrossed in worshipping Krishna that she virtually forgot herself. She left behind the treasure of her writings, which were a reflection of her heart. Her poems and other compositions reveal different aspects of her life. The prayer songs that she left are popular amongst the worshippers even today. Mirabai is considered to be a saint as per the tradition of the Bhakti Movement. The Bhakti Movement of the 16th century emphasized on devotion as the means to attain salvation. There is an interesting legend associated with the story of Brahmacharini Mira. People are of the belief that, it was the unconditional immense love of Mira for Krishna that she vanished in the temple of Krishna in Dwarka. It is said that, the sanctum doors got closed on their own. Later on, when the doors were opened, Miras sari was found wrapped around the image of Lord Krishna, thus speaking of the union of Mira and Krishna. Often she would spend time discussing spiritual issues with Sadhus and people would join in the singing of her bhajans. However this just made her family even more jealous. Miras sister-in-law Udabai started to spread false gossip and defamatory remarks about Mirabai. She said Mira was entertaining men in her room. Her husband, believing these stories to be true, tore into her room with sword in hand. However he saw Mira only playing with a doll. No man was there at all. Yet throughout these hysterical slanders Mira remained unmoved by both the criticism and praise of the world. This infamy, O my Prince is delicious! Some revile me, others applaud, I simply follow my incomprehensible road

A razor thin path but you meet some good people, A terrible path but you hear a true word Turn back? Because the wretched stare and see nothing? O Mira's Lord is noble and dark, and slanderers rake only themselves over the coals
Obstinate or Crazy
hough Mira had firmly believed even from her young age that Krishna was her Lord, there is nothing to show in real life that she neglected her husband. As an ideal wife she might have returned his love and affection. But under no circumstances was she prepared to forget her Krishna. In the entire world nothing was greater to her than that love. She loved to sit before the image of Krishna, sing about Him in her sweet voice and dance. That was her life. She was born for only that. How could she give it up? But to others in her husbands house this looked like impertinence. It made them hate Mira. Everybody at home advised the obstinate girl to mend herself. She listened to their words. She would do whatever else she was asked to do. However under no circumstances she was willing to forget Krishna, she could not bear it. In the view of others, her intense devotion was nothing but a craze. When they made sure that she would not budge whatever they might say, they grew indifferent towards her. Day by day she went on spending more and more time in the company of monks and other holy people, meditating upon Sri Krishna. At last Bhojaraj got a temple built exclusively for her near the palace. It is said that this temple was meant to divert the large number of Sadhus who came to the palace. Anyway this provided Mira with a place where she could worship S Krishna in freedom. She used to spend the whole day in song and dance there.
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When the whole world is asleep Verily being away from my Lord, I keep awake. Likewise someone else separated from her lover sits in a luxurious mansion stringing pearls, I know. Counting the stars I spend the whole night. When will dawn the hour of happiness for me? It is only after Girdhar the Lord of Mira, Comes that this suffering will cease, Thus she sang in great joy. Her own people who had seen her sing, dance and go into ecstasy had concluded that she had gone mad. But the monks respected her as a great saint. The number of those who came to be blessed by her sight increased enormously with the passage of time. The prestige of the royal family of Chittore stood very high. How renowned and noble was this family! What a disgrace to such a family if the wife of the prince went on singing and dancing with monks! Besides, she had insulted her husbands family by not worshipping Mother Kali. Such were the thoughts that crossed the minds of many in her husbands house. They were angry and had nothing but contempt for her. But Bhojaraj had immense love for her and he was the crown prince. Therefore no one had the courage to say anything against her. However Bhojaraja passed away in 1521. He had been wounded in a battle in 1518, and the wounds proved fatal. Within about five years after her marriage Mira became a widow. She was only, twenty-three. There is no conflict as regards the chronology of events is concerned among the scholars. However there were differences as regards the dates, sequences and the name of persons involved. This does not matter for a buddha because his source is the direct connection through intuitive insights. The only link Mira had with the world had snapped. There was no one to care for her. Branded as mad, she had already suffered everybodys contempt. But this apathy of her own people only strengthened her devotion. More than ever she clung firmly to her Lord Krishna. At home those who were opposed to her secretly till then now began to talk about her openly. Fretting and fuming they said that the honor of the family had fallen to the dust. But she was known among the people as 'a great saint', and as the'Radha of Kaliyuga'. Many people deemed it a great fortune to see her and came to touch her feet in reverence.
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Mira and Akbar
iras fame spread far and wide. Her devotional bhajans were sung across northern India. It is said that the fame and spirituality of Mira reached the Moghul Emperor Akbar. He had heard that she had won the Grace of Krishna and that Krishna appeared before her when she sang in the ecstasy of devotion. So Akbar also wanted to see her. Both Tansen and Akbar decided to go to the place where Mira was living. But it was not so easy for a Mogul Emperor 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 to Tansens 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. Akbar was tremendously powerful. Yet he was also very interested in different religious paths. The problem was that he and Miras family were the worst enemies. To visit Mira would cause problems for both him and Mira. But Akbar was determined to see Mira, the Princess Saint. At that time Mira was singing and dancing before Krishna when Akbar came. 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 and dancing. Seeing Mira in that state, the Mogul Emperor was filled with wondrous awe and devotion. Akbar was so enamored of her soulful music and devotional singing. 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. However Tansen resisted and warned, 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. 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 do not do it. I do not take gifts of this kind. Mother, this I have brought as an offering to Sri Krishna. Pray and 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 Krishnas, said Mira then put it round the neck of Sri Krishnas Idol. The necklace was dazzling. It caught the eye of every visitor. All wondered who could have given such a gift. Someone identified it as belonging to Akbar. However in the course of time Akbars visit came to the ears of her husband Bhojraj. He was furious that a Muslim and his own arch enemy set eyes upon his wife. He ordered Mira to commit suicide by drowning in a river. Mira intended to honor her husbands command, but as she was entering the river Krishna appeared and commanded her to leave for Vrindaban where she could worship him in peace. So with a few followers, Mira left for Vrindaban, where she spent her time in devotion to Krishna. After a while her husband became repentant, feeling that his wife was actually a real saint. Thus he travelled to Vrindaban and requested her to return. Mira agreed, much to the displeasure of the rest of her family. However, soon after Miras husband died fighting in battles with the Moghul the situation even worsened for her? Her father in law, Rana Sanga, saw her husbands death as a way to be rid of Mira. He commanded her to commit Sati. However, Mira, with the inner direct assurance of her beloved Krishna, said that she would not do this. Her real husband, Krishna had not died. She would later say in her poetry. Sati na hosyan girdhar gansyan mhara man moho ghananami, I will not commit sati. I will sing the songs of Girdhar Krishna, and will not become sati because my heart is enamored of Hari. After this experience her family continued to torture her even more. They restricted her movements and sought to make her life as uncomfortable as possible. Yet in the face of all these trials and tribulation she remained detached from her physical suffering.
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There was nothing that could disturb her inner connection to Girdhara epithet of Sri Krishna as young cowherd boy. It is said that twice her family tried to kill her, once through a venomous snake and once through poisonous drink. On both occasions it is said Mira, was protected by the Grace of Krishna, and no harm was caused to her. The indignant Rana and his men ma several attempts to kill her. Mira accepted everything without protest. However she came out of every danger safely. Her own song testifies to this: 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 small round - shaped stone 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 her 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 should not 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 to her 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.
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Standing on the edge of the water she prayed in her mind to Lal Giridhar, Sri Krishna: 0, 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 one. Do not do it, or jump into the water. Go to Vrindavan. Vrindavan was the place where Krishna spent his childhood. Mira set out for Vrindavan. 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.
Mira in Vrindavan
owever the relentless torments and hostility interfered with her life of devotion and contemplation on Krishna. She sought the advice of learned men and Saints. They advised her to leave the palace and return to Vrindaban. Secretly with some followers she slipped out of the palace and escaped to the holy city of Vrindaban. In Vrindaban Mira was free to worship Girdhara to her hearts content. She would spend her time in singing bhajans and in ecstatic communion with Krishna. Like a true devotee she worshipped God wholeheartedly. The riches of the world offered no attraction to Mira. Her only satisfaction came from her single minded devotion to Krishna. Her soul was ever yearning for Krishna. She considered herself to be a Gopi of Vrindaban, intoxicated only with pure love for Krishna. Mira says she was one of the Gopis who danced with

Krishna on the banks of Sri Yamuna, Madhuban and elsewhere. Her name was Lalita then. I am intoxicated with love Overflowing incessantly And no one understands my plight. Only the wounded Understand the agonies of the wounded, When the fire rages in the heart Only the jeweler knows the value of the jewel, Not the one who lets it vanish In pain I wander from door to door, But could not find a doctor Says Mira: Harken, my Master, Miras pain will subside When Shyam comes as the doctor! Her devotion and spiritual magnetism were infectious. She inspired many to follow the path of Vaishnavism. As Swami Sivananda stated: Mira wafted the fragrance of devotion far and wide. Those who came in contact with her were affected by her strong current of Prem. Mira was like Lord Gauranga. She was an embodiment of love and innocence. Her heart was the temple of devotion. Her face was the lotus-flower of Prem. There was kindness in her look, love in her talk, joy in her discourses, power in her speech and fervor in her songs. Even learned Sadhus would come to her for inspiration. There is a story of one respected Spiritual Master, who refused to speak to Mira because she was a woman. Mira replied there was only one real man in Vrindaban, Sri Krishna; everyone else was a Gopi of Krishna. On hearing this Spiritual teacher accepted the wisdom of Mira and agreed to talk to her. Later Mira would become his student. Much of what we know about Mirabai comes from her poetry. Her poetry expresses the longing and seeking of her soul for union with Krishna. At time she expresses the pain of separation and at other times the ecstasy of divine union. Her devotional poems were designed to be sung as bhajans and many are still sung today. Miras songs infuse faith, courage, devotion and love of God in the minds of the readers. They inspire the aspirants to take to the path of devotion and they produce in them a marvelous thrill and a melting of the heart.
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Many were inspired by her infectious devotion and spontaneous love for Sri Krishna. Mira showed how a seeker could attain union with God, only through love. Her only message was that Krishna was her all. My Beloved dwells in my heart, I have actually seen that Abode of Joy. Miras Lord is Hari, the Indestructible. My Lord, I have taken refuge with Thee, Thy slave! People narrate several stories about Miras life. It is difficult to distinguish facts from fiction in such narration. Such stories get changed as they descend from generation to generation. It is not fair to dismiss all the stories as mere legend. Some details may be wrong but from these tales we can get at least a clear idea about achievements.
Temple Ranchorji in Dwarka
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Idol Ranchorji
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Mira in Dwarka
he political condition in Medatha and in Chittore had worsened. Nobody cared for Mira. Everyone had branded her as a disgrace to the community. Her uncle, Virama Dev, had to fight hard to retain his kingdom. He had no time to think of Mira. She, too, did not bother herself about these things. In a state of utter detachment she went on pilgrimage with saints. Finally she stayed at Dwaraka. The temple of Ranchodji (another name for Sri Krishna) in Dwarka became her shrine. Though Mira was extremely popular, the royal families of Rajasthan hesitated to own her. The news that the Rana had been very unfair to Mira had spread. After Ratan Singh the Second was murdered, Udaya Singh was crowned. The politics of Mewar changed. He thought that if Mira lived alone in the company of monks, it would bring a bad name to the royal family. So he requested her to return to Chittore. Having once suffered many tortures there, the pious Mira did not wish to return to that cage. There is an interesting tale about this. So she told Uday that she will have to seek permission from Ranchorji. If he allows then she is ready to come. Udaya Singh soon realized that Mira would not come back in deference to his words. He sent five Brahmins of Chittore to meet her. They requested her to return to Chittore. Mira felt that if she went back to the palace, the same old tale would be repeated. She was probably about forty-eight at that time. Even while her husband, Bhojaraj, was living it had been difficult for her to worship Krishna in the palace. Mira had to shift to a temple. Now twenty-five years had passed since her husbands death. The royal family had even tried to kill her. So she had come to live in Dwaraka, far away from them all. She had resolved that she was related to nobody except Giridhar Gopal. Was she to go back to that palace, to that prison? I shall not come, she thought. It was the Rana who had sent the Brahmins. They dared not stand before him with dull face, without Mira. They implored, they entreated and they tried more than one way to persuade her.
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No, was the resolute reply of Mira, I shall not come. Then the Brahmins used their last weapon. We shall not return without you, they said, If you do not come with us, we shall fast here unto death. Mira was in difficult situation. She did not like to go to Chittore. But she could not be responsible for the death of these Brahmins. So she requested them to wait that night in the temple itself. She agreed to go to Chittore with them the next morning. The Brahmins felt very happy and stayed in the temple. Where is Saint Mira. The day dawned. Mira was not to be found anywhere. The Brahmins got scared. They searched for her. Other devotees and Sanyasi also searched for her. But she was nowhere to be seen. Only her dress was found lying in front of Ranchodjis shrine. The devotees concluded that she might have got merged in her dear Lord, Lal Giridhar. Even now devotees have the same belief. There are people who do not believe this story. But there cannot be a more beautiful conclusion to the life of Mira. People who believe this to be true think it must have happened in 1547. Another conclusion is, that Mira did not die instead she escaped in disguise. But they cannot say anything about her life after this time. Nothing was heard of her anywhere. Among the stories people narrate about her this is none after this date. Therefore it is only appropriate to believe that Mira who had remained firm in the midst of all troubles realized at last the union with her dearest Lord. Such are the conclusions of the scholars and historians not that of mystics. Who else can really know of Mira? The miracle happened in case of Kabir as well when the body disappeared and in place flowers were found.
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Nectar in Poison
iras achievement in music is remarkable. She herself has set tunes to her songs and has mentioned the ragas. Her understanding of music is profound and spontaneous. Rag Govinda and Rag Mira Malhar are her own creations. Miras songs can easily be set to music. And this is why those songs have been on the lips of people for over four hundred years. There are several compositions on record said to have been her work. However only the lyrics known, as Padas (songs of folk style) are important. So far more than four hundred such songs have been collected. Mira's name is not mentioned in any of the royal chronicles of Rajasthan. No details of any kind can be found in the writings of contemporary historians. From all this, it is obvious that there was a deliberate attempt to wipe out her name from history. Some people had even tried to kill her when she was alive. Probably they tried to prevent all mention of her in history. This would not be surprising. Jealousy and hatred make a man stoop to any mean act. The moving songs of Mira who had won the hearts of the people are still on their lips and so she lives still. Those kings in power in those days not only hated her and treated her with contempt but also tried to expel her from the pages of history. Today while we look for material in books of history for Miras biography, we have to ignore them. But Mira who had suffered their cruelty neither hated them in return nor showed any anger. Like a drop of sweet nectar preserved unspoiled even in the midst of poison, in the midst of hatred, violence and scandals, Mira fixed her mind on Lal Girdhar and sang in praise of him. The path of spirituality is not free from allegations. History has evident that Jesus, Kabir, Nanak, Buddha, Al Hilaj Mansoor all had to suffer in the hands of the priest and the royalty. If a buddha is not misunderstood and illtreated certainly he is not a buddha. Traditionally we ill-treat buddhas and worship the buddhas 0 the stupid ones. We feel as if we hear Mira say with a smile, A devotee suffers any kind of hardship for the sake of his God, He never gives up his God. By minding his own business, he reaches his goal.'
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Mira Museum Merta
I have no one but Giridhar Gopal. I gave up my mother. I gave up my father, and gave up all my kith and kin. I gave up my shyness in the company of sages. I ran eagerly seeking the saints but the ways and manners of the world came in the way. Then I shed tears. Those tears have kept the creeper of love alive. Saints and the holy name of Sri Krishna were the guiding lights I found along my path. Sri Krishna from within and the saints from without have illumined my path. My Lord, this slave Mira is yours. And you are the goal she wishes to reach. Let people gossip as they please. What does it matter?
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Songs of Mira
ur sweetest songs are those that tell the lament of separation. And when the lament is for the unknown and the unknowable the eternal beloved then it is even more melodious and heart rendering. It overflows the pangs of separation. Mira had experienced those moments when she danced with her blue eternal love Shyam the chief of the cowherd. She has seen Radha and Krishna dance in unison, harmony and oneness. Just seeing Radha and Krishna dance you can attune to that harmony. And then one day the same harmony and oneness will be part of your life. Miras songs echo such lament of love and separation with beloved. This is why these touch inner feelings. Mira has candidly incorporated those emotions in her songs. Precisely the songs were overflowing the sanctified emotions soaked in the essence of Krishna through Mira. It was not in any particular situation or state that the songs overflowed. Instead with lute in her hand emotions became the songs so captive and heart rendering. All Miras songs were spontaneous outburst of her separation from her eternal beloved. These were sung. But there is no record to show that they were written during her life time. Many collections of her songs are available in manuscript form in state and private collections in Rajasthan and Gujarat. My insight is these songs were compiled and written fifty to one hundred years after the passing of Mira. The accounts of later devotees deal only with miracles associated with Miras life. However these fail to give any chronological details of her life.
mere tae igrxr gaepal dUsrae n kaey

This line No one except Gidhar Gopal I can count on speaks of Miras undaunted, solitary Love Divine for Krishna whom she lovingly addresses as Girdhar Gopal - one who is the sustainer of the mountain and who is the custodian of cows.
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Go To That Impenetrable Realm
Soar to reach that impenetrable Serene Realm of eternity - of the being Go to that impenetrable realm That death itself trembles to look upon. There flows the fountain of love eternal With swans frolicking on its waters. There the company of holy men is available, And one may talk of awareness of the spirit. There one can mediate on Shyam my solace And purify ones mind. There one may bind on The anklets of good-conduct, And dance to hearts contentment. There one may adopt a headpiece of gold And the sixteen kinds of adornment, Let there be love for Shyam And indifference to all else.
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Only He Knows the Bitterness of Love
Ever vigilant, introspective, and aware Only he knows the bitterness of love Who has deeply felt its pangs? When you are in trouble No one comes near you: When fortune smiles. All come to share the joy. Love shows no external wound. But the pain pervades every pore Devotee Mira offers her body As a sacrifice to Girdhar for ever Verily I Go To That Impenetrable Realm There alone shall you sojourn forever!
Thy Look of Incandescence
Thy Look of Incandescence Like a thousand sun On a sudden, the sight. Your look of light stills all turbulence, verily stills all, The curd-pot falls to the ground. Parents and brothers all call a halt. Pries out, they say, this thing from your heart. Youve lost your path. Says Meera: Who but you can see in the dark of a heart? - Mirabai
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I have found a Guru
Verily I have found a Guru Nay the Guru has found me I have found a guide in Raidas, Along the eternal journey he has given me the nectar of bliss and awareness. I lost the honor of the royal family, I went astray with the sadhus. They say so vilifying every bit of me Yet I constantly rise up, go to Gods temple, and dance, snapping my fingers verily I follow not the norms and traditions too of yore Or live as an oldest daughter-in-law, I have thrown away the veil Traditions and all the dilapidated. I have taken refuge with the great guru, and snapped my fingers at the consequences
Come To my Pavilion
Come to my pavilion the eternal realm O my King, I wait for thee I have spread a bed made of Delicately selected buds and blossoms, Of many colors and fragrance too And have arrayed myself in bridal garb From head to toe I have been Thy slave during many births, Thou art the be-all of my existence. Miras Lord is Hari, the Indestructible Yet Unknown and Unknowable Come therefore My eternal Solace grant me Thy sight at once. - Mirabai
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I WRITE OF THAT JOURNEY
I remember how my mother would hold me. I would look up at her sometimes and see her weep. I understand now what was happening. Love so strong a force it broke the cage, and she disappeared from everything for a blessed moment. All actions have evolved From the taste of flight; the hope of freedom moves our cells and limbs. Unable to live on the earth, Mira ventured out alone in the sky I write of that journey of becoming as free as God. Dont forget love; it will bring all the madness you need to unfurl yourself across the universe.
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MIRA KNOWS WHY
The earth looked at Him and began to dance. Mira knows why, for her soul too is in love. If you cannot picture God in a way that always strengthens you, You need to read more of my poems
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A LIMB JUST MOVED
You taught Your songs to the birds first, why was that? And You practiced Your love in the hearts of animals before You created man, I know the planets talk at night and tell secrets about You. A limb just moved before me, the beauty of this world is causing me to weep
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BEYOND FINITENESS
I Do Not care about Social Norms I will fasten the bells of his love to my feet And dance in front of Girdhar. Dancing and dancing I will please his eyes; My love is an ancient one. My love is the only truth. I do not care about social norms Nor do I keep my family's honour. I cannot forget, even for a moment, The beauty of my lover I am dyed in Hari's colour.
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Sree Giridhar aage nachungi nach nach piva rasik rizhavu, premi jan ko jachungi! prem, preeti ke bandh ghungharu, surath ki kachani kachungi Lok laj kul ki marjada, ya me ek na rakhungi! Piya ke palanga ja powdungi Mira Hari rang rachungi I shall dance before Girdhar Gopal, I shall dance till he is supremely delighted. I honor even those who love him. I shall tie round my ankles the tinkling bells of love and compassion, and wear the dress of His remembrance, and dance. I do not care for honor or the good name of the family which people consider important. I go and lie in the bed of my lover, Hari, and enjoy the bliss of His love. Sri Krishna alone is my lover. I have gone mad with grief. I will have no peace of mind unless Sri Krishna comes to me. Mira is the bond slave and the Lover is He, Sri Krishna.
jIvn sumn cFa kr terI hm AcRna kre<ge< jnm jnm terI hm v<dna kre<ge<. vahunI jIvn pu:p tv cr[I , kIitR ga^ tuHI jNmaejNmI .
EMBELLISHING LIFE TO BE A FLOWER FOR THY ALTER I SHALL ERELONG SING THY GLORIES!!!
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Meditation Times August 2011

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