Meera, a saint

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Meera, Mira Bai, Mirabai

***** Location: Mewar, India
***** Season: Non-seasonal Topic
***** Category: Humanity

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Explanation

The First time I heard a Meera bhajan was from a Carnatic Musician - the renowned M.S.Subhulakshmi and much later in the inimitable voice of Pandit Kumar Gandharva [North Indian Classical Musician].

Memories vividly etched in my mind.

Meera Bhajans have a haunting quality about them . . . every line, every word demonstrates the joy of being in love with her beloved Lord Krishna. . .

How different from Andal, and still how similar they were, in their deep devotion to their Lord

A famous meera bhajan.
Translated from Hindi by Baldoon Dhingra.

Once the raja sent me a gift,
a serpent curled in a basket.
Meera put her hand into it
and drew out an image of the Lord.

Once the Raja sent me a cup of poison,
Meera, chanting, drank the draught,
it tasted like nectar from the skies.

Once the Raja sent me a bed of nails.
It was as soft like a bed of roses.
No hurt can come to Meera then,
For the Lord protects her from harm.

Having surrendered all to Him,
She now wanders in the ecstacy
Born of untrammeled love.

Kala Ramesh

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M.S. Subbhulaksmi - Musician, by Kala Ramesh

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Read more about her here:
http://chandrakantha.com/biodata/mira.html

In medieval India Bhakti Movement was started by enlightened saints like Ramananda, Kabir, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Gurunanak and others. They showed the path of Bhakti to attain salvation. Meerabai belonged to that cult.

Born in early 16th century Meerabai belonged to the royal family of Mewar. She renounced the luxuries of royal life and became an ardent devotee of lord Krishna. Meera composed many devotional songs in praise of Lord Krishna which are sung to this day with great reverence throughout the country.

She died at the feet of Lord Krishna of Dwaraka at the age of 67.
http://www.geocities.com/dakshina_kan_pa/art31/women5.htm


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

deep in bhakti yoga
meera's bhajan lifts me
out of myself

Kala Ramesh

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butterflies swarm
in twilight breeze ~
a Meera Bhajan

Meera saw Krishna ~
when she sang "Gopaala"
the mountains melted

the age of Meera's Krishna
is long gone ~ Darwin and
Freud are the new icons

Badrinath dawn ~
little girl sings
a Meera Bhajan
to a parrot

Narayanan Raghunathan

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Related words

***** Tiruppavai of Andal (Andaal) Tamizhnadu, Tamil Nadu

***** Music of India Indian Music and Haiku

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THE INDIA SAIJIKI

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