The Child Saint!

Phagun* had brought with itself a rich experience of germinating life all around Chittor। The pea fowl’s soulful calls floated across the expanse of lush green as Meera hurried to collect flowers for the morning puja of her Prabhu*. Her husband Prince Bhoj Raj could never fathom her intense devotion for Lord Krishna. A devotion that bordered insanity!

She was all of 17 and a blooming mystical poetess with such wisdom that her family had begun to feel restless। Her bhajan’s * celebrated a volley of emotions that stirred the listener and endeared them to her Vasudev*.

In another Kingdom, Tansen was an extraordinary vocalist and composer who occupied the significant position of one of the nine gems in Emperor Akbar’s court। His appreciation of Meerabai’s bhajans enamored Emperor Akbar to the poetess who was fast earning a saintly position amongst the devotee’s of Lord Krishna.

Akbar’s curiosity of the spiritual saint brought both, Tansen and him to Chittor to witness Meerabai’s devotional outpourings। Chittor was enemy territory and therefore they wandered about in disguise.

The sheer magic of Meera’s composition in Vraj Bhasha* was enough to enrapture their admiration for the young devotee। Her boundless love for Krishna who she perceived as husband, lover and master swayed Akbar’s evaluation of the celebration of love. As a token of appreciation, Akbar placed an exquisite necklace at Meerabai’s feet and left.

A restless calm spread all across Chittor as Bhoj Raj fumed at his arch rival meeting Meera in disguise। His jealousy blurred coherence and in a fit of rage, he commanded his wife to commit suicide by drowning herself in the river as repentance for encouraging his enemy.

Meera accepted her fate silently and carrying her journal of bhajans began the last journey of her mortal existence। Her face radiated the tranquility that one feels, rich with the knowledge that the atma* would finally meet with the parmatma*.

As she sang “Mere to Girdhar Gopal…dussaro na koi” the weeping pilgrims followed her to the river bank। The moment she crept into the enveloping inky waters, there was a burst of bright light as Prabhu himself spoke to Meera and guided her to not take her life as it was precious. He asked her to move to Vrindavan and be a guide to the troubled there, bereaving them from their worldly woes.

The Lords words had such cogency that she accepted this as her spiritual guidance and slipped into the darkness with a bunch of followers towards her new home in Brajbhomi*। As word of her bhakti *spread far and wide, Bhoj Raj realized his wife’s true calling and remorsefully approached Meera beseeching her to come back to Chittor.

Meera relented but when later Bhoj Raj was killed in battle with the Mugals, she returned to Vrindavan once again living a life of a hermit and celebrating Lord Krishna’s love in Brajbhomi. Her physical and spiritual union with the Lord had finally come to term.

Word count – 494

Glossary -
*Phagun – Monsoon
*bhajan’s – Devotional hymns
*Prabhu – God
* Vasudev – another name for Krishna
* Vraj Bhasha – Local dialect of Vrindavan
*atma – soul
* parmatma – Lord
* Brajbhomi – Krishna’s abode
* bhakti - devotionNOTE : Picture uploaded from the internet.

Copyright © BuntysBanter 2008