Introduction

One of the greatest devotees of Lord Krishna. The daughter of a prince

and the
daughter-in-law of a prince, she gave up every thing and faced
persecution. Her songs live on the lips of people to this day.

The Diamond Necklace Brings Grief

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.

Here is a story which a illustrates wide spread fame.

Akbar was a great Moghal Emperor. Tansen was a celebrated musician

at his court. Tansen had seen Mira. Akbar came to know about Mira. 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 MogulEmperor 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 toTansen's plan
bothentered 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 camedisguised as hermits to the temple

where Mira lived.

At that time Mira was singing and dancing before Krishna. 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 of Lai
Giridhar and was dancing. Seeing Mira in that state, the  Mogul
Emperor was filled with wonder and devotion. 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. "My Lord, if these people come
to know that we are not really monks, just think of the conse- quence. If
they find out that you, the Mogul Emperor, have come to see a Rajput
lady, they will never allow us to go alive," warned Tansen.

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 don't do it. I do not take gifts of this kind."

"Mother, this I have brought as an offering to Sri Krishna. Pray 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 Krishna's," said Mira and put it round the neck of Sri
Krishna's Idol.
The necklace was dazzling. It caught the eye of every visitor. All
wondered who could have given such a gift.

Some one identified it as belonging to Akbar.

Then how did it come there?

By and by the news spread: the great Mogul Emperor had come to the
temple to see Mira and he touched her feet in reverence and offered a
preciousdiamond necklace to Sri Krishna.

Rathan Simha the Second was then the Rana. This news reached him.
He burned with anger. To him it was a question of the honor of the
family. "A Mogul has not only stepped upon the sacred Rajput land but
has gone back alive even after touching a Rajput lady. What a disgrace
to the family!"
He thought that Mira herself, by leading the life of an ascetic, was
responsible for it. So he began to harass her.

So goes the story. Historically viewed certain details are not correct.
Tansen entered Akbar's court in 1562, that is, 15 years after Mira's
death. If this story is true, Akbar could not have been on the throne at
the time of the visit. Mira is said to have breathed her last in Dwaraka in
1547,when Akbar was only a five year-old child. But it is not certain that
Mira died in 1547. There is also a version that Akbar was a crown prince
when he met Mira Bai. Anyway, this is a very popular story about Mira
Bai. Whatever the truth of the details, it must be true that later Mira
wassubjected to terrible tortures.

The indignant Rana and his men ma several attempts to kill her.

Mira accepted everything without protest. She came out of every danger
safely. Her own song testifies to this:

Samp pitaro, Rana bhejo

Mira hath diyo joy I

Nai dhby jab dekhan lagi

Saligram gayi poy I

Jahar ka pyala Rana bhejyo

Amarit diyo vanoy

Nai doy jaI pevan lagi

amar hogayi joy II

Sul sej Ranane bheji

dijo Mira suvoy I

Sanjh bhayi Mira sovan lagi

mano phul bichoy II

Mira ke prabhu sada sahayi

rakho vidhan hatoy I

Bhakti bhav me mast dolti

Giridhar pai bali joy II

"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 saligrama
is a small round - shaped stone picked from thebanks of the river
Gandaki;it is 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 herself 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 shouldn't this ignoble woman drown herself and die?"

The Only Man In Brindavan

There is a fascinating story connected with Mira's life in Brindavan.
There were many
saints in Brindavan. Jeeva Goswami was prominent among them.He
followed a very strict vow. He would not allow even the shadow of a
woman to touch him. So women could never go and see him. Having
joined Chaitanya Dev's Bhakti Movement he was spreading the cult of
Bhakti.

Having a high regard for saints and sages Mira went to see this great
man. At the very entrance of the hermitage she was stopped by a
disciple of Goswami. He said, "The Swamiji will not see anywoman."

Mira only laughed at this and said,"I thought the only man in Brindavan
is Sri Krishna.
Now, I see there is a rival to Him." These words pierced the heart of
Goswami like a sharp pointed lance. He came out of his
cottage and walked up barefooted and conducted Mira into the
hermitage with all honor.

This is the story.

In the Bhakti cult the love of the wife for her husband is said to be the
best form of
devotion. According to this all are women in this world. God is the only
Man. In Brindavan the only man is Sri Krishna. All the rest, the
devotees, are Gopis. There is no distinction of sex among devotees.
They should imbibe the feeling that God is their husband. If a devotee
has this feeling he cannot obstinately refuse to see women. Knowing
this, if he behaves with the presumption of being a man,it amounts to
being a rival to God.

After leaving the palace Mira came in contact with many great men and
famous poets. This strengthened her devotion and poetic talent.