Mori to Giridhar Gopala doosra na koi

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Anupama Nair

www.mediaeyenews.com

The turning point in her life occurred when Akbar and his court musician Tansen came in disguise to Chittor to hear Meera's devotional and inspiring songs. By then Meera became famous across the country. Akbar had always wanted to listen to her songs. “Both entered the temple and listened to Meera's soul-stirring songs to their heart's content. Before he departed, he touched the holy feet of Meera and placed a necklace of priceless gems in front of the idol as a present. Somehow the news reached the Rana that his enemy Akbar had entered the sanctum sanctorum of the holy temple in disguise, touched the feet of Meera Bai and even presented her a necklace. The Rana became furious and told  Meera Bai, “drown in the river and never show your face to the world in future. You have brought great disgrace on my family”.

Meera Bai decided to obey the words of the King. She proceeded to the river to drown herself. The names of the Lord “Govinda, Giridhari, Gopala” were always on her lips. She “sang and danced in ecstasy on her way to the river”. When she raised her feet from the ground, a hand from behind grasped her and embraced her. She turned behind and saw her beloved Giridhari. She fainted on seeing her Lord. After a few minutes, she opened her eyes. Lord Krishna smiled and gently whispered: "My dear Meera, your life with your mortal relatives is over now. You are absolutely free. Be cheerful. You are and have always been mine."

Meera then walked barefoot on the hot sandy beds of Rajasthan. On her way, many devotees received her with great hospitality. She then went to the city of her lord, Brindavan and worshipped in the Govinda Mandir there, which has since become famous and is now a great place of pilgrimage for devotees from all over the world.

A repentant Rana came to Vrindavan to see Meera and prayed that he may be forgiven for all his cruel deeds. He requested Meera to return to his kingdom assume her role as the queen once more. Meera said that Krishna is the only King and my life belongs to him. The Rana, for the first time, truly understood Meera's exalted state of mind and prostrated before her in reverence. He then promptly left Vrindavan a changed soul.

Jiva Gosain was the head of the Vaishnavites in Brindavan. Meera wanted to have a darshan of Jiva Gosain. He declined to see her and told her that he would not allow any woman in his presence. She said, "everybody in Brindavan is a woman. Only Giridhar Gopala is Purusha. Today I have come to know that there is another Purusha besides Krishna in Brindavan". Jiva Gosain was ashamed and went to see Meera and paid her due respect. She was immersed in ‘satsang’ all the time. Meera returned to Mewar and Rana agreed to her request that she would reside in the temple of Krishna but would not restrict her movements and wanderings. From Mewar, she once again went to Brindavan, and then to Dwaraka. This time the Rana accompanied her.

On ‘Krishna Janmashtami’ at the temple of Lord Krishna, there was much happiness all around “The light of the lamps, the sound of the bhajans and the energy from the devotees' ecstacy were filling the air. With Tamburi in one hand and cymbals or chipla in the other, the great ‘tapasvini’ was singing ecstatically with her Giridhar Gopala smiling in front of her closed eyes. Meera stood up and danced with her song 'Mere Janama Maran ke sathee', and when the song ended, Meera rose up abruptly, stumbled and fell at the flowers on the feet of Giridhari. She said, “Oh, Giridhari, are you calling me, I am coming”. When Kumbha and the rest were watching in awe, “there was lightning which enveloped Meera and the doors of the sanctum sanctorum closed on their own. When the doors opened again, Meera's saree was enveloping Lord Krishna's idol and her voice and the flute accompaniment were the only sounds that could be heard”. She became eternal and one with her Giridhar Gopala.

The question that remains is so many queens have come and gone, but why is the Queen of Chittor, alone remembered till today? Is it because of her grace and beauty? Is it because of her great poetic skills and her singing? The answer would be no. It is because of her renunciation, her love to her Lord and she drank the “Krishna Premrasa”. It is rightly said, “she lived for her Lord, She conversed with Krishna. She ate with Krishna, her Beloved and she lived only for him”.

In 1945, there was blockbuster film Meera Bai starring Bharat Ratna, M.S, Subba Lakshmi as Meera Bai. The introduction of the film was made by Sarojini Naidu the “Nightingale of India”. I do not know how many times I have seen the movie, and the Meera Bhajans, sung in the melodious voice of Subba Lakshmi is an experience I cannot forget. My favorite song is “Giridhara Gopala, pala Giridhar Gopala”. Jai Sree Krishna.

((At the outset, it was Sri Ganesha, Mata Saraswati, my Guru who inspired me to write this article. I am only an instrument and it was my Giridhar Gopala who came as thoughts in my mind, which got converted into words).

 

 

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