________________
Addunt, 1903.)
THE LEGEND OF MIRA BAI THE BAJ PUT POETEŠS.
the Bauddha Rock-Temples of Ajanta, their paintings and sculptures, fo.,19 has made the following identifications: -
1. Cave II., Nos, viii, ix, page 82 (. below No. 5) ... 53413 Maha-Hansa jataka. 2. No. xxvii, p. 38
482 Ruru. 8. Cave IX., No, i, p. 47 (cf. below No. 11) ... ... 499 Sivi.16 4. Cave X., p. 50 ...
... 514 Chaddanta,14,15 5. Cavo XVII, No. xix, pp. 65-66 (cf. above No. 1) ... 584 Maha-hansa. 6. Cavo XVII., Nos. xxii-xxiv, pp. 66-67 ... W. 589 Mahk-vessantara (1). No. XXV, p. 67. ... ...
516 Mahâ-kapi. Nos. IXXVI-Xxxvii, p. 70 . 455 Mâti-posaka,
No, xxxviii, p. 71 ... ... W. 582 Sâma (1). , No. xxxix, p. 71... ...
... 278
Mahisa. No. liv, pp. 75-76 (cf. above 3) .. ... 499 Sivi, 15 12. Cave II, Outside chamber to the left, pp. 81-82 ... 318 Khanti-radi.
CO.
11.
THE LEGEND OF MIRA BÃI THE RAJPUT POETESS,
BY M. MACAULIFFE. Mira Bar was daughter of Batan Singh Bethaur of Merata, a town between Bikaner and Jodhpur in Rajpûtâng. She was born about 1504 A, D. She appears to have inherited her religious proclivities from her mother. When Mira BAI was three or four years of age, the bridal procesBion of youth of position passed by the palace. All the ladies of the court, except Mira Bat's mother, went to the upper apartments to view the procession. She took the opportunity of their abeeace to go to pray to an image of Krishna, called Girdhar Lal, which was set up in her private apartment.
Mira BAI laid aside her playthings to follow her mother, and said to her," who is my bridegroom?" Her mother smiled, took her in her arms, and, pointing to Girdhar Lal, said, "there is your bridegroom." Upon this Mira Bai instantly accepted him, and veiled her face according to the Oriental practice, which requires a wife to veil her face even from her newly married husband. She became so enamoured of Girdhar Lal that she could not pass an'instant without seeing him. Her love for him is compared to that of the milkmaids, Krishna's playfellows, of Bindraban. She indulged her passion without fear or shame, and without any regard to the traditions of her family ou the subject of the retirement of women from the public gaze.
While her affections were thus engaged, she was betrothed to Kanwar Bhojraj, son of Rans Banga of Mawar. The subsequent marriage in 1516 A. D., as might well have been expected, proved unhappy. Bhojraj went to Mêráta in great state with a large retinue, but when the marriage ceremony was being performed and the time came for the bride to circumambulate the pavilion set np for the ceremony, Mira BA walked around the idol of Girdhar Lal, and took no notice of the bridegroom. When the time for her departure with her husband arrived, her parents wished to send her off with suitable marriage presente, but she was miserable at leaving Girdhar Lal She grew Bed and restless, and wept to such an extent that she became insensible. When she regained
11 Archmological Survey of Western India, No. 7, Bombay, 1879.
11 Those namerals refer to the 'ourront bumbers of the Jataka-talos in Faceboll's edition or to those of Westergaard's Cutalogue.
14 Pointed out by Bargous.
18 See Burgess, Report on the Buddhist Cavo. Tomplas, tra Arch. Bur. Wol. India, Vol. IV. PP. 45-48. V. L. Yoor, Lo Chaddanta-jktake, Jons. As. IX Ser, tom. V. (1895), pp. 81-35 and 180-928. [See also Ounningham Bharhut Stepa, PL uvi, sg. 6.]
