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Auguer, 1908.)
THE LEGEND OF MIRA BAI THE RAJPUT POETESS.
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O LAI Girdhar, Miri is thy slave; 'her enemies everywhere annoy her. Take me, my friend, take me to thy care as thou knowest best. I have none but thee; do thou show mercy unto mo. I have no appetite by day and no sleep by night; my body pineth away.
Lord of Mird, all-wise Girdhar, come to me now; I cannot live in thine absence.
It is said that the all-pervading Brahma, the knower of truth, the Eternal, on beholding her supreme love, could resist no longer. Ho incorporated her in Himself, and she became lost to human gaze. The Brahmans searched for her in vain. The only trace of her they could obtain was her edri, which was found onveloping the body of the image. The Brahmans' faith in him was econfirmed, but their mission otherwise was unsuccessful, and they returned crestfallen to the Rana, The latter soon experienced the further mortification of beholding his state conquered and plundered by the victorious army of Akbar as a retribution for the ill-treatment of Mira Bai.
The following is one of the hymns whose passionate devotion is said to have produced the result of Miri Bai's union with Rancho
O Lord Rancho; grant me to abide in Dwaraka, to abide in Dwaraka. With thy shell, disons, mace, and lotus dispel the fear of death. All places of pilgrimage ever abide in the Gómti for me. The clash of thy shell and cymbals is over the essence of pleasure. I have abandoned my country, my queenly robes, my husband's Palace, my property, and
my kingdom. Mira, thy slave, cometh to thee for refuge ; her bonour is now totally in thy keeping.10
It is said that in commomoration of the miraculous disappearance of Mira BA, her image is still worshipped at Udaipur in conjunction with that of Ranohor, the beloved Girdhar of her childhood.
Guru Arjan at first inserted one of Mira Båt's hymns in his collection of the Sikh sacred writings, but subseqnently drew his pen through it. It is preserved, however, in the Granth of Bhai Bannd, which can be seen at Mangat in the Gujarat district of the Panjab. The following is the hymn
Bag Mart Godli hath entwined my soul, O mother, With His attributes, and I have sung of them. The sharp arrow of His love hath pieroed my body through and through, O mother, When it struck me I did not know it; now it cannot be endured, O mother. Though I use charms, incantations, and drags, the pain will not depart, Is there any one who will treat me P Intense is the agony, O mother, Thou, O God, art near; Thou art not distant ; come quickly to meet me. Baith Mira, the Lord, the mountain-wielder, 18 who is compassionate, hath quenched the fire
of my body, O mother, The lotus-eyed bath entwined my soul with the twine of his attributes.
30 The hymns in this life of Mira BM are taken from Baja Raghurj Singh's Bhagat Mala. 11 Kawalanin, an epithet of Krishpa, the objeo of Mr Bli's special worship. 19 Gwn has two meanings - rope or twipe, and an attribute. 14 God in the avatar of Krishpa.
