Sambodhi 2004 Vol 27

Author(s): J B Shah, N M Kansara
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 32

26
YAJNESHWAR S. SHASTRI
SAMBODHI
broke away from the age old tradition and used regional languages and dialects to propogate their message. Because of their efforts, message of Hinduism reached every corner of India. Mīrābāi belongs to this galaxy of reformers of India.
There is a lot of controversy about Mirābāi's dates of birth, marriage and death. Some think that she born in 1498 A. D. and died in 1573 A. D. Some others say that, she was born in 1497 A. D. and died in 1547 A.D. (K. P. Bahadur, p. 1121). She was born in the royal family of Merta (Rajasthan) in the town Kudki
i, according to some scholars). Her father was Raja Ratansingh. When Mira was just two years old, she lost her mother and she grew up under the guardianship of her grandfather - Rao Duda. Gujarati poet Dayaram says, “She was unequal in her beauty and virtues, so she was named Mīrā (rūpa guna samovada koi nahi, mate rūdu dhāryu Mīrābāi nām) Mīrā's grandfather was a great devotee of Lord Krsna and holy men and saints were visiting his palace very often. Mīrā grew up in a purely devotional atmosphere and her spiritual tendencies developed from an early age. She became a staunch devotee of Lord Krsna from her childhood and had dedicated her life to Him. She was married to Prince Bana Bhoja, the eldest son of King Rana Sangram Singh of Mewar in 1516 A. D., when she was just eighteen years old. After her marriage, she continued to devote her entire time to the worship of Lord Krsna, incurring the displeasure of her relatives. She lost her husband at an early age. Prince Bhoja died in the battle in 1525 A. D., about nine years after her marriage. Shortly after that, she lost her father and father-in-law, who really cared for her well-being, in circa 1528 A. D. and 1527 A. D. respectively. It must have been a great shock to Mirā. After these sudden fateful events, realizing the transient nature of the world, she dedicated her life to worshipping and singing the praise of Lord Krsna. Her beautiful compositions are among the most moving devotional songs of Hinduism. She, like other saint-poets, gave a tremendous boost to popular Hinduism. Mīrā's poems have musical quality and number of her poems have been rendered on disks and cassettes.
Mīrābāi had composed poems in Mārwari (Rajasthāni), Braja and Gujarāti languages. She belonged to Rajasthan, and so it is quiet natural that she had composed most of her poems in the Mārwāri dialect. She had spent few years in Vrindavana and spent her later years in Dwaraka (Gujarat), so, she has composed some of her poems in Braja and Gujarati languages, as well. Scholars believe that, she has composed 1312 poems in all. Some scholars came to the conclusion that, among these, 400 poems are in Gujarati and some other think that, she has