The Devotion of Meerabai is inscribed in golden letters whenever devotion is discussed. During this period of Kali Yuga, she manifested her love for Krishna within herself and made others see it. She demonstrated the power of devotion, allowing people to believe that one can please God through great faith, as she did.
Many attempts were made to murder Meerabai, but with the grace of Lord Krishna, she was saved. Playing the tune of Bhakti, without any hesitation or public shame, she abandoned the shackles of clan dignity and sang the praises of her beloved Shri Girdhar Gopal.
Early Life and Devotion of Meerabai
The birthplace of Meerabai was Merta in Jodhpur. From childhood, Meerabai’s devotion to Lord Krishna was evident in her daily life. She grew up in an environment filled with devotion. Surrounded by an aura of devotion, she got the idol of Lord Krishna in her childhood, whom she considered her eternal husband.
She grew up under the care and guidance of her grandfather, who was a great Krishna devotee. While living in Merta, she got the pious company of saints, influenced by whom she found the ways to please Lord Krishna.
Marriage of Meerabai
Meerabai was married to Bhojraj, son of Rana Sanga of Chittor. When the time came to bid farewell to her in-laws’ house, she felt faint with the passion of love.
Father’s Words of Comfort
Seeing her in such a distressed condition, the father started saying, “Daughter! Don’t feel any sadness in your mind. Take the clothes and jewellery that you like.”
At that time, Meerabai’s eyes were filled with tears. She replied to her father, “What use do I have for this wealth? If you want to satisfy me in every way by giving me the desired thing, then please give me the idol of Shri Krishna, which I have worshipped since my childhood. Apart from this, keep all the money and belongings away.”
Mother’s Blessings
Meera was very dear to her parents. Her mother hugged her while crying and said: “Take Shri Krishna with you and serve and worship him with a lot of love.”
Idol in the Palanquin
Meerabai placed Shri Giridharlal in front of her in her palanquin and cried, making eye contact with him. She was extremely happy after finding her beloved husband, Shri Krishna.
Arrival at Chittor Palace
In this way, she reached the palaces of Rana Bhojraj. The mother-in-law brought them down from the palanquin. The knot of the bride and groom was tied with interest, and they were brought to the temple of the goddess.
Behaviour of In-laws
1. At the Goddess’s Temple
After reaching the Goddess’s temple, her mother-in-law made preparations for worshipping the Goddess. First, Bhojraj worshipped the Goddess, and he said to Meera: “Now worship the Goddess.”
Meera replied: “This head of mine has been sold to Shri Krishna; now it cannot bow to any other deity. I have only one desire in my mind to see and pay my obeisance to him.”
2. The Mother-in-Law’s Objection
Hearing this, the mother-in-law said: “She is the Goddess. Worshipping her increases the good fortune of women. Therefore, do not be stubborn; bow down.”
On the stubbornness of her mother-in-law, Meerabai repeatedly said: “You must accept this. I have surrendered everything at the feet of Shri Krishna. Now I will not be able to worship or salute others.”
3. Rana’s Anger
Hearing Meerabai’s blunt reply, her mother-in-law was heartbroken. Going to her husband, she said: “This daughter-in-law is of no use to me. If she disobeys me now and gives such answers, how will she treat me in the future?”
Hearing these words, Rana became very angry and decided to kill his daughter-in-law. Now, he gave a separate room for Meerabai to live.
4. Meerabai’s Solitude and Devotion
But Meerabai was very happy to see a solitary place. There she would pamper Krishna day and night and sing her praises while doing service and worship. Those who have a strong desire to meet Krishna like the satsang of saints. Meera also always accompanied the sages.
Hurdles on the Path of the Devotion of Meerabai
1. Warning from Udabai
One day, seeing Meera interacting with the saints, her sister-in-law, Udabai, came and said:
“Sister-in-law! Why don’t you understand? The clan faces a huge stigma for loving saints. Ranaji is the king of the country, and he is feeling embarrassed by your free conduct. The tradition of your family is also being destroyed, so please listen to me. Leave the company of saints immediately.”
Meera firmly replied:
“My life is always with the saints. That’s why I get immense happiness in their company. Whoever is hurt by my conduct, keep him completely away from me.”
2. The Poison Test
When Udabai narrated everything to Ranaji, the king sent a bowl of poison, disguising it as charanamrit. Meerabai drank it happily. After drinking it, a special kind of divine glow began to appear in her body. By the grace of Shri Krishna, she did not suffer any harm.
“If your love is true, even poison becomes nectar in the name of God.”
Meerabai Drinking Poison
When Meerabai did not die even after drinking poison and did not leave the company of saints, Rana deployed his spies. He told them:
“When a saint comes and sits near Meera, then you should inform me. I will kill him right then and there.”
Shri Krishna would always sit in Meera’s room. She used to laugh, talk, and play with him. One day, the sound of laughing and talking reached the spies’ ears. They immediately informed Rana. He quickly ran with his sword and called out at the door: “Open the door!”
Meera opened the door. Rana did not see any saint. She was the only one there.
Rana reprimanded her and asked: “Where has that man gone, whose love you are in? Tell me quickly.” Pointing to Krishna’s idol, Meera said: “My Prananath is sitting right in front of you.”
Rana became stunned as if there was a painting on the wall. Still, harmony did not arise in Rana’s mind. Even threats from Rana could not shake the devotion of Meerabai.
Her Visit to Vrindavan
1. Meeting Shri Jiva Goswami and the Devotion of Meerabai
Once Meerabai came to Vrindavan, at that time a great saint named Shri Jiva Goswami, an intimate companion of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, lived there.
When Meera went to see him, he told her that he did not see the face of a woman. On this, Meerabai said:
“Till now I thought that there is only one man in Vrindavan – our Giridhar Gopal who lives here, but today I heard something new.”
2. Recognition of Meerabai’s Devotion
When Shri Jiva Goswami heard her statement, it did not take long for him to understand her high spiritual state. Then he respectfully discussed God with her.
Meerabai was very satisfied after meeting Shri Jiva Goswami and doing satsang with him. She freed him from his vow of not seeing a woman’s face.
3. Return from Vrindavan
All the groves of Vrindavan and Govardhan are continuously filled with the pleasures of the beloved Shri Radha-krishna, and she established them in her heart and returned to her city.
The Last Days and Devotion of Meerabai in Dwarka
Seeing Rana’s evil mind, Meerabai went and settled in Dwarka. While living there, she used to worship Shri Krishna.
On the other hand, when Rana came to know about the nature of Meera’s devotion, he felt immense mental remorse. He sent many Brahmins to Dwarka and told them: “Bring Meerabai in whatever way you can. May she come and revive me by giving me life.”
The Brahmins went to Dwarka and conveyed Rana’s request. But Meerabai was not ready to return. Then the Brahmins gave up food and water and staged a protest at her door.
Seeing the stubbornness, Meera said,
“It is better that I bid farewell to Shri Ranchhod.”
Saying this, she went to the temple. While praying before God, she entered the idol of Shri Krishna and never came back.
Legacy of Meerabai
When you hear devotion, you hear Meerabai. Her life was not just about devotion but was also full of courage and unending love for Lord Krishna.
Even today, people sing and play her bhajans in temples and homes, filled with longing and surrender to her beloved Krishna.
She remains a great symbol of:
- Unshakable faith in Lord Krishna
- A free soul beyond societal boundaries
- The power of true devotion
The verses of her bhajans express pure love and devotion, reminding us that this path is beyond the material world and its rigid traditions.
“I have found my eternal husband in Krishna; no worldly ties can bind me.”
I’m Manohar Prajapat, founder of Sanatan Pathway.I write about Sanatan Dharma, Bhakti Leela, Hindu festivals, and the timeless wisdom of the Vedas — to help people live a more peaceful, dharmic life rooted in Indian spirituality.🕉 Read more at sanatanpathway.com