Immortal Love Story Of Meera:
1498 CE. The royals of Merta, a small state in Rajasthan were rejoicing. A baby girl was born to them. She was named Meera. Like other Rajput girls, Meera had to learn a lot of things. She learned music and many stories from the Scriptures, but also how to fight with bows and arrows, and with a sword, how to ride a horse and drive a horse-drawn chariot. She had to.
One day, when Meera was about four years old, she heard the sounds of joyful music just outside their palace walls.It was a marriage procession. The groom was leading it, riding a white horse. He was wearing a jeweled turban, looking like a young king. Everyone in the party was happy, singing and dancing as they went! Meera was happy watching them.
She ran excitedly to her mother.
“May we go with them, Ma?” Meera asked.
“No, Meera, not this time. You are too young.” Her mother replied. Then she picked Meera up and said, “Can you see the handsome fellow on the white horse?”
“Yes, Ma. I see him. He is wearing a turban like father does. Where is he going?”
“He is the groom. He is going over to marry his bride.”
After watching the marriage party for sometime, Meera thought of another question. “Will I be married, Ma? Who will be my groom?”
“O, Meera, you are too young.”
“No, no, Ma! Please tell me who?”
“Hmm…let’s see who will be my Meera’s groom.. who will he be? Why yes, I know. You will marry Thakurji, Krishna Bhagavan.” Meera’s mother said half in jest as she ran her fingers through Meera’s pretty curls, tousling them.
“Is that so, Ma? Please give me my husband, Krishna Bhagavan.”
So they went to the shrine. Meera’s mother picked up a really beautiful, black stone statue of Lord Krishna, playing the flute and gave it to her. “Here is your groom.” That was how Meera knew that she was to marry Lord Krishna.
Not too long after that, Meera’s mother passed away. And then her grandfather also passed away.
Meera grew up to be a most beautiful young princess. Everyone far and wide heard about her beauty. But few knew about her love and devotion to Lord Krishna. Meera had many talents, she was a poet and a singer. She wrote songs and sang them to Lord Krishna.
One day, when Meera was eighteen years old, they had a visitor. It was Rana Singh Sisodiya, king of neighboring Mewar. He wanted to join forces with the Rathores in their common battles against the Mughals. He proposed that Rathore princess be wed to his son crown prince Bhoj Raj. The marriage was settled, and Meera was to be married to prince Bhoj. Meera herself was not keen about the marriage, but agreed to it only to honor her uncle’s word. Before the marriage, she ceremoniously married Lord Krishna. Her uncle and aunt gave many gifts, and send them off to the house of Sisodiyas at Chittor.
Meera’s marriage to Bhoj was in name only. At heart, Meera was married only to Lord Krishna. She was gentle with her husband Bhoj and her family, and served them with all her abilities, but loved only Lord Krishna. Prince Bhoj loved Meera, and tried his best to make her happy. He wanted her company, but Meera spent all her free time for Lord Krishna, writing songs and singing them. She sang:
My only husband is Giridhar Gopal (Lord Krishna), and nobody else.
Other members of the Sisodiya family began to disapprove of her ways. They thought that Meera was too proud and did not want to belong to their family. Bhoj Raj tried his best to make peace in the family, but that was not to be. None of the discontent was noticed by Meera. She couldn’t think of anything else other than her true love, Lord Krishna.
Among those that came to Brindavan during this time was her husband, who begged her forgiveness and asked her to return to the palace with him. Meera went back, but unfortunately her husband died, and his younger brother, the new Rana, began to carry out what would today be called a hate campaign. He sent her a snake, which turned into a garland when it reached her. He mixed poison in a cup and asked her to drink it, but it didn't affect her.
Meera sang:
O Rana! You gave me poison drink but I became gold burned in fire.
At the end, Meera’s in-laws suggested that she should go to the river and drown herself. Meera decided to do this. When she went to the river, she heard a Divine voice, “Meera, it is a very grave sin to kill oneself. Go to Vrindavan.”
She went in search of Him, to Brindavan, to Mathura, and Dwarka. She felt that Krishna too was calling her as he came near.
In Vrindavan, Meera came to the monastery of Jiva Goswami. She wanted to see him. Goswamiji had earlier taken a vow that he will not see any woman. The disciples of Goswamiji did not want to let her in. Meera said, “I thought that in Vrindavan, Lord Krishna is the only male person. Now I see that Jiva Goswamiji is another.” All devotees, man and woman, consider themselves to be Spiritual brides of Lord Krishna, just as the gopis did. When the disciples brought the news to Goswamiji, he realized that he had a really special visitor and came out to greet her with folded hands. Meera became Sant Meerabai.
She only wrote for Krishna, at that time she wrote more then 400 poems for Krishna. She only love Krishna and all day- night only think about Krishna.
After sometime
The Rajputs fought on till 1535 CE, when the nawab of Gujarat , Bahadur Shah, defeated them. To avoid being captured, Rajput women committed mass suicide in fire. Later, in 1547 CE, the elder Rajputs sent for her, asking her to return home. Meera refused to go. Then they sent a group of priests to reason with her. The priests told her that they will fast until she relents.
Meera entered the temple, to pray and ask Lord Krishna what she should do. Lord Krishna told her to come to Him. As she approached the stone image of the Lord, her body disappeared into it. Only her sari was found draped around the image.
This is a true story of immortal love. Without meeting Meera only love Krishna and lost her life at the name of Krishna.
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