| Great Devotees |
 |
| Biographies of Great Indians & Hindus |
MIRA BAI |
|
| In Dwaraka The political condition in Medatha and in Chittore had changed very much. Nobody cared for Mira. Every one had branded her as a disgrace to the community. Her uncle, Beerama Dev, had to fight hard to retain his kingdom. He had no time to think of Mira. She, too, did not bother herself about these things. In a state of utter detachment she went on pilgrimage with saints. Finally she halted at Dwaraka. The temple of Ranchodji (another name for Sri Krishna) in Dwaraka became her shrine. Though Mira was extremely popular, the royal families of Rajasthan hesitated to own her. The news that the Rana had been very unfair to Mira had spread. After Ratan Simha the Second was murdered, Udaya Simha was crowned. He thought that if Mira lived alone in the company of monks, it would bring a bad name to the royal family. So he requested her to return to Chittore.Having once suffered many tortures there, the pious Mira did not wish to return to that cage. There is an interesting tale about this. Udaya Simha soon realized that Mira would not come back in deference to his words. He sent five Brahmins of Chittore to meet her.They requested herto return toChittore. Mira felt that if she went back to thepalace, the same old tale would be repeated. She was probably about forty-eight at that time. Even while her husband, Bhojaraja, was living it had been difficult for her to worship Sri Krishna in the palace. Mira had to shift to a temple. Now twenty-five years had passed since her husband's death. The royal family had even tried to murder her. So she had come to live in Dwaraka, far away from them all. She had resolved that she was related to nobody except Giridhar Gopal. Was she to go back to that palace, to that prison? "I shall not come," she said. It was the Rana who had sent the Brahmins. They dared not stand before him with dull face, without Mira. They implored, they entreated and they tried more than one way to persuade her. "No," said Mira, "I shall not come." Then the Brahmins used their last weapon. "We shall not return without you," they said, "If you do not come with us,we shall fast here unto death." Mira was in difficult situation. She did not like to go to Chittore. But she could not be responsible for the death of these Brahmins. So she requested them to wait that night in the temple itself. She agreed to go to Chittore with them the next morning. The Brahmins felt very happy and stayed in the temple. |
|
