4 verses · ~1 min
हे मेरो मनमोहना आयो नहीं सखी री।
कैं कहुं काज किया संतन का। कैं कहुं गैल भुलावना॥ हे मेरो मनमोहना।
कहा करूं कित जाऊं मेरी सजनी। लाग्यो है बिरह सतावना॥ हे मेरो मनमोहना॥
मीरा दासी दरसण प्यासी। हरि-चरणां चित लावना॥ हे मेरो मनमोहना॥
इति
The Poet
मीराबाई
Mirabai
1498 · 1546
In the vast tradition of Indian devotional literature, Mirabai stands as an absolute force of fearless independence. Born around 1498 into a royal Rajput family in Rajasthan, she rejected every expectation placed upon a woman of her aristocratic stature. Following the death of her husband, she refused to commit Sati, refused to mourn according to courtly protocol, and instead declared herself eternally married to Lord Krishna. Her entire life became an act of spiritual rebellion against feudal patriarchy. She left the palace, mingled with the lower castes, accepted the leather-worker Ravidas as her guru, and composed ecstatic, deeply personal poetry (bhajans) that mapped the fierce agony and joy of divine love. According to enduring historical memory, she survived multiple assassination attempts by her furious in-laws before leaving Mewar entirely. Five centuries later, her voice remains universally alive. Her songs are sung in temples, villages, and classical concerts across the subcontinent. She did not merely write Bhakti poetry; she weaponized devotion to achieve total personal liberation.
Paired Painting
Shakuntala Looking for Dushyanta
This profound canvas immortalizes a poignant moment from the ancient Mahabharata, captured through the brilliant lens of master painter Raja Ravi Varma. Shakuntala, the ethereal heroine, pauses in a lush forest path, her body turned away while her head pivots gracefully back to catch one last glimpse of King Dushyanta. Her companions, rendered with gentle warmth and affectionate smiles, watch her subtle hesitation with knowing tenderness. In the background, a silent figure in ochre robes softly traverses the sacred grove, grounding the mythical encounter in a timeless spiritual atmosphere. Varma brilliantly marries classical Indian theatricality with Western realism, breathing vibrant life into Kalidasa,s immortal poetic drama.
Open the viewer →