करुणा· Karuna
01हरि तुम कायकू प्रीत लगाई
Hari Tum Kayaku Preet Lagai
Mirabai
1 verse · ~4 lines · 1 min
Karuna
कागळ कोण लेई जायरे मथुरामां
Kagal Kon Lei Jayre Mathuraman
Mirabai 1 min read 1 versesपत्रletterमथुरा
1 verses · ~1 min
कागळ कोण लेई जायरे मथुरामां वसे रेवासी मेरा प्राण पियाजी॥ध्रु०॥ ए कागळमां झांझु शूं लखिये। थोडे थोडे हेत जणायरे॥१॥ मित्र तमारा मळवाने इच्छे। जशोमती अन्न न खाय रे॥२॥ सेजलडी तो मुने सुनी रे लागे। रडतां तो रजनी न जायरे॥३॥ मीरा कहे प्रभु गिरिधर नागर। चरनकमल तारूं त्यां जायरे॥४॥
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
Rukmini Nimantran
This poignant scene captures a singular moment of profound vulnerability and faith, drawn from the Bhagavata Purana. Princess Rukmini, yearning for Lord Krishna, entrusts a trusted Brahmana messenger with her secret letter. In this composition, Raja Ravi Varma masterfully balances the regal dignity of the princess with the humble gravity of her messenger. The work is not merely a depiction of a mythological event, but an invitation to witness a human heart in the throes of divine devotion. Through his lithographic press, Varma brought such intimate spiritual narratives into the homes of millions, democratizing art and anchoring these timeless tales in the collective Indian consciousness.
Open the viewer →
If this held you
Four more, in the same key.
Chosen for their rasa and their register, not their popularity. Each one carries some part of what Kagal Kon Lei Jayre Mathuraman carries.
