Mīrā Bāī and Her Padas

Book excerpt: Illustrations: 1 B/w Illustration Description: Mira Bai belonged to the royal family of the Ranas of Mewara and was a staunch devotee of Krishna, worshipping him in the madhurya bhava of Vaishnavism. In the earlier part of her life she was ill-treated by her brother-in-law who even tried various means to kill her, but Krishna was ever her protector. Fed up, she went away to Merata, her maternal home and from there to Vrindavana and then to Dvaraka, where according to traditional belief, she merged with the image of Krishna. Mira's verses have a musical ring and a number of them have been recorded on discs and cassettes. There have been recessions of her padas. This English verse translation of eighty-one of them aims at giving the best of these. It is hoped that Mira's verses, along with the detailed introduction giving her life and times and her art, will create renewed interest in this renowned saint-poet.