Meerabai, an advocate of feminism
MOHANA KRISHNASWAMY
There is, in general, confusion in the Indian mind between history, mythology and religion, relating even to saints and events of recent centuries. In this context, it is the moral responsibility of religious preachers to ensure that they expound the positive aspects of their own religion and not descend to mudslinging against other religions. It is equally important to ensure the historic authenticity of their narratives.
Being an ardent admirer of the devotional lyrics of Meerabai, I recently attended a Tamil musical discourse (Kathakalakshepam) on Meera by a well-known woman artist. I was deeply perturbed by the gross misrepresentation of Meera’s philosophy as well as the misinformation about her in the details of her biography. I perceive Meera as the first advocate of feminism who stood for Bhakti, not only as a path of spiritual liberation, but also as a path of liberation from male chauvinism, which was dominant in the Rajput kingdoms of her times. The narrator reduced her stature by treating her as just another stereotype of an “obedient wife”, and gave many unauthentic details of her life, based on hearsay. According to the generally accepted narrative of her biography (despite uncertainties about dates and details), the most dramatic and striking feature of Meera was that she was a widow who did not get burnt in the funeral pyre of her husband as per the contemporary custom of Rajasthani royal households, and that she continued to write poems of love for her God Krishna with both bakthi and shringara.
A poet and a saint
She could sing not only erotic poems in the midst of her extremely obscurantist atmosphere of male domination, but also become a worshipful saint who has stood the test of time.
The musical discourse, which has provoked me, depicted King Rana Khumba as Meera’s husband. The artist eulogised him as one who had admired Meera’s bakthi and built a temple for Krishna, for her to worship. The generally accepted version is that the husband (whose name is given as Bhoj Raj) was a Shaivite who objected to Meera worshiping a Vaishnavite God – Krishna. There is a longing, a pain of separation, combined with surrender to the Lord, in Meera’s poetry.
The exponent went on to say that Emperor Akbar, having heard the reputation of the great poet-queen, went in disguise to her temple to hear her sing. It is believed that Akbar and Meera were contemporaries, and so it is quite possible that the emperor, who was known for his habit of travelling in disguise, for his attitude of inter-religious harmony and for his love of music, visited her.
Although there is uncertainty about the exact age of Meera, historians believe that she was 40 years older than Akbar. The narrator relied on some obscure sources to say that Meera’s husband developed suspicion about her relationship with Akbar. While Akbar, out of his devotion, respect and love for music, may have appeared in disguise in her temple, there is nothing at all to suggest that her husband (who was by then dead, according to most versions) suspected her of having a relationship with the Mogul emperor, who was 40 years younger to her. The narrator added insult to injury by constantly describing Akbar as a “mlecha”.
Such a derogatory reference of a Pan-Indian ruler who contributed towards inter-religious harmony is condemnable. The narrator, gifted with an excellent voice, has a fluent command over language as well as the traditional style of Harikatha. But it is disturbing that such a religious preacher of the younger generation should propagate such intolerant views about other religions, which goes against the grain of Hindu Dharma.
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