This is a story of a conversation between two famous fifteenth-century poets and saints, Meerā bai and Tulsidās ji.
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From Mādhavi a Gopi of Dwapar to Meerā a devotee in Kalyug
Mādhavi a girl from Brij married a boy from Nand-gaon called Sundar. Sundar happened to be a good friend of Śri Kṛṣṇa. Mādhavi’s mother was well aware of Śri Kṛṣṇa’s mesmerising face and hence she told her daughter to stay away from Shri Krishna, and never ever to look into his eyes or get into any conversation with him. Given that she had heard similar tales about other Gopis in Nand-gaon, her mother was concerned about Mādhavi and her marriage should she fall in love with Kānhā.
When they were a little older, Sundar took Mādhavi to his Nand-gaon residence. On their way, they met Śri Kṛṣṇa. Kanhiyā, who was 6 to 8 years old, requests to meet his Bhabhi. But Mādhavi was disinterested and completely ignored Śri Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa was dishearten and while leaving, he says to Mādhavi that going forwards it will be her turn and she will be the one longing to see or be with Kṛṣṇa.
Time passes by, and after few days, months, years, Nand-gaon village was about to be drowned in flood due to heavy rain. The villagers were informed to get closer to Girirāj Parvat (a mountain by the name Girirāj). Mādhavi joined other villagers, and after reaching she notices sudden absence of rain. She looked around and everyone was standing in dry, in-spite of heavy rain falling around. She finally found that they were all standing underneath the mountain, Giriraj, which was lifted by Śri Kṛṣṇa on his little finger. It is said that it rained for seven days and seven nights, and the gwals (shepherds) and gopis may have noticed the time but not Mādhavi. She kept looking at Śri Kṛṣṇa without noticing on how the days and nights passed by. She realised her mistake and finally went to Śri Kṛṣṇa and asked for forgiveness. To which Śri Kṛṣṇa said to her that in this birth she would be able to see Śri Kṛṣṇa but she will not be part of any of thakorji’s Leela. She will have to take another birth in Kalyug, this is when they will become one. Mādhavi was born as Meerā bāi in Kalyug.
Time is a great balancer, so the saying goes. Whilst in Dwāpar Yuga, one mother told Mādhāvi to avoid Śri Kṛṣṇa, in Kalyuga, another mother marries her daughter Meera to Kṛṣṇa in a form of a toy, an idol. This was the event that changed Meera bai’s life and she believed Girdhar Gopāl as her husband.
An Introduction of Meerabai and Her Life
Meera took birth as a princess of Mertā (Rajasthan, India). She married to Bhojā Rājā, and became the queen of Mewār, the son of Rañā Sanga, the great Rajput king of Mewār. She was also related to Rañā Pratāp of Mewār.
Meera bai was not interested in wealth and materialistic life. She was longing to become one with that Śri Kṛṣṇa who she saw lifting the Giriraj Parvat, she wanted to be one with Girdhar Gopal, the shepherd who lifted Giriraj (Gir-dhar). But the tide and time were against her in this birth as well, she was again tested by the circumstances. Her loving and caring husband, Bhojraj, died in one of the battles. Her sister-in-law, princess Udabai, and brother-in-law, Rāñā Vikram, harassed her because they didn’t want a queen to dance, sing and take Krishna’s name in front of the saints and strangers. Rañā Vikram tried to kill Meerā bai a few times and did not let go a single opportunity to harass her. Despite these efforts, Meera Bai miraculously survived each time. Nevertheless, she felt disheartened and deeply unhappy because she was prevented from pursuing her true passion.
Pujya Saubhagya Kumari Ranawat, who is from Meerā bai’s lineage has a different view. She says that Rāñā Vikram was of very young age, 14 years and there was no one around elderly to guide him. Most of the Rajput men from the royal family were lost in the battle with Babur. Furthermore, Rāñā had to take the necessary steps in order to be perceived by outsiders as the one being listened to in the house, which put a lot of strain on him1.
Time to take Tulsidasji’s advice
After her husband’s death, Meera Bai dedicated her time worshipping Lord Krishna.
It is in these terrible times, she was at the crossroads, whether to continue her bhakti (path to devotion) within the house and with the suffering that she was undergoing, i.e. with her in-laws, or should she leave the house for good. She was clear in her mind that she was not going to stop Girdhar Bhakti. Seeking guidance from one of India’s greatest saints, Tulsidas ji, she composed a letter and had it forwarded through a brahmin named Sukhpal 2.
It’s fascinating to learn about the circumstances around this occurrence. This happened in 1500-1550 almost 500 years ago. Even now, women are not permitted to hold positions of supremacy in religious institutions in developed countries. Meera bai was praying and dancing in front of strangers who were bhakt (devotees) and sant (saints). Even when this was being done within maryāda, within the permitted rules of the royal family it was still unacceptable. During the Mughal era, Islam was forcibly imposed on the native Hindu population. Saints like Meerā bai and Tulsidās fought not just against outsiders but also with their family in their homes throughout this period.
Meera bai’s letter to Tulsidas ji
स्वस्ति श्री तुलसी सुखनिधान दुःख हरन गोसाईं।
बारहिं बार प्रनाम करहूँ, अब हरहूँ सोक-समुदाईं।।
घर के स्वजन हमारे जेते, सबन्ह उपाधि बढ़ाईं।
साधु-सग अरु भजन करत माहिं देत कलेस महाईं।।
बालापन ते मीरा कीन्ही, गिरधरलाल मिताईं।
सो तों अब छूटै नहीं क्योंहूँ, लगी लगन बरियाईं।।
मेरे माता-पिता के समहौ, हरिभक्तन्ह सुखदाई।
हमको कहा उचित करिबो है, सो लिखिए समुझाईं।।
svasti śrī tulasī sukhanidhāna duḥkha harana gōsāī |
bārahiṃ bāra pranāma karahūm̐, aba harahūm̐ sōka-samudāī ||
ghara kē svajana hamārē jētē, sabanha upādhi baḍhaāī |
sādhu-saga aru bhajana karata māhiṃ dēta kalēsa mahāī ||
bālāpana tē mīrā kīnhī, giradharalāla mitāī |
sō tōṃ aba chūṭai nahīṃ kyōṃhūm̐, lagī lagana bariyāī ||
mērē mātā-pitā kē samahau, haribhaktanha sukhadāī |
hamakō kahā ucita karibō hai, sō likhiē samujhāī || 3
In the letter, Meerā bai addresses her prayers to Tulsidas ji, describing her family situation. She explains her deep desire to immerse herself in devotion to Sri Hari, but her family disapproves it. She also expresses the impossibility of forgetting the love she has felt for Sri Girdhar since her childhood. Meerabai provides a hint that her family/in-laws’ are unhappy with her pursuit of Hari-naam kirtan. Lastly, she seeks guidance from Gosai ji on how to overcome the challenging circumstances.
Tulsidas ji’s response to Meera ji
It is said that Goswami Tulsidas was in tears after reading Meera bai’s letter, he continued doing his Sri Rām naam sādhnā, and after completing it, he responded with the following letter:
जाके प्रिय न राम-बैदेही।
तजिये ताहि कोटि बैरी सम, जद्यपि परम सनेही॥
तज्यो पिता प्रहलाद, बिभीषन बंधु भरत महतारी।
बलि गुरु तज्यो कंत ब्रज-बनितन्हि, भये मुद-मंगलकारी ॥
नाते नेह राम के मनियत सुहृद सुसेब्य जहाँ लौं।
अंजन कहा आँखि जेहि फूटै बहुतक कहौं कहाँ लौं॥
तुलसी सो सब भाँति परम हित पूज्य प्रानते प्यारो।
जासों होय सनेह राम-पद एतो मतों हमारो॥
jākē priya na rāma-baidēhī |
tajiyē tāhi kōṭi bairī sama, jadyapi parama sanēhī ||
tajyō pitā prahalāda, bibhīṣana baṃdhu, bharata mahatārī |
bali guru tajyō kaṃta braja-banitanhi, bhayē muda-maṃgalakārī ||
nātē nēha rāma kē maniyata suhṛda susēbya jahām̐ lauṃ |
aṃjana kahā ām̐khi jēhi phūṭai, bahutaka kahauṃ kahām̐ lauṃ ||
tulasī sō saba bhām̐ti parama hita pūjya prānatē pyārō |
jāsōṃ hōya sanēha rāma-pada , ētō matōṃ hamārō ||
Shri Goswami Tulsidas responds to Meera bai, “Surround yourself with people who share love and devotion for Lord Rama and Sita, and consider those who don’t as if they are your enemies/adversaries, even if they are close to you. Many examples illustrate this: Prahlad ji left his father Hiranyakashipu, Vibhishan ji left his brother Ravana, Bharat ji left his mother Kaikeyi, King Bali left his teacher Shukracharya, and the gopis of Brij Dham left their husbands. Initially, these actions may appear painful, but ultimately, they brought genuine happiness into their lives.
For individuals who are virtuous and respectable, they always revere and maintain a relationship with Raghunatha (Lord Rama). It doesn’t make sense to use an eye ointment that might cause blindness. So, my advice in this matter is to be in the company of those who enhance your love for Shri Hari (Lord Ram), as that is the only truly beneficial path I can see for people like us.”
The above letter can be found in Tulsidas ji’s written book, Vinay Patrika4, Verse 174.
Vinay Patrika is a petition request, a legal action of Tulsidas ji as a victim in the court of love and devotion against the fifteen adversaries of virtue. The fifteen adversaries are, six passions (Lust, Wrath, Greed, Inebriation, Attachments, Ego) as main defendants, and nine manifestations of vice (Violence, Falsehood, Pride, Envy, Strife, Suspicion, Jealousy, Rivalry, Covetousness) as co-defendants. The bench of judges include Lord Rama as the presiding judge, Laxmana, Bharata, Shatrugna and Mata Sita. Hanuman Maharaj playing the council for Tulsidas ji, and the counsel for the defendants is Kaliyuga5. It is beautiful to see Tulsidas ji filing, adding a point (verse 174), in his petition and in his name for another devotee like him.
The letter gave clarity to Meerā bāi and she decided to leave Chittor heading for Mertā, her home town. She stayed there for approximate two years after which the situation changed, as the raja of Jodhpur planned to attack Mertā. She moved to Ajmer, from there to Pushkar, and finally left for Vrindavan. This is when she sang the following:
प्राण हमारा वह बसत है,
यहाँ तो खाली खोड़।
मात पिता परिवार सहूँ है,
कही ये दिन का तोड़।।
बाला, मैं बैरागन हूंगी…
In her poem, she stated that her family and body are in Chittor and Mertā, but her life is with Girdhar. She resolved to become an ascetic, surrendered to Girdhar, and eventually left for Vrindavan..
Meerabai and Tulsidas ji
The question naturally arises on why Meera ji chose Tulsidas ji for receiving the advice.
One of the reasons that have been cited is, Meera ji’s guru was Swami Ravidas or Raidas and his guru was Swami Ramanand6, which makes Swami Ravidas and Meera Bai from the Ramanandi Sampradaya (sect). On the other end, Tulsidas ji’s guru was Narahari das or Narharyanand7, and Narahari das ji was Ramanand ji’s shishya (student). Naraharidas ji and Ravidas ji were one of the twelve students of Ramanand ji. Ramanand ji’s famous twelve male students were: 1) Anantananda, 2) Sursurananda, 3) Sukhanand, 4) Naraharidāsa, 5) Bhavanand, 6) Vitthalpant Kulkarni, 7) Bhagat Pipa, 8) Kabir, 9) Ravidas, 10) Sen, 11)Dhanna and 12) Sadhana, and two female students were 1) Sursuri, and 2) Padyawati. This makes Meera Bai and Tulsidas ji as Guru bhai/bahen, i.e. brothers and sisters from the same guru lineage. This lineage of Ramanand ji’s students is amazing and not limited to Hinduism but his teachings can be seen in other religions too, e.g. Sikhism’s spiritual book Adi Granth Sahib, which was written by Guru Arjan Dev, has many of the verses from Ramanandi sect – Ramanand (1 verse), Kabir (541 verses), Ravidas (41 verses), Pipa (1 verse), Dhanna (4 verses) and Sadhana (4 verses).
Secondly, there weren’t many saints who understood or lived as sansari before converting into a sant/sadhu, which can be a possibility on why Meera Bai would have chosen Tulsidas ji. It is also worth noting that the greatest contribution in Tulsidas ji’s life in relation to bringing him into spirituality was from his wife Ratnāvali. Tulsidas ji was hence best placed to understand Meera Bai’s situation.
Another interesting event that happened in Meerā bai’s life was in Vrindavan. Once she visited the ashram of Srila Jiva Goswami ji. Srila Jiva Goswami ji was from Gaudi Vaishnava parampara and part of the Six Goswamis of Vrindavan. As per the belief of Gaudi Vaishnava, their guru Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ji was the avatar of Shri Krishna. Jiva Goswami sent a message to Meerā bai that he will not be able to meet her as he can only meet male devotees and not female. To which Meerā bai sent a response back saying, “She thought there was only one purush in Vrindavan, and that is Shri Krishna (rest all are gopi)”. On hearing the response, Jiva Goswami came running outside and bowed down to Meera bai with an apology. This explains Meerā bai’s belief that all males, including Tulsidas ji, were Krishna’s bhakta. It is also important to note that Meerā bai addresses Tulsidas ji in her letter as “mērē mātā-pitā kē samahau“, i.e. you are like my mother and father. At the time when Meerā bai wrote the letter, she knew that Tulasi das ji is quite elder to her and worth contacting for advice. As a queen of Chittor, she was within the maryāda (rules).
I think it was destined for the two devotees, Madhavi a gopi who was in love with Krishna and Valmiki who understood Rama as tatva and wrote Ramayan, from two different Yuga to meet in Kalayug. Meerā bai may have known she was writing to the sage Valmiki for help because Tulsidas ji was Valmiki’s avatar.
Tulsidas ji Charita
There isn’t much to say about Tulsidas ji, despite the fact that much has been written about him. If one thing has to be addressed in the context of this article, it is about the most incorrectly interpreted chopai (verse) from his famous book Ramcharitamanas.
प्रभु भल कीन्ह मोहि सिख दीन्हीं। मरजादा पुनि तुम्हरी कीन्हीं॥
ढोल गवाँर सूद्र पसु नारी। सकल ताड़ना के अधिकारी॥
Many people regard Tulsidas ji as a sexist, chauvinist, and casteist based on the following quotation. Tulsidas ji, on the other hand, composed it in a poetic fashion, with the poet telling how others (or the world) see things. Second, he was very literate, demonstrating his poetic abilities by using the same word (ताड़ना) for four different subjects but in different contexts. When we see a word in isolation, it is simply “data”, but when we read it with context, it becomes “information”, and when we link these numerous informations, it becomes “knowledge”. Tulsidāsji did not mean for ladies to be beaten when he said tādnā for nāri. He wanted for them to be understood, that is the meaning of tādnā in this context. The following is clearly explained by the real-life scenario between mātā Meerā bāi and Tulsidās ji.
It is just the beginning
Many things can be mentioned, and the article might go on indefinitely, because it is an endless joy to sing glories of the true devotees. The article may have begun with the following, but it would have been hard to add anything to it, thus it is preferable to conclude with the note that best defines Meerā bai by Narabhdas ji’s lines quoted in Bhaktamal,
सदृश गोपिका प्रेम प्रगट कलिजुगहिं दिखायौ।
निरअंकुश अति निडर रसिक जस रसना गायौ॥
दुष्टनि दोष विचारि मृत्यु को उद्यम कीयौ।
बार न बाँकौ भयौ गरल अमृत ज्यौं पीयौ॥
भक्ति निसान बजायकै काहू ते नाहिन लजी।
लोकलाज कुल शृंखला तजि मीरा गिरिधर भजी॥
Meaning: She was a gopi that appeared in Kaliyuga to demostrate/teach us love. She was a devotee and a female, but one who was courageous and boundless. She was given poison but she drank it as nectar, a true yogi who does not separate between likes and dislikes. It did not matter to her of what others would think of her, when others thought of Bhakti (devotion) as eccentric, she made it as her sole objective of life. She lived what she thought she came on the planet for, and devoted her life to the prayers of her Girdhar (Gir-dhar: one who lifted Giriraj mountain).
In my conversation with Saubhaya Kumari Ranawat didi, I tried to figure out from where did Meera bai gather the courage to overcome everything in her path simply to be with Krishna. Didi replied that it was her “bharoso” (faith) on Sri Krishna. The bharoso provided her enormous power since she knew Sri Krishna was always with her and there was nothing to worry about.
The true meaning of “Bharoso” can be nicely explained by Ashray Pad written by another contemporary of her, Surdās ji.
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References
- Mira Charita, Saubhagya Kumari Ranawat ↩︎
- Shree Swami Devadas ji Maharaj, Bhakti Ashram, Vrindavan, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iramDeOhZ7I&t=1183s ↩︎
- The english type/font for the original letter is taken from here, but not the translation and the meaning: https://worksoftulsidas.quora.com/Jākē-priya-na-Rām-baidēhī-A-message-to-all-Vaishnavas ↩︎
- Vinay-patrika, By Goswami Tulsidas, Gitapress, Gorakhpur ↩︎
- https://web.archive.org/web/20080807120744/http://www.paathshala.net/VinayaPatrika_GoswamiTulsidas.html ↩︎
- Hindi Sahitya Ka Itihaas, Ramchandra Shukla, https://hi.wikisource.org/wiki/पृष्ठ:हिंदी_साहित्य_का_इतिहास-रामचंद्र_शुक्ल.pdf/१५० ↩︎
- Shribhaktakamal (श्रीभक्तमाल), By Shri Nabhadas (नाभादास) ↩︎
Bhavin Shukla 
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