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| Home > Indian Literature > Medieval Indian Literature > Mirabai
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| | Mirabai
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 In Rajasthan, Meerabai wrote verses in praise of Krishna who was her God and beloved taking poetry to new heights.Mirabai belongs to the Saguna class of worshippers of Brahman. Theologically, they belived that between Aatma (our soul) and Parmaatma (the supreme Aatma or God), this physical body is the only wall, and upon death the Aatma and Parmaatma will combine just as a pot filled with water is placed in pond and if the pot breaks the water inside (Aatma) will combine with the water outside (Paramatma).
Mirabai`s poetry puts love for Krishna above the love for friends and family. She perceived Krishna to be her husband, lover, lord and master. The unique characteristic of Mirabai`s poetry is the use of complete surrender to her love for Krishna accompanied by subtle erotic imagery. Her longing for union with Krishna is predominant in Mira`s poetry who says she wants to be colored with the color of dusk (dusk being the symbolic color of Krishna). She believed that in her previous life she was one of the several gopis in Vrindavan, in love with Krishna. Much like the gopis, as mentioned in tales of Krishna, Mirabai looked upon Krishna as her lover, seeking spiritual and physical union with him. Her writings were at the same time, spiritual and sensual. Mira`s songs portray a personal universe where the only existence was that of Krishna - her sole object of desire.
 A Mirabai poem is traditionally called a pada, a term used by the 14th century preachers for a small spiritual song. This is usually composed in simple rhythms and carries a refrain within itself. Her collection of songs is called the Padavali. The typicality of Indian love poetry of those days was used by Mirabai but as an instrument to express her deepest emotions felt for her lord. Her typical medium of singing was Vraja-bhasha, a dialect of Hindi spoken in and around Vrindavan (the childhood home of Krishna), sometimes mixed with Rajasthani
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