Bhakthirathnakara- The ocean of Devotion- 1.1. Meera - her childhood.

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Bhakthirathnakara- Meera-1.4 Meera

in Chithore

Meera

traveling with Rana and others never seemed to think that she is going to the

house of Rana but she happily sang that maim

girivarke ghar jaavoom, she was

going to the house of her husband, Giridhari.

 

When

they arrived at Chithore they all went to the temple of Durga,

their goddess of worship. After the elaborate pooja there the priest told the

newlywed to prostrate tin front of the

goddess but Meera refused. She said `mere tho giridhar gopaal dhooasro na

koyee' that Giridharagopal was the only God for her and she would not bow down

to any one else. Her in laws and Rana himself tried to persuaded her but she

did not agree.

Her

Giridhari was in her heart, in her blood and in her soul and to prostrate to

any other God would be sacrilege in her opinion as it would be as though she

was making Giridhari Himself prostrate before others. To her sister in law

Oodhaa who told her that for married women her husband is the first God and she

should obey her husband Meera replied that her husband was Giridhara Gopal

only. Everyone was shocked to hear the newlywed bride saying that but Rana who

understood her devotion told them all to leave her alone. From that time itself the seed of discord was sown in

the royal family.

Meera

had no contact with the world outside at all as she led a sheltered life in her grandfather's palace and spent all the tiem

in worshipping, singing and talking to her Giridhari. The life in the palace of Mewar to her was like a prison and she

felt like a parrot bound in a golden cage. She was a misfit among the

vainglorious and worldly women in the

royal family and she was bewildered like a deer among wild animals. Her only

consolation was Rana who gave her enough freedom to pursue her devotion and

never interfered in her daily routine and she continued as she used to in her

childhood home . When Rana used to come to her he found her all the time

talking and singing about Giridhari and reading Bhagavatham etc. Rana liked her

Krishnabhakthi since he was also a devotee of Krishna

and had written a commentary on Gitagovinda of

Jaydeva called rasapriya. He used to talk to her only about the things

that interest her and leave her alone and never insisted on the conjugal rights

as a husband. Meer was happy that she was married to Rana who understood her. He even built a temple for

Krishna and Meera spent most of her time in the temple . Her fame as the devotee of

Krishna spread far and wide and sadhus started

to come to her temple and Meera used to sing and dance in ecstasy. Thus she

started to live as happily as she was before marriage.

But Rana

was also human and though a devotee not as highly evolved as Meera. So there

arose difficulties that came as impediments to the happiness of Meera in

Chithore. Her in laws and the others in the royal house hold started criticizing

her singing and dancing in public. They influenced Rana to make her to stop

going to he temple. He told her that it is not proper for a rajaput woman

especially the queen to be seen by all and sing and dance in front of others.

But he did not have the heart to stop

her totally and told her that she could carry on her activities inside the

palace. Meera obeyed and took her Giridhari to the palace and started continuing

her bajan and worship as before inside the palace. But the devotees who used to

throng the temple were heartbroken to see the temple being closed and they

appealed to Raghunathrao mahaapathra the royal purohith who was a great scholar

and devotee and had much influence with Rana. He approached Rana oh their

behalf and asked him to open the temple as before. Due to his respect for

Raghunatha Rao, Rana also agreed and the activities of Meera continued as

before in the temple. But Rana was torn between his disappointment that Meera

was not like a normal wife and his pride and love for her to see her devotion

and popularity. He could not love her but as a wife though Meera loved him as a brother or her elder

relative. Hence slowly his mind started to change.