Mirabai (Deified)

Mirabai (1498–1546 CE) is a revered saint of the bhakti movement, deified by her followers as an embodiment of unwavering devotion to Krishna. Born a Rajput princess in Merta, Rajasthan, she defied social norms by rejecting her royal marriage and dedicating her life to Krishna, whom she considered her true consort. Her story is recorded in the Bhaktamal of Nabhadas (c. 1600 CE), which describes her as a paragon of love for Krishna. The Bhaktirasabodhini commentary further elaborates on her miracles, such as surviving poison and a snakebite through divine protection.

Mirabai's poetry, compiled in the Padavali and other collections, expresses intense viraha (separation) and prema (love) for Krishna, often using metaphors of a gopi longing for her beloved. Her bhajans, like "Payoji Maine Ram Ratan Dhan" and "Mere to Giridhar Gopal," are sung across India. Iconographically, she is depicted in simple Rajput attire, often holding a veena or cymbals, with an ecstatic expression, sometimes standing before an idol of Krishna. Her symbols include the lotus (purity), the veena (devotional music), and her dohas (couplets). Mirabai is worshiped primarily in Rajasthan and Gujarat, with temples in Chittorgarh, Vrindavan, and Dwarka.

Her Jayanti is celebrated on the full moon of Phalguna. In Hindu cosmology, she represents the path of prapatti (total surrender) and the power of divine love to transcend caste, gender, and social conventions. The Bhagavata Purana (11.14.20) states that even a chandala who chants the Lord's name is worthy of worship, a principle Mirabai embodied. Her life is also referenced in the Mahabharata's concept of bhakti as the highest dharma (Shanti Parva). Regional traditions hold that she merged with the idol of Krishna at Dwarka, attaining samadhi.

Mirabai remains a symbol of women's spirituality and the bhakti movement's egalitarian ethos.

Depicted as a woman in Rajput attire, often with a veena (musical instrument). Devotional, ecstatic expression. Sometimes shown in front of Krishna's idol.