The Setting
16th century Rajasthan. Mirabai, a princess married into royalty, shocks society by refusing to worship the family deity and instead devoting herself completely to Krishna. She dances in temples, sings in public, mingles with sadhus, and ultimately abandons palace life to wander as a devotee. Her songs become the voice of radical devotion that challenges every social norm.
The Dialogue
The Early Call
MOTHER-IN-LAW: Mirabai, you must worship our family deity, Durga. It is the tradition of this house.
MIRABAI:
“I am already married to the Lord of Lords,
Giridhara, the holder of the mountain.
Long before this worldly marriage,
My soul was wedded to the Dark One.
How can I worship another?”
Forgive me, but I cannot. From childhood, my heart belonged to Krishna. My grandfather gave me a small image of Krishna, and I knew then: this is my true husband. This marriage to your son is but a worldly formality. My real marriage was sealed lifetimes ago.
MOTHER-IN-LAW: This is madness! You are a princess, a wife, a daughter-in-law. You have duties!
MIRABAI: My only duty is to my Beloved. You may call it madness—perhaps it is. But tell me, is not love always a kind of beautiful madness?
Listen to my heart’s cry:
“People say Mira is mad,
Her mother-in-law says she’s shameless.
But Mira knows: when you taste the nectar of love,
The world’s opinion becomes like straw.”
The Path of Mad Love
QUESTIONER (a learned pundit): Princess, your behavior is unseemly. Dancing in temples? Singing in public? Associating with low-caste devotees? This brings dishonor to your family!
MIRABAI:
“I don’t care for honor or dishonor,
What good is this worldly reputation?
My Beloved is an ocean of mercy—
In that ocean, I have drowned.
People call me shameless,
But my Shyam (Krishna) knows my heart.”
You speak of honor? Tell me, learned one, what is honor compared to love? What is reputation compared to union with the Divine?
QUESTIONER: But there are proper ways to worship, prescribed rituals…
MIRABAI:
“I have no use for meditation beads,
No need for yoga or austerity.
My only practice is love,
My only mantra: Krishna’s name.
Some find God through knowledge,
Some through discipline—
I find Him through longing alone.”
Your rituals are beautiful, I’m sure. But they are like maps of a country. I don’t want to study maps—I want to be IN the country! I don’t want to read about love—I want to BE love!
QUESTIONER: This is not the way of a princess…
MIRABAI: Then let me not be a princess! What use is royal status if I cannot be with my Beloved?
Listen:
“Mira has left her royal home,
Left the palace and all its comforts.
She wanders with the sadhus,
Sings in the streets,
All for a glimpse of her Dark Lord.”
The Anguish of Separation
FRIEND: Mira, you seem distraught. What troubles you?
MIRABAI:
“O friend, the pain of separation is killing me.
Days pass like months, nights like years.
My eyes search the road for His coming,
But He does not appear.
Without Him, even the full moon is darkness.
Without Him, even music is noise.”
How can I explain this pain? It’s like a fish separated from water, a bird caged away from the sky. He is my breath, my life, my very being—and yet I cannot see Him, cannot touch Him, cannot hear His flute.
FRIEND: But surely your devotion itself is a form of union?
MIRABAI: Yes and no. There is union in devotion, but also exquisite separation. The lover and Beloved are one, yet the longing persists. This is the divine paradox.
Listen to this cry from my heart:
“Come to me, my Dark One,
Come in this very moment.
I have given You everything—
My honor, my reputation, my very life.
If You don’t come now,
What was all this for?”
FRIEND: Perhaps this longing itself is His gift?
MIRABAI: Yes! You understand! This pain is sweet pain, this agony is divine agony. I wouldn’t trade it for any worldly pleasure.
“Let this pain remain,
Let this fire keep burning.
For in the burning is the purification,
In the longing is the love,
In the separation is the sweetest union.”
The Vision
DEVOTEE: Mira, you sing of seeing Krishna. Have you truly seen Him?
MIRABAI:
“I have seen my Beloved face to face,
Not with these eyes but with the eyes of love.
He came in a dream,
He came in meditation,
He came when I was singing—
And sometimes, He is so present
That the world disappears.”
How can I describe seeing Him? It’s not like seeing an object. It’s more like… everything becomes Him. The sky is His face, the flowers are His smile, the wind is His breath. In those moments, there is no Mira and Krishna—only love dancing with itself.
DEVOTEE: Can anyone have such vision?
MIRABAI: Anyone who is willing to pay the price: everything. You must give up everything—your pride, your plans, your very sense of self.
Listen:
“Whoever wants to meet the Beloved,
Must be ready to be destroyed.
For the Beloved is fire—
He doesn’t warm you, He consumes you.
Only those ready to burn
Should approach this flame.”
DEVOTEE: But I’m afraid…
MIRABAI: Of course you’re afraid! The ego is afraid of dissolution. But I tell you: that dissolution is the ultimate joy. When “I” disappears, only HE remains. And that is the goal.
“Mira has sold herself to the Dark Lord,
The deal is done, the price paid.
Now she belongs completely to Him—
No going back, no regrets,
Only the bliss of belonging.”
The Poison Cup
NARRATOR: The family, ashamed by Mirabai’s behavior, plots to end her life. Her brother-in-law sends her a cup of poison disguised as prasad (blessed food).
MIRABAI (receiving the cup):
“If this is poison, let it be poison.
If it is prasad from my Beloved,
Then it is nectar.
Either way, I accept with joy,
For everything comes from His hand.”
(She drinks. According to legend, the poison turns to nectar, and she is unharmed.)
MIRABAI (after):
“They sent me poison, thinking to kill me,
But my Beloved turned it to nectar.
How can poison harm one
Who has drunk the poison of separation?
How can death frighten one
Who has already died to the world?”
QUESTIONER: You weren’t afraid?
MIRABAI: Afraid? What is there to fear? If I die, I go to Him. If I live, I sing of Him. Either way, victory is His.
This is the secret:
“When you have nothing to lose,
You have nothing to fear.
When you belong completely to the Beloved,
Life and death are the same—
Both are His grace.”
The Teaching Through Song
YOUNG WOMAN: Mira, I too love Krishna, but I’m afraid of what people will say. How did you find the courage?
MIRABAI:
“Don’t ask about courage,
Ask about love.
When love is strong enough,
Courage comes by itself.
I didn’t decide to be brave—
Love made me so.”
You fear people’s opinion? Listen, dear one:
“What will you say to your Beloved
When He asks, ‘Why didn’t you come?‘
Will you tell Him, ‘I was afraid of gossip’?
Will you say, ‘I cared more for reputation
Than for You’?
Better to face the world’s scorn
Than face His question!”
YOUNG WOMAN: But I have responsibilities—family, duties…
MIRABAI: Then fulfill them! I don’t say everyone must abandon home as I did. But wherever you are, let your heart belong to Him alone.
“You can live in a palace or in a hut,
You can be married or single,
Rich or poor—
What matters is where your heart lives.
If your heart lives in the Dark One,
Then wherever your body lives,
You are free.”
YOUNG WOMAN: How do I deepen my devotion?
MIRABAI:
“Sing His name, dear friend,
Sing with your whole heart.
Let tears flow like rivers,
Let your voice break with longing.
Don’t hold back anything—
Give Him everything,
And He will give Himself to you.”
And remember:
“The path of love is not easy—
It’s a path of thorns and flowers both.
You will laugh and you will cry,
You will dance and you will fall.
But every step takes you closer
To the One you seek.”
The Philosophy of Love
PHILOSOPHER: Mirabai, the Vedāntins speak of Brahman, the Buddhists of Śūnyatā, the Jains of the Soul. Where does your path fit?
MIRABAI:
“I know nothing of philosophy,
I haven’t read the scriptures.
All I know is: I love,
And my Beloved loves me.
This simple truth is enough—
What need for complex theories?”
Your philosophies are like discussing the taste of mango. I don’t want to discuss—I want to eat! I don’t want to know about God—I want to BE with God.
PHILOSOPHER: But surely there must be metaphysics behind your devotion?
MIRABAI: If you want metaphysics, here it is:
“The Lover is one with the Beloved,
Yet eternally separate.
This is the mystery:
Union in separation,
Separation in union.
Two become one,
Yet remain two,
So that love can flow.”
In Advaita, they say “All is One.” Beautiful. In my path, I say: “Two are One, and One is Two.” Why? So that love can happen! If there’s only One, who loves whom?
PHILOSOPHER: This is dualistic…
MIRABAI: Call it what you will! I don’t care for labels. All I know is: when I call “Krishna!” and He answers, the whole universe lights up. That’s my philosophy.
“Let scholars debate about one and two,
About form and formless.
Mira dances with her Dark Lord—
For her, He is everything:
Friend, lover, father, mother,
Master, servant, breath itself.”
The Dance of Ecstasy
ONLOOKER: Why do you dance in the temple, Mira? It’s not proper for a woman of your status!
MIRABAI:
“When the flute plays,
How can the soul not dance?
When the Beloved calls,
How can the feet stay still?
This body is His instrument—
Let it dance in His temple!”
You speak of propriety? Tell me, when Krishna plays His flute in Vrindavan, do the gopis (cowherd maidens) worry about propriety? Do they ask permission from society? No! They drop everything and run to Him.
“The gopis left their homes at midnight,
Left their husbands, their duties,
Just to dance with Krishna.
Were they wrong?
Or were they the wisest of all,
Choosing eternal love
Over temporary duty?”
ONLOOKER: But that’s mythology…
MIRABAI: Mythology? My friend, that story is happening right now! In every heart that loves God, the gopis’ dance continues. Vrindavan is not a place—it’s a state of being.
“Vrindavan is wherever lovers meet their Beloved,
The Yamuna river flows in every tear of longing,
The flute plays in every sincere prayer,
And the dance… the dance never stops.”
Come, join the dance! Don’t watch from outside. Let go of your propriety, your fear, your self-consciousness. Dance as if no one is watching—because truly, the only One who matters IS watching, and He loves your dance!
The Final Surrender
SEEKER: Mira, you have given up everything. Do you regret it?
MIRABAI:
“Regret? How can there be regret
When I have gained everything?
I gave up kingdom, comfort, reputation—
Small things all.
In return, I received the Beloved—
Can any exchange be more favorable?”
Look at what I’ve gained:
“I have no home, yet I am home everywhere.
I have no family, yet all are my family.
I have no possessions, yet I possess everything.
I am the poorest of the poor,
Yet richer than any emperor—
For I have the Dark One’s love.”
SEEKER: But don’t you get lonely?
MIRABAI:
“How can I be lonely
When He is always with me?
In every breath, He breathes.
In every heartbeat, He dances.
In every moment, He plays His flute.
The whole world has become my Beloved—
How can loneliness exist?”
SEEKER: What will happen when you die?
MIRABAI:
“Death? What is death?
I have already died—
Died to my false self,
Died to the world’s claims on me,
Died to everything except Him.
This death is liberation.
When the body falls,
I simply merge more fully
Into what I already am.”
And listen to this secret:
“I will go to Vrindavan,
Not the earthly Vrindavan,
But the eternal one—
Where the dance never ends,
Where the flute always plays,
Where separation is unknown,
And union is forever.”
According to legend, when Mirabai entered the temple of Ranchhodrai in Dwarka and embraced the image of Krishna, she merged into it, her body disappearing into the Divine. The ultimate union was complete.
The Teaching
The Path of Prema (Divine Love)
Total Surrender:
- Giving up all—reputation, comfort, safety—for the Beloved
- Not as sacrifice but as joy
- The less you hold, the more you receive
Longing (Viraha):
- The pain of separation as spiritual practice
- Intensifying love through longing
- The sweetness in the agony
Madness (Unmāda):
- Divine intoxication beyond reason
- Transcending social norms
- The “madness” of love vs. the “sanity” of convention
Dance and Song:
- Bhakti as celebration, not austerity
- The body as instrument of devotion
- Joy as path to God
The Radical Nature of Mirabai’s Bhakti
Against Caste:
- Sat with low-caste saints
- Defied Brahminical authority
- Love transcends social hierarchy
Against Gender Norms:
- Refused traditional woman’s role
- Claimed spiritual autonomy
- Challenged patriarchal religion
Against Ritualism:
- Direct relationship over prescribed rituals
- Emotion over formality
- Living experience over dead tradition
Against Dry Philosophy:
- Heart knowledge over head knowledge
- Experience over concepts
- Love over logic
Practical Application
For the Modern Devotee
In Daily Life:
- Make everything an offering to the Beloved
- See the Divine in all you meet
- Let work become worship
- Transform ordinary life into sacred dance
In Worship:
- Sing devotional songs (bhajans) from the heart
- Let tears flow freely
- Dance if moved to dance
- Approach with childlike love, not theological correctness
In Challenges:
- See obstacles as opportunities to deepen surrender
- Trust completely in the Beloved’s protection
- Let go of worry about outcomes
- Accept both “poison” and “nectar” as grace
Devotional Practice (Bhakti Sādhana)
Morning:
- Wake with the Beloved’s name on your lips
- Dedicate the day to Him
- Sing a bhajan before beginning activities
Throughout the day:
- Remember the Beloved constantly
- Offer all actions to Him
- See His presence in everything
Evening:
- Sing, dance, express devotion
- Read or recite poetry of the saints
- End day in gratitude
Kirtan (Devotional Singing):
- Gather with others to sing
- Let emotion flow freely
- Allow ecstasy to arise naturally
- Create sacred community
Questions and Answers
Q: Do I have to abandon family and society like Mirabai did?
A: No. Mirabai’s outer renunciation was her unique path. What’s universal is inner renunciation—not being bound by others’ opinions, living for the Divine rather than for approval. You can practice this anywhere.
Q: Is this path only for Vaishnavas/Krishna devotees?
A: The essence—radical love for the Divine—transcends specific forms. Mirabai’s Krishna can be your Christ, Allah, Divine Mother, or formless Absolute. The form is less important than the love.
Q: What about emotional balance? Isn’t this path emotionally extreme?
A: Yes, it is extreme—but it’s the extremity of love, which burns away pettiness. Emotional “balance” can be spiritual mediocrity. Mirabai’s path is for those willing to risk everything for love.
Q: Can men follow Mirabai’s path?
A: Yes! Many male saints adopted the mood of the gopi (feminine devotee) toward Krishna. Spiritual love transcends physical gender. The soul is neither male nor female.
Q: How do we know if our devotion is genuine or just emotional indulgence?
A: Genuine devotion transforms you—makes you more compassionate, less egoic, more surrendered. Emotional indulgence increases ego (“look how devotional I am!”). The fruit reveals the tree.
The Significance
Historical Impact
Social Revolution:
- Defied caste, gender, and class barriers
- Empowered women’s spiritual autonomy
- Challenged religious authority
Literary Legacy:
- Created timeless poetry in vernacular language
- Made spirituality accessible to common people
- Her songs still sung throughout India
Bhakti Movement:
- Key figure in North Indian bhakti
- Influenced later saints and poets
- Democratized access to the Divine
Enduring Message
For all times:
- Love transcends social boundaries
- Authenticity over conformity
- Joy as spiritual path
- The Divine accessible through devotion alone
For our time:
- Liberation from others’ opinions
- Following your truth despite opposition
- Balancing worldly life with spiritual passion
- Finding the sacred in the ordinary
Contemplation
*A princess who became a wandering beggar,
A wife who chose another Husband,
A lady who danced in the streets—
The world called her mad.
But Mira smiled:
“Yes, I am mad—
Mad with love for the Dark One,
Intoxicated by His flute,
Destroyed by His beauty.”
She gave everything:
Crown, palace, comfort, reputation—
Small prices for priceless love.
And what did she receive?
Everything.
“When you have the Beloved,
What else do you need?
He is mother, father, friend.
He is treasure, wealth, home.
He is past, present, future.
He is everything.”
This is the path of mad love:
Not for the cautious,
Not for the calculating,
Not for those who count the cost.
But for those willing to burn,
To be consumed completely,
To lose themselves utterly—
For them, Mira’s path awaits.
“Dance,” she calls to us,
Across the centuries.
”Dance with your Beloved!
Don’t wait for permission,
Don’t fear judgment,
Don’t hold anything back.
Give everything,
And you will have everything.
Lose yourself,
And you will find
The One you seek.”*
May you, like Mira, have the courage to love completely, to dance freely, and to give everything for the One who is everything. 🙏✨