Mirabai: A Journey of Devotion and Love

During a winter retreat in December 2022, my friend Naropa introduced us to the poems of Mirabai. My heart was immediately set ablaze by her unwavering devotion, love, and heart-centered spirit. Her poetry reveals the power and pure nature of things. When you open your ears, eyes, body, heart, and mind, the truth in her words becomes available to you. You can hear the sweet song that will linger with you forever. That was my meeting with Mirabai, and I invite you to experience it for yourself.

a short story

Mirabai, born in 1498, was a devotional poet from Rajasthan, India, who is revered for her spiritual hymns and poems dedicated to Lord Krishna. She lived during a time of great cultural and political upheaval, but her unwavering devotion to Krishna never wavered.

Mirabai was born into a royal family, but renounced her worldly possessions and dedicated her life to Krishna at a young age. Her poems were filled with bold, powerful statements of her love for Krishna, and she was known to sing them in public spaces and at temple gatherings.

freedom

At a time when women were expected to conform to societal norms - and this condition has not changed till these days for both women and men - Mirabai broke free and lived a life of devotion and self-expression.

These qualities resonate with me so much:

💫 Mirabai's devotion to Krishna was unwavering and unconditional, inspiring others with her single-minded focus and determination. We often get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life, losing sight of the things that truly matter to us.

💫 Mirabai broke free from the conditioned tendencies, living a life of devotion and self-expression, despite the opposition she faced. It can be easy to get caught up in the opinions of others and lose sight of our own paths, but Mirabai reminds us that we have the courage to live our truth.

💫 Mirabai's poems and hymns are filled with compassion, reminding us that our true nature is love.

Just read these three lines and you will immediately feel her spirit:

“I have felt the swaying of the elephant's shoulders;

and now you want me to climb

on a jackass? Try to be serious.”

―

Mirabai

To experience Mira's spirit, you must keep her close and dive into her words. She drowns me in love and I love to drown in her. Don't miss out on being inspired by Mira. Become unstoppable by letting your spirit catch fire.

That's what inspired this simple illustration. Since I love spreading art on all sorts of media and even for everyday use, I added artwork to t-shirts, water bottles, and phone cases.

xoxo Veronika