Among the great poet-saints of the Bhakti movement, Mirabai holds a cherished place in the hearts of Lord Krishna’s devotees. A lifetime of absolute surrender to her ishta devata is manifested in Mira’s bhajans which never fail to move seekers of the ultimate truth. Her story, narrated through verse and music, was the subject of Dushyanth Sridhar’s harikatha which formed part of the endowment series held by the Music Academy at the Kasturi Srinivasan Hall.
While Dushyanth handled the narrative, vocalists Anahita and Apoorva rendered the bhajans, accompanied by M. Vijay (violin) and K.H. Sridhar (mridangam).
When the three-year-old princess Mira’s father was given a divyamangala vigraha of Krishna by a sadhu who was honoured with hospitality at their haveli, it proved the initial spark that lit the flame of her devotion. When the impressionable child was told by her mother, in response to her query about who would marry her, that Lord Krishna was her bridegroom, her wait began for the Lord to appear and claim her. She spent all her time in worship of the vigraha and in kirtan. As Mira lost her parents when she was very young, it was her loving grandfather, Rao Dudaji, who raised her. The artist referred to the verse ‘Punarapi Jananam Punarapi Maranam’ from Adi Sankara’s ‘Bhajagovindam’. For Mira, the courage to face her loss came from her conviction that she was never alone, as Krishna was always with her.
Mira was given in marriage to Rana Bhojraj, the eldest son of the Sisodia king of Chittorgarh, to cement a political alliance. In this context, the eight types of marriage (ashta vivaha) were explained. At her wedding, Rai Das, a great Rama bhaktha imparted to her the precious Rama nama mantra. In her marital home, Mira faced suspicion, obstacles and attempts to kill her, as the royals could not accept the idea of a daughter-in-law who spent her days in constant prayer, singing and the company of sadhus and devotees. Incidents such as those of poisoned milk turning to nectar and the visit of emperor Akbar in disguise at Mira’s kirtan, were related. When after many trials, Mira was allowed to leave Chittor, she journeyed to Vrindavan and finally to Dwaraka where her soul merged with the Lord. The harikatha concluded with the song ‘Kaatrinile Varun Geetham’ as a tribute to M.S.Subbulakshmi whose melodious renditions of Mira bhajans will remain etched in the minds of music lovers.
There was ample proof of Dushyanth’s erudition, courtesy quotations from classical Tamil and Sanskrit oeuvres, some brief, some impressively expansive. However, his penchant for drawing frequent parallels between incidents in the central narrative and situations in the contemporary milieu ranging from washing machine woes to digs at the political scenario, resulted in a dilution of impact. Focusing on an in-depth study would add heft to his future presentations.
At junctures where the main menu appeared in imminent danger of being eclipsed by digression, the vocalists firmly redirected the spotlight on Mira. Among the bhajans rendered were ‘Mai Hari Charan Ki Dasi’, ‘More To Giridhar Gopal’, ‘Hari Aavan Ki Awaaz’, ‘Ram Ratan Dhan Payo’, ‘Hari Tum Haro’, ‘Chakar Rako Ji’, ‘Hai Govind Hai Gopal’, ‘Pyaare Darshan Dijo’ and ‘Pag Ghungroo Re’ many of which bear the stamp of MSS’ charismatic style. The sisters’ version of ‘Nand Nandan Dithu Padiya’ immortalised by Lata Mangeshkar, was a truly emotive piece of singing. Wisely side-stepping exaggerated or saccharine flourishes, the duo succeeded in projecting the spirit of the compositions, staying faithful to the prototype while adding individualistic touches. The accompanists aptly highlighted the devotional content.
