The ‘Real’ Self of Meera

Mohammad Asim Siddiqui

The Book Review | August 2026, volume 50, No 8

MEERA VS. MEERA: DEVOTED SAINT-POET OR DETERMINED QUEEN? (PACHRANG CHOLA PAHAR SAKHI RI) by By Madhav Hada. Translated from the original Hindi by Pradeep Trikha Vani Prakashan, 2023, 237 pp., INR ₹ 599.00

Meera vs. Meera: Devoted Saint-Poet or Determined Queen attempts to clear many misconceptions about the venerated sixteenth-century mystic poet, Meerabai. The subtitle of the English translation, very imaginatively conceived by Pradeep Trikha, the translator of the Hindi book (2015), points to multiple views about Meera that have emerged since her times. Repeatedly mentioning Marxist and neo-feminist constructions of Meera as well as the interest of Orientalist scholars in the life and poetry of Meera, the book makes a reference to Meera as a saint, a rebellious woman, an oppressed figure and a poet devoted to love and romance. Madhav Hada also offers an objective overview of the construction of Meera’s image in the twentieth century as a saintly and pious figure through the publications of Gita Press which specializes in publishing religious literature, and an influential book, Meera Bai published in the Amar Chitra Katha series. True to its title, Prem Deewani Mera, published by Diamond Books, highlighted Meera’s love for and devotion to her Lord. Macaw Books, an international publisher for children’s books, also established her as a saintly figure. Gulzar’s film titled Meera (1979), which used Meera’s poetry, popularized her as a pious figure. It is interesting to note, Hada observes, that Meera herself did not express her allegiance to any sect.

Partially disagreeing with many such views of the poet, Hada discusses Meera as a poet who not only embraced life but was also very much a product of her times and its material conditions. He writes, ‘Meera was a flesh-and-blood woman, with a distinguishing feminine beauty, psycho-spiritual needs, and her struggle for dignity and freedom. Her concerns were broad yet reasonable.’

Meera’s life is shrouded in mystery because she does not find mention in historical writings or formal records like tawarikh, khyat, bahi, vanshavali, et cetera. Hada does mention the usefulness of many bahi-khatas which mention many of her relations. Scholars working on Meera perforce have to depend on religious and devotional writings and folk narratives which are full of interesting anecdotes and legends about her. Not very sure about the exact month or even year of Meera’s birth, Hada settles not on but around 1498 as her year of birth. The circumstances of the mystic poet’s death also appear uncertain. Citing scholarship on the subject, Hada says that ‘she possibly died due to some mishap, severe illness or by entering jal-samadhi’.

Like many writers who gain prominence not in their lifetime but later, Meera’s life and poetry became important a century after her death. Hada discusses many religious narratives at length which present her as a saint poet. Guru Nabhadas’s Bhaktamal, a poem written in Braj Bhasha in 1585 which provides account of lives of 200 devotees, mentions Meera as a woman with miraculous powers. A foundational text in Meera’s context, it influenced Raghavdas’s 1660 work, Dadupanthi Bhaktmal, which also sketched Meera’s life. Hada also mentions sixteenth to seventeenth-century spiritual poet Shri Hariram Vyas’s Vyas Vani, an epic in poetry, which includes Meera among the saintly figures.

A very long chapter in the book provides rich details of Meera’s royal lineage detailing many warring dynasties of the Mewar and Marwar regions. Married to Bhojraj, son of Rana Sanga, the famous ruler of Mewar, and becoming a widow a few years after her marriage, references to ‘Rana’ in her poetry, Hada argues, suggest not Bhojraj but Vikramaditya (1531-1536), a bad ruler of Mewar whom Meera criticizes in her poetry. However, Meera refused to commit sati after her husband’s death. As Rana Sanga had twenty-eight wives, seven sons and four daughters, Meera witnessed many intrigues and cases of mutual jealousies in the royal household. However, she kept herself aloof from the power play going on around her. Contrary to many popular opinions about her, Meera led a fairly independent life. Hada also mentions many legends about Meera’s mentor Raidas who has been celebrated in devotional songs. Meera’s last years spent in Vrindavan and Dwarka, the heart of Krishna devotion, have been celebrated in devotional literature about her. An interesting insight shared by Hada relates to Meera’s poetry written in Gujarati. Quoting Krishanlal M Jhaveri, a scholar of Gujarati, Hada informs that ‘Gujarati has a blend of Marwari and Brajbhasha and it is understood by the Marwari-speaking people in most parts of the regions.’

The chapter on society in Meera’s times provides a useful view of the history of Rajputs and their many customs and social mores. The society believed in observance of rules and avoidance of temptation of women; desire for succession in male children was very common and cases of patricides and fratricides for capturing power were routine. The book contains so many small details about various Rajput dynasties, their genealogies, their rulers and their rivalries that it becomes difficult for readers to keep track. Hada repeatedly discusses the significance of Oriental scholar Lieutenant-Colonel James Tod’s early nineteenth century work, Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan, Volume II which talks about the customs, rituals and social facts of life in Rajasthan during the medieval period. Another work of Tod, Travels in Western India, which dwells on the mystical aspects of Meera’s poetry, established her image as a saintly poet. Hada argues that the society in Meera’s times was not averse to reform and changes, and that Brahmanical ideology did not necessarily govern the everyday life of the people. Many poor Brahmans who followed agriculture were so ignorant about scriptures that they did not even know the Gayatri Mantra. Even many Kshatriya clans followed a variety of professions. A very interesting practice mentioned by Hada was people’s rights to choose and reject a ruler, especially a jagirdar. Matrimonial alliances among many Kshatriya tribes were also guided by political considerations. There were also examples of widow remarriages and morganatic marriages. Though some passages in the book, especially the ones countering the arguments of many feminist and Marxist scholars without necessarily naming and citing them, read like an apologia for Meera’s times, Meera vs Meera is mostly written in an objective tone. Adopting a moderate approach, Hada writes, the society ‘was neither static and stagnant nor too progressive and liberal’.

Madhav Hada believes that the best source of information about Meera’s life, times and her personality is her poetry. Meera’s simple language, showing influence of her region, captures everyday experiences of the people. References to sea, labourers working on a farm, and gold and silver in her poetry suggest her interest in her surroundings. Use of domestic imagery is also a feature of many of her poems. Unlike many saint poets, Meera’s own personality also shines forth in her poetry. Hada notes her use of symbols and imagery related to the feminine body. ‘Words like kaakan (bracelet), moondro (ring), ghagroo (skirt or lehenga), duladi (double threaded beads), dovodo (a special ornament), akhota (ear ornament), jhootano (pendant), besari (nose ring), choodo (ivory bangles), rakhari (head ornament), are frequently used in her poetry.’ Intense emotions caused by separation also fill her poems and she can say ‘Phaarungi chir karun gal kantha, rahungi bairagan hori ri’ (I’ll tear my clothes, will renounce all material pursuits, clad in a patched robe). The rebellious aspect of her personality is also reflected in her poetry, especially in her critical view of Vikramaditya, the ruler of Mewar. However, it is important to separate the authentic and original Meera from works which are not Meera’s but attributed to her. In this regard, Harinarayan Purohit’s lifelong labour to discover her original works, published posthumously, is especially important.

Result of serious scholarship, Meera vs Meera contains useful information in the form of endnotes and references to other works cited in the study. However, the author could have avoided needless repetition of many facts and details in the book. Pradeep Trikha’s clear, precise and readable translation elevates the original Hindi text by a few notches.

Mohammad Asim Siddiqui is Professor of English, Aligarh Muslim University, Uttar Pradesh. His recent publications include Muslim Identity in Hindi Cinema: Poetics and Politics of Genre and Representation (Routledge, 2025), Shahryar (Sahitya Akademi, 2021), A History of Aligarh Muslim University 1920-2020 (co-authored, Bennett, Coleman & Co., 2021) and translation of Qurratulain Hyder (Sahitya Akademi, 2023).

Comments

Very persuasive review. Interestingly, I had a paper during my MPhil coursework in which we studied Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda, a medieval lyric poem. A useful parallel can be drawn between the love depicted through Krishna and Radha and the one expressed by Meera.

Hada’s insistence on returning to Meera’s poetry is significant for recovering her human, emotional and devotional side.

The review makes one wonder- how far do traditions cast and construct a poet’s image for generations—something that many writers are still grappling with. Good attempt by Hada and Trikha

Dr. Adiba Faiyaz, Department of English, AMU, Aligarh

I salute your spirit of laying bare the life of a saint, which is shrouded in mystery. How meticulously you have dealt with all facets of the book.

I am indeed indebted to you for knowing so many aspects of her life. Hope your review will bring back readers and researchers to delve deep into her saintly and mystical life..!

Keep on blessing me and guiding me, sir, as an ignorant soul...!

You have carved out for yourself, sir, a niche in the domain of Movie Review and Book review. This is a brilliant example of how university-level teaching of a learned professor is wedded to the public life of Cinema and Books of diverse interest. I do believe that the real objective of teaching language is to contribute meaningfully to the entertainment as well as enlightenment of society. I wish that your blessings and living examples of success enable me also to follow your footprints. I don't know whether I would be able to match you or not, but I would try to commit myself to this great cause...!

Dr Pratyush Kumar, Professor of Law, Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), Patna

I read your review with great pleasure. By coincidence, I had read the book in the original Hindi; I was aware of Pradeep Trikha’s English translation, but had not read the English version myself. Your review was therefore particularly illuminating. You have captured the book’s central intellectual concern with considerable precision, while maintaining a welcome critical distance. What I found especially gratifying is that, in reviewing the English edition, you have brought the intellectual significance of the original Hindi work to the attention of English readers as well as Hindi readers. In that sense, your review has done a valuable service to the book beyond the boundaries of its English edition.

Dr. Sameera Khanam, Social Work Department, AMU, Aligarh

This is a deeply insightful and intellectually enriching review. Your nuanced engagement with Meera VS. Meera beautifully brings together history, literature, gender, and cultural memory, while highlighting the complexity of understanding Meera beyond conventional binaries. A truly scholarly and thought-provoking piece.

Dr. Pankaj Parashar, Department of Hindi, AMU, Aligarh.

I think the legend/icon that Meera has attained cannot be altered, for good or bad, by any biographical intervention. As Hada seems to have concluded, the real Meera lives in her poetry. Thanks for sharing.

Prof. Badar Jahan, Professor, Department of Fine Arts, AMU, Aligarh

Very interesting review. I read Cuckold years ago. It is Meera's story told from her husband's point of view. She is not mentioned by name, though. The reader infers the identity of the woman

Prof. Indrani Mukherji, Department of English, Allahabad University.