The story of the Life of Mira Bai is the story of the urge of uncommon devotion taking the devotee straight to the highest ideal of life by steady march of development from stage to stage, from the simple unsophisticated mind of infancy to the conscious realisation of the highest bliss, spoken of in the Scriptures, keeping entirely out of operation the usual detracting and depressing influences of the worldly and selfish mind which grows stronger with the growing man. Though such has invariably been the case in respect of every great soul that has, by the wonderful life lived, left indelible impressions for struggling souls to take light and lead there from, the distinguishing feature of the life of Mira was the definite manifestation of devotion even at a comparatively tender age, thus taking her to the class of born-devotees. A justifiable comparison may perhaps be made with advantage with the life story of Prahlada or Dhurva. If the field of comparison is narrowed by sex considerations, the life of Mira Bai approaches the life of Sri Andal of Srivilliputtur. Both the saints denied from the first, allegiance to any earthly master, having ever loved the Lord, the lover of His lovers: but it was not given to poor Mira to have the benefit of the sympathy and loving help of a saintly foster-father as Sri Andal had Mira had, on the other hand, all the disadvantages and disservice which one could have from an ignorant mother at the outset and later, from a more foolish and suspecting husband, whose vision was frequently blurred by fits of rage and passion. The obstacles which these placed in the path of Mira did not really impede her progress in the least. They only served to deepen her faith in the Lord and to make her hunger more and more for His Love. She had ever her heart filled with spiritual ecstacy, caring little for worldly treasures. Her prayer was one-pointed and was for freedom from earthly bondage. It was incessantly made until the All Merciful acceded to it at the right time and snatched her up within the folds of His loving arms. The Life of Mira Bai thus affords a perennial source of joy and inspiration to the young and the old alike and exercise a strange fascination on their mind. As Andal is little known in the north, so Mira Bai is only very insufficiently known in the South. In the Hindi-speaking country, Mira's songs are treasured in every household and they are among the most popular The public are indebted to the Madras Secretariat Party for having dramatised the story of Mira's life and played it for several years successfully in different parts of the Presidency. It is probably this fact that has prompted the Publishers to assign to me the task of writing this Foreword - a duty which should have fallen on worthier shoulders. Various have been the versions of the story that are extant. The narrative in this book follows in the main the dramatic presentation, which in turn adopts the version in Reinhardt's "Stories of Ind." In a story of this kind accuracy from the historical point of view can hardly be vouched. Nevertheless, the story is of historical origin and the central theme of the life of the saint is what really matters. The author has spared no pains to present the life in a way most suitable for school boys and girls. The language is simple, chaste and forcible. I have no doubt that the publication will be welcomed not only by the school world but also by the largest Tamil public in general. To-day more than ever, we have to realise the need for books that deal with the lives of historical and religious personages of the country. The publication of such books pave the way for National Education.
For privacy concerns, please view our Privacy Policy
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist