Question

This is part of a song attributed to Mirabai: I will build a funeral pyre of sandalwood and aloe; Light it by your own hand When I am burned away to cinders; Smear this ash upon your limbs. … let flame be lost in flame. In another verse, she sings: What can Mewar’s ruler do to me? If God is angry, all is lost, But what can the Rana do?

What does this indicate about Mirabai’s attitude towards the king?

Answer 1

1. Defiance of Royal Power: She openly questions and dismisses the king’s power by asking, “What can Mewar’s ruler do to me?”
2. Supremacy of the Divine: She believes that only God’s wrath matters (“If God is angry, all is lost”), making the king’s anger completely irrelevant to her.
3. Rejection of Social Norms: As a royal princess, her refusal to submit to the Rana shows her total abandonment of traditional courtly expectations and patriarchal authority.
4. Spiritual Fearlessness: Her intense devotion to Lord Krishna gives her the courage to prioritise spiritual liberation over physical or political consequences.