(102) (Meera) The Rajputs Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

It was five hundred years back,
Rajputs faced frequent attacks
From the invading Moghuls
Who came thro’ the Kyber pass.

As Rajputs were born warriors,
They gave first stiff resistance,
But were defeated in wars,
And had to shed their lives.

A few of them moved inside
The hilly-forest-desert-side
Of the North-western-zone,
That being a rough terrain.

Each one built up his fortress,
Amidst the deserts and forests,
And declared himself as a ruler
Of that place as its conqueror.

Merta was one among them,
A famous town of that time,
Ruled by Rathan Singh,
A God-fearing popular king.

After years of waiting in vain,
At last, child Meera was born
With her divine charming face,
By the Lord Krishna’s grace.

To find out her future,
They called an astrologer,
Who predicted, “She’ll be popular
All around the world forever.”

“But more hardship she’ll face.
However, by God’s grace,
In this world, her name
Will reach the height of fame.”

“Though married to a Rajput,
She’ll face troubles, a lot,
Yet, she’ll mind them not,
But take them in good spirit.”

In the midst of their happiness,
Lightly they had taken this,
For they believed the Lord,
Who gave them this child.

The child Meera grew up well,
In the assembly of holy people,
Who frequented the palace
And sanctified the place.

They sang in praise of the Lord
And in their chorus, she joined.
Her soul-stirring songs attracted
Many common folks, all around.

Rupa Goswami of Vrindavan,
Popular among the holy men,
Visited the palace on his way,
And was invited there to stay.

He brought his Krishna deity
Who was looking so pretty
That she fell for the Lord,
As a three year old child.

At night, when all had slept,
After a close watch she kept,
She brought the deity
Into her room stealthily.

She laid the Lord
Softly in her bed,
Held His legs tight,
And slept under His feet,

In the morning, when they found
They were all spellbound,
While Meera, with her Lord,
Was still sleeping in the bed.

Her father felt so sorry,
But the smiling Rupa Goswami
Said, “The Lord had joined
The place where He should.”

This was the first meet,
Under the Lord’s feet,
For Meera to touch Him
And tightly hold Him