Abandoning Shame: Mira and the Margins of Marriage

Abstract

Abstract Mira Bai is undoubtedly the most famous woman saint in the history of north Indian devotionalism (bhakti).Mira’s story-or, rather, some version of it-is known to people of all ages and from all tiers of society. It has been passed down through generations orally and recently in small religious pamphlets, in schoolbooks, and even in the colorful comic books of which children and Indologists are so fond. My interest in Mira has been limited to the narrative tradition familiar to Rajasthani Rajput women, particularly aristocratic women, among whom I have done extensive fieldwork. Many of the women I interviewed mentioned Mira as one of the women they most admired. Their admiration made sense to me: Mira was a Rajput princess in Mewar, the area in which I based my research. Moreover, she is an illustrious ancestor in a culture that venerates ancestors. Mira, however, has little in common with the other women frequently mentioned as admirable: while the others behaved in a manner consistent with Rajput normative codes, Mira did not. Thus while many Rajput women are quick to claim her as a member of their community and to celebrate her character, they also tend to believe she really was on rather bad behavior. Their commentary on Mira’s story reveals ambivalence about a great woman who acted shamelessly.