First Response Paper
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University of South Florida *
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3308
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Religion
Date
Apr 3, 2024
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docx
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3
Uploaded by JusticeOstrichMaster1027
First Response Paper
Hinduism is a religion that is vastly practiced around the world that has a lot of diversity and devotional depth. Mirabai and her poems specifically “Poem #135” and “Guide this little boat” bring insight into the many sides of Hinduism. As we begin to analyze both poems it’s clear that Mirabai’s work both confirms, challenges, and effectively expands on the description of Hinduism in the Many Peoples, Many Faiths: Women and Men in the World Religions textbook.
To start off with, one of the things Mirabai’s poems affirmed is the textbook’s description of Hinduism as a religion with deep emphasis on the devotional aspect. In “Poem #135” she expressed her unfaltering devotion for Lord Krishna, while also illustrating her loyalty to him is all-encompassing. She states that Lord Krishna is her “courtly Giridhara…” meaning that she has no doubt about the powers and abilities of the Lord, and she knows that Lord Krishan will be able to give her liberation that she needs because he has the power to “move mountains”. This goes together with the textbook’s interpretation of Bhakti Yoga, which is considered as one of the paths to spiritual realization the revolves around the deep devotion and love for a deity. The poem shows the power of Bhakti Yoga, displaying how loving the divine can lead to spiritual liberation.
Mirabai’s poems also elaborate on the idea of divine love/connection that’s within
Hinduism. In the poem “Guide this little boat” shows how she metaphorically represents her soul’s journey as the boat that is going through the ocean of existence which is being guided by the divine. The concept of the boat on the ocean goes closely together with the discussion in the textbook of the Atman which is known as “the soul” and the
idea of Moksha, which is known as the “state of liberation from Unconditional Reality” or
the liberation from the cycle of birth and death. In this specific poem Mirabai’s soul wanting to unite with the divine and leave the world reinforces the idea that you can reach ultimate liberation in Hinduism through a wholehearted connection. The biggest point of Hinduism is to have this connection with the Brahman so through the “Guide this little boat” poem we can distinguish the importance of the connection needed.
However, both of Mirabai’s poems challenge the conventions surrounding the religion of Hinduism. Like previously stated Mirabai displays an unwavering love and devotion for Lord Krishna which goes against societal expectations. In Hinduism, it is normal to respect the divine but to unconventionally love the divine was something that Mirabai did differently. She challenged the community by basically doing something that was out of the ordinary. But again, her commitment to her spiritual path despite the grief
she faced demonstrates the personal and unique nature of the spirituality of Hinduism. Thus, the poems challenge the textbook portrayal of Hinduism being traditionally a conservative religion.
To summarize, the poetries of Mirabai offer a profound look into the different aspects of Hinduism. Her poems confirm the importance of devotion in Hindu spirituality
while challenging the societal norms of the religions and expanding upon the love for divine and spiritual liberation all of which were mentioned in the textbook.
References:
Mirabai, “Poem #135” & “Guide this little boat” (Hinduism)
Ellwood, Robert, and Barbara McGraw. Many Peoples, Many Faiths: Women and Men in the World Religions. 10th ed., Routledge, an imprint of Taylor and
Francis, 2016, https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315507576.
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