The Dance of Abandonment and Witness

Mirabai's devotion to Krishna persisted through his apparent absence and refusal. This is not healthy codependency but a profound teaching: the capacity to witness abandonment without abandoning oneself. In affairs and broken trust, we often recreate Mirabai's position—remaining attached to someone who has shown they cannot meet us. The dance asks: Am I staying because of authentic love or because of trauma bonding? Am I honoring my capacity for devotion or betraying my own worth? Mirabai's example suggests that the answer is not to stop loving, but to redirect it toward what is genuinely present and responsive. She ultimately became married to the divine rather than to Krishna the man—a radical shift from relationship to presence, from person to principle.