Nindā: Learning Through Blame and Accusation

Nindā means blame, criticism, or accusation. In Mirabai's world, she faced relentless blame: for her devotion, her defiance, her sexuality, her refusal to mourn her husband 'properly.' Rather than either accepting or rejecting this blame, her examined heart questioned it. Beneath our rage often sits blame: toward those who hurt us, toward circumstances, toward ourselves. The bhakti approach does not ask us to transcend blame prematurely but to examine it closely. Who am I blaming? Is this blame accurate, or does it mask my own agency? Am I using blame to avoid grief? Conversely, am I blaming myself to avoid legitimate anger at others? This concept offers a practice: when rage surfaces, notice the blame embedded in it. Follow it carefully. Often it leads to a deeper, more honest conversation with ourselves about what we actually grieve and what we actually want.