Within the precise spiritual and social background of medieval India, the female Bhakti saints can be considered as emancipated, but their freedom was exclusive in that they achieved it by sidestepping traditional social boundaries through spiritual devotion rather than modern political activism. They successfully claimed ownership of their bodies, minds, and spiritual destinies in a world that denied them all three.

For instance, Mirabai challenged the socio political structure by refusing to commit sati after her husband’s death. It was an unimaginable insolence during her time but she abandoned her royal status and became a wandering mendicant pouring out her heart and love for Krishna into bhajans which still inspire and teach. One of my favourites that has seen me   through the ups and downs of life has been her Gujarati devotional song – Ram Rakhey Tem Rahiye Odhavji. It teaches complete surrender and acceptance of whatever comes our way each day. 

English Translation AI 

Live as Lord Ram keeps you, O Odhavji, live as Lord Ram keeps you.
We are the servants of His written will (destiny), O Odhavji.
One day we wear silken garments, and another day we roam in simple clothes.
One day we feast on shiro and puri, and another day we stay hungry, O Odhavji.
One day we live in lush gardens and parks, and another day we dwell in the forest.
One day we sleep on soft mattresses and pillows, and another day we sleep on the bare floor, O Odhavji.
Meera Bai says, our Lord is Giridhar Nagar, so let us bear all joy and sorrow alike, O Odhavji.

Akka Mahadevi (The Naked Saint) shed her clothes and covered herself with her long hair as a radical rejection of societal shame and male ownership of any kind. She refused to let patriarchal boundaries define or constrict her spiritual future. 

Bhakti saints gained liberation from medieval orthodox Hinduism by gaining direct access to the divine through their worship. Their devotional bhakti gave them the courage to circumvent restrictions that excluded women and lower castes from participating in formal rituals, being kept out of temples and from the study of the Vedas. 

Janabai and Bahinabai wrote extensively about the drudgery of household chores,  and through their spiritual language transformed daily struggles. They left their homes, travelled, entered public spheres and led mixed-gender communities through their hymns, creating alternate spaces for other spiritual souls like themselves. 

Avvaiyar in the South and Lal Ded in Kashmir removed class and caste distinctions through interaction with people from every strata of society. They made their message available to all by conveying it in the vernacular.

Yet, their liberation was ironic. They freed themselves and their followers from mental and religious dogmas but could not restructure medieval society systemically. Theirs was a personal freeing, tolerated in general by society because they were considered mad with divine love for the deities they had chosen as their husbands e.g. Mirabai and her crazy love for Krishna or Akkabai’s devotion to Shiva.

One cannot help but salute the dogged determination, unflagging devotion and immense courage of these women to purchase social and spiritual freedom for themselves and their followers.