Guru Har Rai (1630-1661) - Life sketch of the Guru by Jaswinder Singh Chadha

Har Rai was born at Kiratpur
A lovely place to view
founded by Guru Hargobind
his grandpa, the sixth Guru

even as a little boy, Har Rai
had a mind with spirtual traits
Guru Hargobind saw and felt
the potential of this state

Thus choosing the next Guru
honour went to Har Rai
he became the seventh Guru
aged fourteen, a mere boy

Har Rai had a strong physique
but he was tender at heart
good at riding a horse, yet
saintly in mind and thought

like Guru Hargobind, Har Rai
kept an army of Sikhs, fighting fit
and had a bodyguard
devoted men of martial grit

The Guru ran a vast dispensary
with rare drugs in stock
endowed with healing skills
he served the needy flock

Shahjehan needed a rare herb
when prince Dara Shikoh fell ill
as this herb couldn’t be found
Guru Har Rai was requested

the precious herb was found
in Guru Har Rai’s collection
administered to prince Dara
it cured his affliction

to propagate the Sikh faith
Guru Har Rai deployed new converts
Bhagwangir and Suthereshah
gave Sikh faith further spurts

Aurengzeb annexed the throne
defeating prince Dara Shikoh
Dara came to Guru Har Rai
he was welcomed by the Guru

the visit was misconstrued
by Aurengzeb and his men
who needed an excuse
against rising Sikh religion

the king invited the Guru
but Har Rai will not listen
finally he did agree
to send Ram, his elder son

when Ram arrived at Delhi
he was asked to read a hymn
a word in the hymn, thought Ram
may cause offence to the king

thus while reading the hymn
Ram Rai quickly improvised
he read beimaan for musalmaan
the king was satisfied

But Guru Har Rai was annoyed
the lad had acted mean
Ram was barred from the Guru
for tempering with the hymn

Har Rai made his younger son
Harkrishan, the next Guru
and a day after anointing him
he left for the realm of 'The True’