HAR RĀI, GURŪ (1630-1661), the seventh Gurū of the Sikh faith, was the son of Bābā Gurdittā and grandson of Gurū Hargobind, Nānak VI. He was born on 16 January 1630 at Kīratpur, in present-day Ropaṛ district of the Punjab. In 1640, he was married to Sulakkhaṇī, daughter of Dayā Rām of Anūpshahr, in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh. He was gentle by nature and had a devout temperament. He was Gurū Hargobind's favourite grandchild, and he had been given the name of Har Rāi by the Gurū himself. Once, record old texts, Har Rāi was returning home after his riding exercise. From a distance he saw Gurū Hargobind sitting in the garden. He at once got off his horse to go and do him homage. In this hurry, his robe was caught in a bush and a few of the flowers were broken from their stems. This pained Har Rāi's heart. He sat down on the spot and wept bitterly. Gurū Hargobind came and consoled him. He also advised him: "Wear your robe by all means, but be careful as you walk. It behoves God's servants to be tender to all things." There was a deeper meaning in the Gurū's words. One must live in this world, and yet be master of oneself.

         Gurū Har Rāi kept the stately style Gurū Hargobind had introduced. He was attended by 2, 200 armed followers, but no further conflict with the ruling power occurred. He established three important preaching missions called bakhshishes for the spread of Gurū Nānak's teaching. First was that of Bhagvān Gir, renamed Bhagat Bhagvān, who established missionary centres in eastern India. The second was that of Saṅgatīā, renamed Bhāī Pherū, who preached in Rājasthān and southern Punjab. Gurū Har Rāi also sent Bhāī Gondā to Kābul, Bhāī Natthā to Ḍhākā and Bhāī Jodh to Multān to preach. The ancestors of present-day families of Bāgaṛīāṅ and Kaithal preached in the Mālvā region. Gurū Har Rāi himself travelled extensively in this area and a large number of people accepted his teaching. He confirmed the blessing earlier bestowed by Gurū Hargobind on a poor boy, Phūl, who became the founder of the families of Paṭiālā, Nābhā and Jīnd. These families ruled in their territories in the Punjab until recent years.

        A true Sikh rises before the night ends,

਍㰀瀀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀㄀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀䄀渀搀 琀甀爀渀猀 栀椀猀 琀栀漀甀最栀琀猀 琀漀 䜀漀搀✀猀 一愀洀攀Ⰰ㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ

        To charity and to holy bathing.

਍㰀瀀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀㄀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀䠀攀 猀瀀攀愀欀猀 栀甀洀戀氀礀 愀渀搀 栀甀洀戀氀礀 栀攀 眀愀氀欀猀Ⰰ㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ

        He wishes everyone well and he is joyed to give away gifts from his hand.

਍㰀瀀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀㄀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀䠀攀 猀氀攀攀瀀猀 戀甀琀 氀椀琀琀氀攀Ⰰ㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ

        And little does he eat and talk.

਍㰀瀀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀㄀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀吀栀甀猀 栀攀 爀攀挀攀椀瘀攀猀 琀栀攀 䜀甀爀☀⌀㌀㘀㌀✀猀 琀爀甀攀 椀渀猀琀爀甀挀琀椀漀渀⸀㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ

        He lives by the labour of his hands and he does good deeds.

਍㰀瀀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀㄀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀䠀漀眀攀瘀攀爀 攀洀椀渀攀渀琀 栀攀 洀椀最栀琀 戀攀挀漀洀攀Ⰰ㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ

        He demonstrates not himself.

਍㰀瀀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀㄀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀䠀攀 猀椀渀最猀 䜀漀搀✀猀 瀀爀愀椀猀攀猀 椀渀 琀栀攀 挀漀洀瀀愀渀礀 栀漀氀礀 洀攀渀⸀㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ

        Such company he seeks night and day.

਍㰀瀀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀㄀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀唀瀀漀渀 圀漀爀搀 椀猀 栀椀猀 洀椀渀搀 昀椀砀攀搀Ⰰ㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ

        And he delights in the Gurū's will.

਍㰀瀀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀㄀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀唀渀攀渀琀椀挀攀搀 栀攀 氀椀瘀攀猀 椀渀 琀栀椀猀 眀漀爀氀搀 漀昀 攀渀琀椀挀攀洀攀渀琀⸀㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ

        

         Gurū Har Rāi left Goindvāl on a tour of the districts where the Sikh faith had taken root in the time of his predecessors. He travelled further on to Kashmīr. The Baisākhī of 1660 was celebrated at Siālkoṭ in the home of Nand Lāl Purī, grandfather of Haqīqat Rāi, the martyr. The journey was resumed in the company of Sikhs such as Makkhaṇ Shāh, the Lubāṇā trader, and Āṛū Rām, father of Kirpā Rām Datt who later led to the presence of Gurū Tegh Bahādur a group of Kashmīrī Paṇḍits driven to dire distress by State persecution. Gurū Har Rāi arrived at Srīnagar, via Mārtaṇd, on 19 May 1660, and visited Moṭā Ṭāṇḍā, the village to which his disciple, Makkhaṇ Shāh belonged. On his way back, he stopped at Akhnūr and Jammū. At the latter place, the local masand, Bhāī Kāhnā, waited on him with the saṅgat.

1. Bhallā, Sarūp Dās, Mahimā Prakāsh. Patiala, 1971
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2. Giān Siṅgh, Giānī, Panth Prakāsh. Patiala, 1970
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3. Satibīr Siṅgh, Nirbhau Nirvair. Jalandhar, 1984
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4. Gupta, Hari Ram, History of the Sikhs, vol. I. Delhi, 1973
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Bhagat Siṅgh