Guru Har Rai who is revered as the Seventh Nanak was the seventh of Ten Gurus of Sikh Religion. He became a Sikh leader at the age of 14 after the death of his Grandfather and Sixth leader Guru Hargobind.
Guru Har Rai is remembered for maintaining the large army of Sikh soldiers but also avoided any military conflict. It is said that Guru HarRai started several public singing and scripture recital traditions in Sikhism.The Katha or discourse styles were introduced and started by Guru HarRai to the Sabad Kirtan singing tradition of Sikhs. He also started the Akhand Kirtan or continuous scripture singing tradition in Sikhism. He also started the tradition of Jotian da Kirtan or collective folk choral singing of scriptures.
Guru HarRai was only 14 when he became the Seventh Guru and at time he had two tasks to accomplish- first was to protect the ideals of Sikh faith laid down by Guru Nanak ji and second was to defend the Sikhs from the atrocities of Mughals in those times.
Guru Har Rai also set a Herbal hospital and research centre to care for sick and needy . It is said that when Dara Shikoh , son of Shah Jahan was sick he asked for Guru HarRai for medication . And it is said that Guru HarRai provided the herb and Dara Shikoh recovered. When asked why he saved the life of son of Shah Jahan , Guru HarRai replied with compassion -“ a man plucks flowers with one hand and it offers with other but the flower perfumes both hands alike. The axe cuts the sandalwood tree, yet the sandalwood perfumes the axe”.
Guru Har Rai had two sons, Ram Rai and Har Kishan. Har Kishan became the Eighth Guru. Har Rai also had brothers. His elder brother Dhir Mal tried to form a parallel Sikh tradition and criticized his grandfather, Sixth Guru Hargobind. The Sixth Guru Hargobind was disagreed with Dhir Mal and designated younger Har Rai as successor and the Seventh Guru.
By- Monica Saxena
