LIE AND TEACHINGS OF SRI GURU HAR RAI SAHIB JI
(HIS 395th BIRTH ANNIVERSARY (January 31)
Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji (1630-1661) the seventh Guru of the Sikh faith was born
on January 16, 1630 at Kiratpur Sahib in District Ropar of Punjab. At his birth place now
stands Gurdwara Sheesh Mahal Sahib. He was the son of Baba Gurditta Ji (1613-1638)
and grandson of Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib (1595-1644) the sixth Guru of the Sikh faith.
Baba Gurditta Ji, son of Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, who lived in Kiratpur Sahib,
one day while hunting unknowingly killed a cow which belonged to an old Brahmin lady.
Unfortunately the cow was the only source of her income. She told this to Baba Gurditta
Ji and also told him that the cow had a young male calf who would be left unfed and may
die of hunger. At this place exists Gurdwara Sri Jindwari Sahib, Tehsil Anandpur Sahib,
District Ropar, Punjab which is situated 14kms from Sri Anandpur Sahib, District Ropar,
Punjab on Nangal Road. On knowing this Baba Gurditta Ji by using mystical power revived
the cow. When Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib came to know about this, he was displeased.
Baba Gurditta Ji owned his error and moved to a lonely place and breathed his last where
now stands Gurdwara Sahib Baba Gurditta Ji at Kiratpur Sahib. Baba Gurditta Ji breath
his last breath at this place.
In view of this in 1644 Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib ignoring his sons bestowed
Gurgaddi to Baba Gurditta Ji’s son, Har Rai Sahib Ji, who thus became the seventh Guru
Sahib of Sikhs.
In 1640, Har Rai Sahib Ji was married to Bibi Sulakkhni Ji, daughter of Bhai Daya
Ram Ji of Anupshahr in District Bulandshahr of Uttar Pradesh. From very early childhood
Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji was deeply religious minded and was gentle by nature. He was
Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib’s favourite grandchild.
An oft quoted incident of his childhood is that one day while he was returning from
his riding exercise, on the way he saw Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib. On seeing him he
hurriedly got off his horse to show respect to him. In this hurried movement, his robe was
caught in a bush, as a result of which some of the flowers got plucked and fell down. He
felt so much disturbed over this incident that he sat down on the spot and started weeping
bitterly. Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib said “wear your robe by all means, but be careful as
you walk”. He advised him to be careful in future and said that, “It behoves God’s servants
to be tender to all things”. Because Baba Gurditta Ji had killed a cow at Jindwari which is
14 kms from Anandpur Sahib on Nangal Road, Tehsil Anandpur Sahib, District Ropar,
Punjab. Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib became angry with Baba Gurditta Ji for this mistake
out of repentance Baba Gurditta Ji left for his heavenly abode on his own will. Sri Guru
Hargobind Sahib Ji had five sons and one daughter – Baba Gurditta Ji, Ani Rai Ji, Bibi
Viro Ji, Atal Rai Ji and Tegh Bahadur Ji. But instead of passing the Gurgaddi to any of his
sons, passed it on to Baba Gurditta Ji’s elder son Har Rai Sahib Ji. Sri Guru Hargobind
Sahib, before leaving for his heavenly abode on 3 March, 1644 at Kiratpur Sahib
nominated Har Rai Sahib Ji as his successor.
After assuming Guruship, Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji established the following three
important preaching missions called bakhshishes for the spread of Sri Guru Nanak Dev
Ji’s message in different parts of India as well as outside India. Out of these three missions
: (i) the first one was under Bhagvan Gir Ji, renamed as Bhagat Bhagvan Ji, who
established missionary centers in eastern India (ii) the second one was that of Sangatia Ji
renamed as Bhai Pheru Ji who preached in Rajasthan and southern part of Punjab and
(iii) the third one was under Bhai Gonda Ji who preached in Kabul in Afghanistan. In
addition to these he deputed (i) Bhai Nattha Ji to preach in Dhaka (which is now capital of
Bangla Desh) (ii) Bhai Jodh Ji to preach in Multan which now falls in Pakistan and (iii)
Suthre Shah Ji to preach in Delhi. Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji deputed two of his followers
to cover the Malva region of Punjab whose descendants later ruled Bagarian in Sangrur
Distrct of Punjab and Kaithal District in Haryana respectively. Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji
confirmed the blessings given by Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib to a poor boy named Phul Ji
who had been brought by his fraternal uncle Kala Ji because this boy had no sources of
livelihood. Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji had blessed the little child by saying that in times
to come his successors will be rulers of Patiala, Nabha and Jind states of Punjab. Sri Guru
Har Rai Sahib Ji confirmed this blessing and therefore the successors of Baba Phul Ji
ruled in these states until recent years. A similar blessing was bestowed on Buddha Singh
Ji, an ancestor of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji made it a point to cover those parts of Malva region of
Punjab which had not been covered by his predecessor Guru Sahiban. Thus, he himself
travelled extensively in this region although he kept his permanent seat at Kiratpur Sahib,
District Ropar, Punjab.
During his preaching tours he visited, in addition to (i) Galotian Khurd in Sialkot
District which now falls in Pakistan (ii) Srinagar, Akhnur, Jammu and Mota Tanda (native
village of Makhan Shah Lubana Ji) in Jammu and Kashmir and (iii) Thanesar in Haryana,
he visited Phagwara, Chakk Prema and Bambeli which now fall in Kapurthala District;
Kartarpur, Pharala and Hakimpur in Jallandhar District; (iv) Bajraur, Lahili Kalan and
Bhungarni in Hoshiarpur District; (v) Kiratpur Sahib, Daulowal, Bunga and Gharuan in
Ropar District; (vi) Lambe in District S.A.S. Nagar, (vii) Gahal in Sangrur district of Punjab
and (viii) Amargarh and Bhokhri in Bathinda district of Punjab. He maintained the stately
style of his grandfather. He had at his command 2200 armed followers. But during the
period of his Guruship no threats were given by the ruling group and hence he was not
involved in any warfare.
He did not compose any hymns of his own. He spent the mornings explaining the
preachings of his predecessor Gurus. His daily routine included getting up early in the
morning, saying prayers, recitation of the hymns from Sri Guru Granth Sahib and
explaining the Sikh doctrine to the sangat. This was followed by kirtan i.e. singing of hymns
by the musicians to the tune of instruments. It may be added here that in Sikhism Kirtan
is considered the highest form of expression of adoration of God and is also considered
as the most efficacious means of linking the soul to the Divine Power. The evening
programme included katha i.e. explaining the Sikh history and recitation of the paath of
Rahuras Sahib which was followed by ardas.
He maintained a simple style of living and earned his livelihood by doing labour with
his own hands. In his preachings also he emphasized the importance of working with one’s
own hands and sharing one’s possessions with those in need. He further strengthened
the institution of langar i.e. community kitchen wherein people from all strata of life and
from all castes sit together on the floor in queues and partake off food. He himself ate all
his meals in the community kitchen.
He took care of the sick and down trodden persons and especially the leprosy
stricken persons. His predecessor Sikh Gurus had also given special attention to lepers.
Sri Gur Nanak Dev Ji, the first Guru of the Sikh faith had spent a night in a leper’s hut at
Goindval Sahib, treated him and cured him. Henceforth, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji treated
several lepers. Sri Guru Amar Das Ji, the third Guru Sahiban of the Sikh faith had cured a
leper named Morari in village Khai of District Lahore (now in Pakistan) and henceforth
treated many lepers. Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth Guru Sahiban of Sikh faith had cured
a leper of village Muradapur in Tehsil and District Tarn Taran Sahib, who because of his
own wishes was being taken by his sons to be drowned in river Beas. Sri Guru Arjan Dev
Ji took charge of this leper and treated him with his own hands. After curing this leper, he
established a Lepers’ Home in Tarn Taran Sahib, where thousands of lepers have been
cured. Following the footsteps of his predecessor Guru Sahiban, Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib
Ji also treated lepers and cured them.
In May 1658, when Aurangzeb was struggling hard to acquire the Mughal throne,
his brother Dara Shukoh entered Punjab to seek the blessings of Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib
Ji who at the time was at Goindval Sahib in District Tarn Taran of Punjab. Dara Shukoh
was an admirer of Sain Mian Mir Ji, a Muslim Sufi saint who is respected by the Sikhs for
having laid the foundation stone of Sri Haimandar Sahib, Amritsar. Earlier, Dara Shukoh
had been cured of a serious ailment through some rare medicine sent by Sri Guru Har Rai
Sahib Ji. According to Sarup Das Bhalla, in his book Mahima Prakash, (2004) has written
that Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji deployed his own troops at the ferry to delay Aurangzeb's
army which was closely pursuing Dara Shukoh. Some courtiers of Aurangzeb incited him
that Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji was himself a rebel and had helped Dara Shukoh against
him. The courtiers also told Aurangzeb that in the Sikh scripture there were some verses
which were derogatory to Islam. Aurangzeb asked Raja Jai Singh of Amber to have Sri
Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji brought to Delhi. When the royal summons were presented to him
he was astonished and as reported by Bhai Santokh Singh in Sri Gur Partap Suraj
Granth (1843) he remarked that he ruled over no territory, he owed no taxes to the king,
nor did he want anything from the king, also there was no connection of teacher and
disciple between him and the king. Then what was the reason for sending the summons,
he asked. Instead of going himself to Delhi he sent his elder son, Ram Rai Ji to Delhi along
with Diwan Dargah Mall Ji as an escort. As reported by Piara Singh Padam and Giani
Garja Singh in Guru Kian Sakhian (1995) he instructed his son Ram Rai Ji (i) to answer
all questions of the Emperor franky without any hesitation and (ii) read Sri Guru Granth
Sahib with deep attention on the way.
Instead of giving himself he sent his son Ram Rai Ji. Bhai Gurdas Ji the great
grandson of Bhai Bahilo Ji was asked to accompany Ram Rai Ji with a copy of Sri Guru
Granth Sahib. When Ram Rai Ji appeared before Aurangzeb, to please him he misread
some words from the Holy Granth (SGGS 466), Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s words ‘ਮਿਟੀ
ਿੁਸਲਿਾਨ ਕੀ’ Ram Rai Ji read ‘ਮਿਟੀ ਬੇਈਿਾਨ ਕੀ’.
Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji anathematized Ram Rai Ji and debarred him from
presence before him.
Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji celebrated Baisakhi of 1660 in Sialkot (now in Pakistan)
in the home of Nand Lal Puri Ji grandfather of Haqiqat Rai Ji (who was martyred as per
the orders of Governor of Lahore on January 29, 1742.) During his travels he was
accompanied by Makkhan Shah Lubana Ji and Aru Ram Ji, the father of Kirpa Ram Ji who
later led the jatha of Kashmiri Pandits to Sri Guru Tegh Bahadhur Sahib Ji to save them
from persecution by the Mughal emperor.
Because his elder son Ram Rai Ji had misread the bani of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji
in Sri Guru Granth Sahib and had earned his displeasure Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji, before
leaving for his heavenly abode on October 6, 1661 at Kiratpur Sahib, District Ropar,
Punjab nominated his younger son Har Krishan Ji as his successor.
In 2025 Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji's 395 th Birth Anniversary is being celebrated by
the Sikh Sangat on January 31 all over the world.
Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji will always be remembered for being peace loving
and caretaker of the poor and sick people. A painting of Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji
which is part of the collections in the Department of Archaeology, Lahore, Pakistan
shows Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji giving alms to the poor.
DHAN DHAN SRI GURU HAR RAI SAHIB JI!
Dr. Amrit Kaur Retd. Professor Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab