Har Har Mahadev

Cowardice, cowardice;
Cowardice was his veil,
To lure the mighty Afzal Khan
To the mountains, only to fail.

He pretended to be angst ridden;
To be cowering with fear.
But really, he was brimming with pride
As Afzal Khan got nearer.

‘Har Har Mahadev!’
Was his battle cry.
Never, ever, shall these beautiful
Words ever die!

Shivaji Maharaj entered the tent,
Ready for the moment.
And then he saw that sitting in a
Throne was his opponent.

Thoughts exploded through Afzal’s
Head like a bomb.
‘Greetings, Siva!’
He said with aplomb.

‘Har Har Mahadev!’
Was his battle cry.
Never, ever, shall these beautiful
Words ever die!

Both men extended their arms out,
For what seemed like a friendly embrace.
But both men knew much too well
That it was really a race.

To see who was the faster man;
To see who was more smart.
But only one of these two men,
Had truly mastered this art.

‘Har Har Mahadev!’
Was his battle cry.
Never, ever, shall these beautiful
Words ever die!

The cruel and cunning Afzal Khan
Finally took his chance.
He tightened his grip on Shivaji
And without even a glance,

He gave him the headlock of death,
But Shivaji got out his dagger.
And therefore, by doing so,
Destroyed Afzal’s swagger.

‘Har Har Mahadev!’
Was his battle cry.
Never, ever, shall these beautiful
Words ever die!

After clawing Afzal with tiger claws
Shivaji stabbed him in the rib cage.
And left the tent and Afzal to die
In a livid state of outrage.

Though Shivaji could have been in Afzal’s place,
If not for his metal armour.
And though Afzal tried to stab him in the back
He couldn’t create any harm.

‘Har Har Mahadev!’
Was his battle cry.
Never ever shall these beautiful
Words ever die!

Shivaji may not be alive today
But his legacy still lives on.
The greatest warrior king of them all
Will never really be gone.

For he was just, kind, fair, and strong;
A fearless, and astute man.
He defeated his enemies with these qualities
In ways they would never understand.

‘Har Har Mahadev’
Was his battle cry.
Never, ever shall these beautiful
Words ever die!