ĀKUL, BHĀĪ, a resident of Sultānpur Lodhī in present-day Kapūrthalā district of the Punjab, embraced the Sikh faith in the time of Gurū Amar Dās. Bhāī Gurdās in his Vārāṅ praises his sincerity and devotion to the Gurū. Once Bhāī Ākul, along with several others from his village, waited on Gurū Arjan and begged to be instructed in how sāttvika guṇas, or qualities of purity and goodness, might be cultivated. The Gurū explained that virtuous living was essential to spiritual well-being. He further said that simplicity, cleanliness, readiness to serve others, association with the virtuous and concentration on the Divine Name aided in moral refinement. Ākul and his companions returned to their village enlightened. The Gurū, according to Bhāī Manī Siṅgh, Sikhāṅ di Bhagat Mālā, remarked, "Sultānpur is my devotees' citadel. "