This painting is the illustration of the shabad by Guru Arjan Dev ji stating the importance of Guru’s Name. How people have attained salvation by keeping God name in their hearts.

Dhruv, a small boy of five years, got permanent place in by meditating and remembering His name.

Ajaamal, a sinner was saved from the cycle of birth and death by remember the God’s name in his last moment, whenever, he called ‘Narayan, Narayan…Narayan’ to his younger son, Yama the God of death could not touch him.
O God, you have saved so many people. Countless people have attained salvation with your grace.
I also seek your blessing to cross ocean of worldly affairs.

Balmik was saved with your blessing and the hunter was saved as well.

The elephant (Gajendra) got entangled in the clutches of crocodile. It prayed to God, sought God’s blessings. The God answered its prayers and freed the Gaj from crocodile’s clutches in an instant.

God saved his true devotee Prahlad from the clutches of an arrogant king Harnakash who was also his father.

Bidr, the son of a slave girl was also purified and he and his coming generations were also redeemed with God’s grace.
I have done so many bad deeds. I am engrossed in false emotional attachments and in there worldly affairs. Now I have come to seek your blessings. Come and take me into your embrace.
As God’s blessings have redeemed all the sinners, I also pray to God to forgive me and save me from the clutches of these false worldly affairs, this has been beautifully illustrated in this painting.

Dhruv was the son of king Uttanapada. Dhruva and his mother had to leave the palace when the king married to another woman. As a small boy, once he went to the palace to meet his father but his step mother asked him to leave the palace and asked him never to return again. So he went back to his mother and asked her who the most powerful king is. She told him that lord Vishnu is most powerful in the universe. So he left to meet the lord. He had to face many difficulties. He met saptarishis – the seven sages also on the way. One day he met Narada, a saintly messenger of God and he gave him a mantra that would help him fulfill his desire. Finally, Dhravas prayers were answered & Lord Vishnu appeared before him and told him that everything will be alright. So he along with his mother came back to the palace and everyone welcomed him. Finally, Lord Vishnu placed him as a star in the sky near the Saptarishis (seven star)

Ajaamal was born to a royal brahmin and brought up in a very religious atmosphere. He was well versed in all the Vedas, Puraans & other religious books. He got married to and had a couple of children. After his father death, he was appointed the royal Brahmin. Once he had to go to that part of the city where there were brothels & Pubs. He had never been exposed to that part of the city. There he got attached to a young & promiscuous woman. That day changed his life forever and started visiting her regularly. Everyone tried to persuade him to stop going there but failed. The king decided to banish him from the kingdom. After that he led a very hard life. He had many children with that woman also. When his younger son was born, some sadhis came to his house to seek refuse from bad weather. They saw his terrible life and leaving had mercy on him. They had an idea and asked him to name his younger son ‘Narayan’. At the last moment as per the advice of sadhus his son taken away and Ajaamal kept calling his son ‘Narayan, Narayan, ……Narayan’. That way ‘Ajaamal’ who was a sinner got salvation and went to heaven instead of going to hell.

Prahlad-- There was, once a king, named Harnakash. He was given a boon from lord Shiva that he will not be killed inside or outside the house, by a man or an animal, in day time or nighttime and in heat or cold. So he became a cruel king and made everyone in his Kingdom recite his name instead of the name of God. His own son Prahlad refused to do so. The king made many attempts to kill his son who refused to obey him but every time Prahald was saved miraculously. Harnaksh became even more angry once he had a pillar lit on fire with a huge flame and asked Prahlad to go and hug the red hot Pillar. Prahlad made a prayer to God. Went over to the pillar and hug it by divine grace, he was saved. God burst from the pillar assumed the form of a Narsingh (Form of creature having head of lion and body of human being) to kill Harnaksh. Thus God saved his true devotee Prahlad.

Balmik -- A Balmik was a highway robber in his early days. He used to rob and kill the people. One day, he tried to rob Narada, the messenger of God. Narada asked him if his family would share the sin. He replied positively but Narada asked him to confirm this from his family. When asked none of his family members agreed to bear the burden of his sins. Then he understood the truth and asked Narada for forgiveness. He taught him the mantra for salvation. Since he was a murderer before, Narada asked him to recite ‘Mara’ instead of ‘Rama’. Balmiki meditated for many years and thus was redeemed.

Hunter and Krishna According to Mahabarata, Krishana went to meet Gandhari. Gandhari felt that Krishna did not knowingly put an end to war and in anger cursed that everyone from Yadava dynasty would perish after 36 years. Krishana also wanted to have this happen as he felt that Yadava have become arrogant. So after 36 years a fight broke between Yadava and they killed each other. Krishna retired into the forest and was once meditating under a tree. The hunter, who is believed to be Bali, in his previous birth, mistook Krishna’s foot as that of a deer, shot an arrow and wounded Krishna. When he realized his mistake, he asked for forgiveness. But Krishna assured him that this had to happen this way only. So this way, God’s grace redeemed both the hunter as well as the target.

Bidr-- According to Mahabharta, Bidr was the half brother of Dhritarashtra and Pandu. He was the son of low caste maid servant. He was the true devotee of lord Krishna. Krishana stayed in his house for some time. With lord’s blessing Bidr and his coming generations were saved and got salvation.