What business brought you here, while you are lying under the sheets? Oh caravan, compose yourselves and recognize yourselves.
This couplet acts as a profound wake-up call. Kabir addresses someone who is lying beneath the sheets, metaphorically representing a deep sleep of heedlessness and materialism. He questions what purpose brought them there, given their state of oblivious slumber. The core message is a plea to the human spirit (the caravan) to compose itself, gather its identity, and recognize its true self before it is too late.
Interpretation note: meanings and explanations may be AI-assisted and should not replace a primary text or scholarly edition. See the editorial policy.
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