Saints repeatedly remind man that the world is transitory, time is fleeting and death is sure to come. Human life is precious and should be utilized to attain spiritual awakening before death overtakes one. But man wastes the precious gift of human birth, spending over one-third of his allotted time in sleep; and even during the rest of it he is in a hypnotic slumber produced by desires, cravings and attachments, unaware of the spiritual wealth that lies within.

In these couplets Kabir tells man to wake up from his sleep of ages, become aware of the Lord's Name and attend to spiritual practice under the guidance of a perfect Master. The practice of Naam is the only remedy for man's endless slumber, his spiritual inertia.

Kabir, without fear
Adore the Lord
As long as the wick
Burns within the lamp;
When the oil runs dry
And the light dissolves,
You will sleep —
Day and night.

K.G., p. 4:10

Kabir, it's no time to sleep —
Wake up, repeat the Lord's Name!
A day will come
When you'll sleep undisturbed
With legs outstretched.

K.G., p. 4:11

Kabir, it's no time to sleep,
Wake up, realize
You have been severed
From your origin.
Return and rejoin the source
From where you came.

K.S.S., p. 4:12

K.G., p. 4:13

Kabir, it's no time to sleep,
Sing the praises of the Lord;
Yama hovers over your head
Watching you
Waste your capital.

K.G., p. 5:14

Kabir, it's no time to sleep,
Sleep leads to disaster;
Even Brahma's throne shakes
At the thunderous call
Of Death.

K.G., p. 5:15

K.S.S., p. 160:7

Let 'Beloved, O Beloved'
Be your constant cry,
Get up from your slumber
Of eons;
Your day- and night-long
Cries for Him
Might some day
Earn a response.

K.S.S., p. 160:9

His life goes fruitless
Who remains lost in sleep;
Who keeps awake
Gathers the fruit.
The Lord never withholds
From his children their dues —
He gladly gives
To whoever begs
At his door.

K.S.S., p. 160:8

In the following two couplets, Kabir reverses the metaphor, saying sleep is better than keeping awake. As long as the attention is running out in the world towards worldly desires and attachments, man is awake to the outer world but asleep to the inner spiritual regions. When he withdraws the attention inwards, enters the inner regions and becomes absorbed in spiritual bliss, he is unaware or 'asleep' to the world but fully conscious or 'awake' within.

To sleep is better
Than to keep awake.
If one knows how to sleep;
The attention is absorbed within
And simran continues
On its own.

K.S.S., p. 160:11

Who while awake, sleeps
And while sleeping
Is absorbed within,
The string of his soul
Stays tied to its source;
Not for a moment
Does he break the link.

K.S.S., p. 160:12