Meaning
The caravan of existence; all living things moving together toward the same far halt.
Literally: caravan of being
How Iqbal uses it
Life is figured as a kaaravaan-e-hasti always on the march, every soul a traveller whose halt is death.
See it in the verse
Kaaravaan-e-Hasti in Iqbal’s couplets
Kuch baat hai ki hasti mitti nahin hamari
Sadiyon raha hai dushman daur-e-zaman hamara
Sadiyon raha hai dushman daur-e-zaman hamara
There is something about us that refuses to be erased — for centuries the turning of the age itself has been our enemy.
Hope · Adversity · Self-Knowledge
Aaya hai tu jahan mein misal-e-sharar dekh
Dam de na jaye hasti-na-paayedar dekh
Dam de na jaye hasti-na-paayedar dekh
You have come into the world like a spark — see that this fleeting existence does not slip away from you.
Action · Awakening · Aspiration