If it is a fall, it is from the preservation of the self; otherwise, there is nothing but the water of the gem in the jewel.

This profound couplet by Allama Iqbal speaks to the core concept of 'Khudi'—the preservation of self or identity. The poet suggests that if a person faces a collapse or a fall, it is not due to external forces, but because they fought to maintain their self-respect. He emphasizes that the greatest power lies in the will to survive as oneself. Otherwise, he says, even the most beautiful place, like a cave, holds nothing but its own inherent essence.