अनवस्थितचित्तस्य न जने न वने सुखम् ।
जने दहति संसर्गो वने सङ्गविवर्जनम् ॥
anavasthita-cittasya na jane na vane sukham ।
jane dahati saṁsargo vane saṅga-vivarjanam ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha)
“A person of unsteady mind is happy neither among people nor in the forest [i.e., alone]. Among people, companionship torments [them], and in the forest, [their] abandonment of companionship torments [them].”
Alternate version
अनवस्थितकार्यस्य न जने न वने सुखम् ।
जनो दहति संसर्गाद्वनं सङ्गविवर्जनात् ॥
anavasthita-kāryasya na jane na vane sukham ।
jano dahati saṁsargād vanaṁ saṅga-vivarjanāt ||
(Cāṇakya-nīti-darpaṇa: 13.16)
“A person of unstable conduct is happy neither among people nor in the forest [i.e., alone]. People torment [them] with companionship, and the forest torments [them] because of abandonment of companionship.”