अन्तःसारविहीनानां सहायः किं करिष्यति ।
मलयेऽपि स्थितो वेणुर्वेणुरेव न चन्दनः
antaḥsāra-vihīnānāṁ sahāyaḥ kiṁ kariṣyati |
malaye’pi sthito veṇur veṇur eva na candanaḥ ||
(Mahāsubhāṣita-saṅgraha: 1603)
“What can a companion [alt., assistant] do for those who lack inner substance? Even bamboo situated in the Malayas is just bamboo and not sandalwood.”