Nīti-śāstra

re re cātaka sāvadhāna-manasā mitra kṣaṇaṁ śrūyatām
ambhodā bahavo vasanti gagane sarve’pi naitādṛśāḥ |
kecid vṛṣṭibhir ārdrayanti vasudhāṁ garjanti kecid vṛthā
yaṁ yaṁ paśyasi tasya tasya purato mā brūhi dīnaṁ vacaḥ ||
(Nīti-śatakam: 51)

“Oh! Oh! Cātaka! My friend, listen with an attentive mind for a moment. Certainly many clouds reside in the sky, although all of them are not like this [i.e., not all of them are supporters of cātakas, as the cātaka stated in the previous verse]. Some saturate the earth with their showers, and some [merely] rumble frivolously [and do not shower any rain at all]. [So,] Do not speak piteous words before every single one you see.”

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