राजा पश्यति कर्णाभ्यां धिया पश्यन्ति पण्डिताः ।
पशुः पश्यति गन्धेन भूते पश्यन्ति बर्बराः ॥
rājā paśyati karṇābhyāṁ dhiyā paśyanti paṇḍitāḥ |
paśuḥ paśyati gandhena bhūte paśyanti barbarāḥ ||
(Unknown source)
“A king sees through his ears [by hearing from his ministers, spies, subjects, and so forth]. The wise see through their intellect. An animal sees through scent [i.e., their sense of smell]. Fools [however] see [only] the past [i.e., they have no foresight at all].”
Commentary
The foolish are those who lack understanding and the capacity to recognize characteristics, indications, cause and effect relationships, and so forth. In gist: the wise see [i.e., understand things] through foresight, while the foolish see [i.e., come to understand] only in hindsight [if at all].
A similar statement
गावो गन्धेन पश्यन्ति वेदैः पश्यन्ति ब्राह्मणाः।
चारैः पश्यन्ति राजांश्चक्षुर्भ्यामितरे जनाः ॥
gāvo gandhena paśyanti vedaiḥ paśyanti brāhmaṇāḥ |
cāraiḥ paśyanti rājāṁś cakṣurbhyām itare janāḥ ||
(Unknown source)
“Cows see through smell. Brāhmaṇas see through the Vedas. Kings see through spies. Other persons [see] only through their eyes.”