उपायं चिन्तयेत्प्राज्ञो ह्यपायमपि चिन्तयेत् । पश्यतो बक-मूर्खस्य नकुलैर्भक्षिताः सुताः ॥
upāyaṃ cintayetprājño hyapāyamapi cintayet | paśyato baka-mūrkhasya nakulairbhakṣitāḥ sutāḥ ||
A wise person thinks out the means, and thinks out also what could go wrong with it; while the foolish crane looked on, the mongooses ate its young.
बुद्धिमान उपाय सोचे तो उसमें छिपा अपाय (ख़तरा) भी सोचे; मूर्ख बगुले के देखते-देखते नेवलों ने उसके बच्चे खा लिए।
Meaning today and contextआज के लिए अर्थ और संदर्भ
Every solution brings its own risks. The cranes brought mongooses to kill the snake, and the mongooses then ate their chicks. Before acting on a clever plan, ask what it could set off.
हर समाधान अपने साथ नए ख़तरे लाता है। बगुलों ने साँप को मरवाने के लिए नेवले बुलाए, और नेवलों ने उनके ही बच्चे खा लिए। किसी चतुर योजना पर चलने से पहले पूछिए कि इससे क्या-क्या बिगड़ सकता है।
The tortoise proposes to hold a stick in his mouth while the two swans fly with its ends in their beaks. The swans agree the plan can work, but warn him with the tale of the cranes whose young were eaten by mongooses.