अंभोदा बहवो हि सन्ति गगने सर्वेऽपि नैतादृशाः

Re re chataka! saavadhaana manasaa mitra kshanam shruuyataam

Ambhodaa bahavo hi santi gagane sarvEpi naitaadrushaah

Kechit vrishTibhiraardrayanti vasudhaam garjanti kechit vruthaa

Yam yam pashyasi tasya tasya purato maa broohi diinam vachah

रे रे चातक! सावधानमनसा मित्र क्षणं श्रूयतां

अंभोदा बहवो हि सन्ति गगने सर्वेऽपि नैतादृशाः ।

केचिद्वृष्टिभिरार्द्रयन्ति वसुधां गर्जन्ति केचित् वृथा

यं यं पश्यसि तस्य तस्य पुरतो मा ब्रूहि दीनं वच: ॥
(puratas or purataha means in front of or in the presence of)

Hey dear chaataka bird! Listen carefully my friend, to what I am saying. 

There are  many clouds in the sky but all of them are not of the same character. 

Some of them drench the earth with precious rain. 

Some others are useless and just thunder away.

Therefore do not beg for water in front of every cloud you see in the sky.

[According to the legend the chaataka is a bird that is supposed to live only on rain drops.  So chaataka is a metaphor for the receiver of favours or grants. The cloud is the metaphor for those who give such favours - your bosses or parents or the government. The poet is asking the person dependant on such grants to be discrete in choosing whom to plead before. As not all givers are generous, so just make noise. That is they pretend as if they can and will help. But are themselves bereft of any substance and are thus incapable of helping others.]

Bhartrihari

भर्तृहरि