Arthashastra
प्रयास वधात् सस्य वधो मुष्टि वधात् पापीयान्, निराजीवत्वाद् अवृष्टिर् अतिवृष्टितः ॥
The destruction of crops is worse than the destruction of handfuls (of grains), since it is the labour that is destroyed thereby; absence of rain is worse than too much rain.
english translation
prayAsa vadhAt sasya vadho muSTi vadhAt pApIyAn, nirAjIvatvAd avRSTir ativRSTitaH ॥
hk transliteration by Sanscript