Kautilya's Arthashastra 12.1.7

12.1.7

sarvatrānupraṇataḥ kulaiḍaka iva nirāśo jīvite vasati //

No, says Kautilya, he who bows down to all like a crab on the banks (of a river) lives in despair; whoever goes with his small army to fight perishes like a man attempting to cross the sea without a boat. Hence, a weak king should either seek the protection of a powerful king or maintain himself in an impregnable fort.