Mahabharata 24: Too Soft Nor Too Harsh And Strict Poem by Aniruddha Pathak

Never extreme power bring to bear,
Nor always a soft heart do thou wear;
As time unfolds feel the flavour of air,
Now harsh, now soft, be wise and fair.
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Here is the transliteration of the original verse:

tasmāt na ati utsŗjet tejahna cha nityam mŗduh bhavet |
kāle kāle tu sam-prāptemŗduh tīkśhņah api vā bhavet || vana 28-23 ||

This is how Prahlaad advised Bali on whether to be soft or harsh: neither too harsh, nor ever too soft be; as time demands be soft or harsh. A middle path is what the verse seems to recommend. In Bhagavad-Gita also Krishna suggests a middle path and renounce going to the extreme.