Grasp no more than thy hand will hold.

The saying advises restraint: do not try to take, manage, or claim more than your actual capacity can securely contain. Reaching beyond one’s grasp risks losing control of what one already has.

It can caution against excessive ambition or accumulation, but may also apply to possessions, responsibilities, or opportunities. The intended application depends on context; the general advice is to recognize limits and avoid overextending oneself simply because more seems available.

Use it to warn against taking on too many duties, seeking excessive gain, or making commitments beyond one’s ability to fulfill. Its archaic “thy” gives it a deliberately old-fashioned, proverbial tone.