Shloka 18
यस्माजन्नाद्रियते कश्नचित् ततो5हं समवासयम्
yasmāj janādriyate kaścit tato 'haṃ samavāsayam |
Vāyu said: “Since no one among people showed him respect, I gave him lodging in my own home. At times he would consume, in a single sitting, so much food as could satisfy many thousands of men; at other times he would eat very little and then leave the house—on such a day he would not return again.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights atithi-dharma: when society fails to honor a worthy guest, a righteous person should still offer shelter and respect. It also suggests that one should not judge spiritual worth by outward habits like eating patterns; the ethical focus is on honoring and supporting the deserving.
Vāyu narrates that because no one else respected the person, he lodged him in his own home. The guest’s behavior is described as variable—sometimes eating an enormous quantity, sometimes very little and then departing, not returning that day—emphasizing the unusual, ascetic, or testing nature of the visitor.