Shloka 18
Uttanka’s Viśvarūpa Request and the ‘Uttanka Clouds’ Boon (उत्तङ्क-विष्वरूप-दर्शनम्)
यदा गन्धर्वयोनौ वा वर्तामि भगुनन्दन । तदा गन्धर्ववत् सर्वमाचरामि न संशय:
yadā gandharvayonau vā vartāmi bhagunandana | tadā gandharvavat sarvam ācarāmi na saṁśayaḥ ||
Whenever I take my course in the womb of the Gandharvas, O delight of Bhagu’s line, I conduct myself in every way like a Gandharva—of this there is no doubt.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes role-appropriate conduct: when a being assumes a particular birth or state (here, among Gandharvas), one’s behavior aligns with that condition. It reflects the Mahābhārata’s ethical idea that dharma is contextual—shaped by one’s station, embodiment, and circumstances.
Vāyu-deva is speaking to a Bhārgava-descended interlocutor (“bhagunandana”), explaining that whenever he manifests in a Gandharva mode of existence, he acts entirely in the Gandharva manner, affirming this as certain and unquestionable.