Shloka 22
दानपात्रापात्र-निर्णयः / Determining Worthy Gifts, Recipients, and Permissible Food
ब्राह्मणास्त्वां महाबाहो भ्रातरक्ष महौजस: । पर्जन्यमिव घर्मान्ति नाथमाना उपासते
brāhmaṇās tvāṃ mahābāho bhrātṛ-rakṣa mahaujasāḥ | parjanyam iva gharmānte nāthamānā upāsate ||
Vāyu said: “O mighty-armed one, these brāhmaṇas and your brothers of great prowess sit near you, seeking your protection and urging you to hold firm. Just as people, scorched at the end of the hot season, gaze toward the rain-cloud and implore it for water, so do they look to you as their refuge.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s dharma is to be a steady refuge: to protect brāhmaṇas and kin, to maintain courage and patience under pressure, and to respond to the community’s dependence with responsible leadership—like a rain-cloud relieving those afflicted by heat.
Vāyu addresses a heroic figure, pointing out that brāhmaṇas and the hero’s powerful brothers are gathered around him in supplication. Using the image of people longing for rain at the end of summer, Vāyu emphasizes their reliance on him and urges steadfastness and protective action.