Padma Purana — Bhumi Khanda, Shloka 28
Vena’s Inquiry into Pitṛ-tīrtha: Pippala’s Austerity, the Vidyādhara Boon, and the Crane’s Rebuke of Pride
गतः कालो महाराज पिप्पलस्य महात्मनः । तद्वच्च वायुभक्षं तु कृतं तेन महात्मना
gataḥ kālo mahārāja pippalasya mahātmanaḥ | tadvacca vāyubhakṣaṃ tu kṛtaṃ tena mahātmanā
હે મહારાજ! મહાત્મા પિપ્પલનો પણ સમય પસાર થયો; અને એ જ રીતે તે મહાપુરુષે વાયુભક્ષણ, એટલે કે માત્ર પ્રાણ પર જીવન, સ્વીકાર્યું।
Unspecified narrator addressing a king (mahārāja)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तद्वच्च → तद्वत् + च
FAQs
Pippala is presented here as a mahātmā (great-souled ascetic), whose life is being narrated to a king; the verse highlights his progression in austerity.
Vāyubhakṣa literally means “air as food,” indicating an extreme ascetic vow where one subsists without ordinary nourishment, symbolizing intense tapas and detachment.
It emphasizes perseverance in spiritual discipline: as time passes, the aspirant may adopt stricter practices, portraying increasing renunciation and commitment to austerity.