Shloka 19
Uttanka’s Viśvarūpa Request and the ‘Uttanka Clouds’ Boon (उत्तङ्क-विष्वरूप-दर्शनम्)
भूगुकुलको आनन्द प्रदान करनेवाले महर्षे! जब मैं गन्धर्व-योनिमें प्रकट होता हूँ, तब मेरे सारे आचार-विचार गन्धर्वोके ही समान होते हैं, इसमें संदेह नहीं है ।।
bhṛgukula-ko ānanda-pradāna karanevāle maharṣe! yadāhaṁ gandharva-yonau prakaṭo bhavāmi tadā mama sarve ācāra-vicārā gandharvāṇām ivaiva bhavanti, nātra saṁśayaḥ. nāga-yonau yadā caiva tadā vartāmi nāgavat | yakṣa-rākṣasa-yonyos tu yathāvad vicarāmy aham ||
Wahai maharsi yang menggembirakan garis Bhṛgu! Ketika aku menampakkan diri dalam kelahiran para Gandharva, seluruh laku dan cara berpikirku menjadi seperti Gandharva—tanpa keraguan. Dan ketika aku lahir di antara para Nāga, aku bertingkah sebagai Nāga. Demikian pula, bila aku muncul di antara Yakṣa atau Rākṣasa, aku bergerak dan bertindak sepenuhnya menurut adat dan watak mereka sendiri.
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that embodied beings tend to act according to the nature (svabhāva) and norms associated with the realm/species (yoni) in which they are born; conduct is shaped by the conditions of embodiment, so one’s behavior often mirrors the community and disposition of that birth.
Vāyudeva addresses a sage of the Bhṛgu lineage and explains that whenever he manifests in different classes of beings—Gandharvas, Nāgas, Yakṣas, or Rākṣasas—his behavior conforms to the characteristic conduct of that class, emphasizing the link between manifestation and mode of life.