Shloka 18
यस्माजन्नाद्रियते कश्नचित् ततो5हं समवासयम्
yasmāj janādriyate kaścit tato 'haṃ samavāsayam |
ヴァーユは言った。「わが子よ、人々のうち誰一人として彼を敬う者がいなかったので、私は自分の家に彼を泊めた。ある時は一度の食事で、幾千人もの人を満腹にできるほどの糧を平らげ、またある時はほんのわずかを口にして家を出て行った——そしてそのような日には、二度と戻って来なかった。」
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.