Shloka 18
यस्माजन्नाद्रियते कश्नचित् ततो5हं समवासयम्
yasmāj janādriyate kaścit tato 'haṃ samavāsayam |
Vāyu berkata: “Wahai anakku, kerana tiada seorang pun di kalangan manusia menghormatinya, aku memberinya tumpangan di rumahku sendiri. Ada kalanya, dalam sekali duduk, dia memakan makanan sebanyak yang dapat mengenyangkan beribu-ribu orang; ada kalanya pula dia makan sedikit sahaja lalu meninggalkan rumah—pada hari demikian, dia tidak kembali lagi.”
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.