ऐश्वर्याच्चैव कामानामी श्वर: पुनरुच्यते
aiśvaryāc caiva kāmānām īśvaraḥ punar ucyate
वायुरुवाच—ऐश्वर्याच्चैव कामानामीश्वरः पुनरुच्यते।
वायुदेव उवाच
The verse defines Īśvara by function: the one who grants and governs both aiśvarya (sovereign power) and kāma (desired enjoyments). True lordship is presented as control over the sources and outcomes of power and desire, not merely possession of them.
In Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic setting, Vāyudeva is explaining a theological point—why the supreme is called “Īśvara”—by citing his relation to worldly and spiritual goods: dominion and the fulfillment of desires.