Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 19
स सम्भुड्क्ते सहस्राणां बहूनामन्नमेकदा । एकदा सोअल्पकं भुड्धक्ते न चैवैति पुनर्गहान्
sa sambhuṅkte sahasrāṇāṃ bahūnām annam ekadā | ekadā so 'lpakaṃ bhuṅkte na caivaiti punar gṛhān |
Sinabi ni Vāyu-deva: “May mga pagkakataong sa iisang upuan ay nakakakain siya ng pagkaing sapat upang mabusog ang libu-libong tao. Sa ibang pagkakataon nama’y kaunti lamang ang kinakain niya at saka umaalis; at sa gayong araw, hindi na siya muling bumabalik sa bahay.”
वायुदेव उवाच
Educational Q&A
Outer behavior—such as eating much or little—may reflect an inner discipline or vow rather than indulgence. The verse points to detachment from routine household life and emphasizes that a dharmic life can be guided by inner resolve, not by social predictability.
Vāyu describes a person with unusual habits: sometimes consuming an enormous quantity of food at once, sometimes eating very little and leaving, and on those occasions not returning home. The description highlights the figure’s enigmatic, vow-governed way of life.