In another, perhaps more prominent instance (as it occurs in the Mahabharata), Vichitraviriya(impotent in Sanskrit), grandfather of the Pandavas and Kauravas, is also seen to be a victim of TB. Bhishma, his half-brother, arranged his marriage to Amba and Ambalika, the daughters of the king of Kasi. He loved and respected them very much and his wives felt the same about him; yet, they remained childless. About 7 years into the marriage, he contracted phthisis (another name for pulmonary TB, or TB which affects the lungs). Despite the best of efforts, he eventually succumbed to the disease.  

The original Sanskrit verse from the Mahabharata suggests that his death was caused by his overindulgence in amorous pursuits. This is similar to the inference drawn from Soma’s case, as he had 28 wives and was also known for his lustful tendencies. This lead to the conclusion that TB is a result of excess sex. This may be because Ayurveda, the traditional Indian system of medicine, believes in the theory of bodily humors or Doshas, and says that diseases are caused due to imbalance of these Doshas. It links TB to a specific imbalance that can be caused by excessive activities of passion.

This leads to the question of whether modern science has discovered a link between sex and TB. So far, it does not recognise a connection between them. TB is known to be caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, a type of bacteria. They might have been associated because TB symptoms are related to blood, and so sexual activity (with respect to bodily humors).

Another Ayurveda belief is that such over-indulgence leads to weakness and reduced resistance to infection, in which case the patient might easily catch TB. It could also point to the possibility of the patient contracting an STD like HIV/AIDS which could either be confused for TB itself or act as a risk factor in the contraction of TB.