Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 53
एतस्मिन्नंतरे प्राप्ताः समाहूताश्च तेन ये । पितरो देवरूपा ये प्रेतरूपास्तथैव च
etasminnaṃtare prāptāḥ samāhūtāśca tena ye | pitaro devarūpā ye pretarūpāstathaiva ca
وفي تلك الأثناء وصل الذين كان قد دعاهم: الآباء الأسلاف (Pitṛs)، فظهر بعضهم في هيئة إلهية، وظهر آخرون كذلك في هيئة بريتا (preta)، أرواح الراحلين.
Purāṇic narrator (contextual narrator in Tīrtha-māhātmya)
Tirtha: Gayā (pitṛ-sānnidhya episode)
Type: kshetra
Scene: As the performer completes the invocation, Pitṛs arrive: some radiant like devas with subtle crowns and light, others pale and austere like pretas; they gather near the ritual seat, unseen by most but depicted as present.
FAQs
Śrāddha is presented as a living spiritual exchange: ancestors are believed to respond and be present in subtle forms.
The Gayā tīrtha milieu continues; the verse highlights the efficacy of invocation in that sacred setting.
The successful ‘āhvāna’ (invocation) of Pitṛs as part of śrāddha is implied.