Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 31
Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda
Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity
अत्र यस्त्वन्तिम: पिण्डो गच्छते जातवेदसम्
atra yas tv antimaḥ piṇḍo gacchate jātavedasam
Here, the final funeral offering (piṇḍa) is conveyed to Jātavedas—Agni, the fire that bears offerings—signifying the completion of the last rite by which the departed is entrusted to the sacred order and the living fulfill their dharma toward the dead.
देवदूत उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores pitṛ-dharma: completing the final offering and entrusting it to Agni symbolizes the ethical duty of the living to perform proper last rites, ensuring ritual completeness and honoring the departed within the cosmic order.
A divine messenger (devadūta) describes a specific point in the funerary/śrāddha sequence: the ‘last piṇḍa’ is said to reach Jātavedas (Agni), marking the culmination of the offering as it is transferred through fire to the intended sacred recipients.