Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 41
Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda
Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity
एतत् ते कथित सर्व त्रिषु पिण्डेषु या गति: । ऋत्विग्यो यजमानस्य पितृत्वमनुगच्छति
etat te kathitaṃ sarvaṃ triṣu piṇḍeṣu yā gatiḥ | ṛtvigyo yajamānasya pitṛtvam anugacchati ||
«ທັງໝົດນີ້ເຮົາໄດ້ອະທິບາຍໃຫ້ເຈົ້າແລ້ວ ທັງເສັ້ນທາງແລະຜົນທີ່ເກີດຈາກບິນ (piṇḍa) ທັງສາມ. ພຣາຫມັນຜູ້ປະກອບພິທີ (ṛtvij) ທີ່ຖືກເຊີນມາຮັບປະທານອາຫານສຣາດທະ (śrāddha) ຈະຖືກນັບວ່າ ໃນວັນນັ້ນເປັນດັ່ງບິດາຂອງຜູ້ບູຊາ; ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ໃນວັນນັ້ນການຮ່ວມເພດຈຶ່ງຖືກເຫັນວ່າຄວນຫຼີກລ້ຽງ ເພາະຄວາມເຄົາລົບແລະວິໄນພິທີ»។
देवदूत उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes the sanctity of the śrāddha context: the invited officiant/priest is to be regarded as embodying the father (pitṛ) for that day, so the household observes heightened restraint—especially avoiding sexual intercourse—as an act of reverence and ritual discipline.
A divine messenger (devadūta) concludes an explanation about the ‘three piṇḍas’ and their associated outcomes, then states a rule of conduct for śrāddha: the invited priest assumes the father’s status for the day, shaping how the patron’s household should behave.