Shloka 21
Nāga–Nāgabhāryā Saṃvāda: Varṇa-Dharma, Gṛhastha-Discipline, and Mokṣa-Self-Inquiry
Mahābhārata 12.347
पिता पितामहश्नैव तथैव प्रपितामह: । अहमेवात्र विज्ञेयस्त्रिषु पिण्डेषु संस्थित:,पिता, पितामह और प्रपितामह--इनके रूपमें मुझे ही इन तीन पिण्डोंमें स्थित जानना चाहिये
pitā pitāmahaś caiva tathaiva prapitāmahaḥ | aham evātra vijñeyas triṣu piṇḍeṣu saṃsthitaḥ ||
Nārada berkata: “Sama ada sebagai bapa, datuk, atau moyang—ketahuilah bahawa akulah sahaja yang harus dikenali di sini sebagai yang bersemayam dalam tiga piṇḍa ini.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that in honoring the father, grandfather, and great-grandfather through the three piṇḍa offerings, one should recognize a single abiding presence underlying the ancestral line—emphasizing reverence for lineage and the spiritual continuity expressed through ritual.
Narada is instructing the listener about the meaning of ancestral offerings: the three piṇḍas correspond to three generations (father, grandfather, great-grandfather), and he states that he is to be understood as present within them—clarifying the inner significance of the rite rather than treating it as a mere external act.