Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 83
Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda
Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity
हृष्टपुष्टमनास्तेषां प्रजा भवति नित्यदा । कुलवंशस्य वृद्धिस्तु पिण्डदस्य फलं भवेत् । श्रद्दधानस्तु यः कुर्यात् पितृणामनृणो भवेत्
hṛṣṭa-puṣṭa-manās teṣāṃ prajā bhavati nityadā | kula-vaṃśasya vṛddhis tu piṇḍa-dasya phalaṃ bhavet | śraddadhānas tu yaḥ kuryāt pitṝṇām anṛṇo bhavet |
Wika ni Śakra: “Sa mga nagsasagawa ng mga ritong ukol sa ninuno, ang kanilang mga tao at salinlahi ay laging masaya, busog, at panatag. Ang pagdami at pagpapatuloy ng pamilya at angkan ay bunga ng śrāddha; madali itong makamtan ng nag-aalay ng piṇḍa. At sinumang gumaganap ng śrāddha para sa mga Pitṛ nang may pananampalataya ay napapalaya sa utang na loob na iniuukol sa kanila.”
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
Śrāddha and piṇḍadāna, when done with śraddhā (faith and reverence), are presented as dharmic duties that sustain family well-being and lineage continuity, and they discharge one’s pitṛ-ṛṇa—the moral obligation owed to one’s ancestors.
Śakra (Indra) is explaining the fruits of performing ancestral rites: the prosperity and contentment of one’s people, the growth of family and lineage, and the removal of indebtedness to the Pitṛs through faithful performance of śrāddha and piṇḍa offerings.