Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 40
Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda
Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity
हव्यवाहे तु यः पिण्डो दीयते तन्निबोध मे । पितरस्तेन तृप्यन्ति प्रीता:ः कामान् दिशन्ति च
havyavāhe tu yaḥ piṇḍo dīyate tan nibodha me | pitaras tena tṛpyanti prītāḥ kāmān diśanti ca ||
神圣的使者说道：“你当从我这里明白那投入火中的食供——团食（piṇḍa）。凭此供献，祖灵（Pitṛs）得以满足；而当他们欢喜之时，便会回赐于人，使其所愿之事得以成就。”
देवदूत उवाच
Educational Q&A
Offerings made into Agni as part of ancestral rites (piṇḍa/oblations) are said to nourish and satisfy the Pitṛs; their satisfaction is linked with the bestowal of blessings and the fulfillment of legitimate human aims, emphasizing reciprocity, gratitude, and dharmic continuity across generations.
A divine messenger is instructing the listener about the efficacy of a specific ritual act—placing a piṇḍa offering into the sacred fire—and explains its result: the ancestors become pleased and, being pleased, confer desired outcomes upon the performer.