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 |
帝释（Śakra）说道：“行此祖先之礼者，其民与子孙恒常欢悦、丰足而安。家族与宗系之增长延续，乃施罗陀（śrāddha）之果报；施献团食（piṇḍa）者尤易得此福。又，凡以信心为诸祖灵（Pitṛ）行施罗陀者，便能解脱对祖先所负之债。”
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.