Pitāmaha-sabhā-varṇana & Hariścandra-māhātmya
Description of Brahmā’s Assembly and the Eminence of Hariścandra
पितृणां च गणान् विद्धि सप्तैव पुरुषर्षभ । मूर्तिमन्तो हि चत्वारस्त्रयश्चाप्पशरीरिण:,नरश्रेष्ठ! तुम्हें मालूम होना चाहिये कि पितरोंके सात ही गण होते हैं, जिनमें चार तो मूर्तिमान् हैं और तीन अमूर्त
pitṝṇāṁ ca gaṇān viddhi saptaiva puruṣarṣabha | mūrtimanto hi catvāras trayaś cāpy aśarīriṇaḥ ||
那罗陀说道:“人中雄牛啊,当知祖灵毗特利(Pitṛs)分为七类。其中四类具形有身;三类无身无形,幽微而无相。”
नारद उवाच
The verse presents a traditional cosmological classification of the Pitṛs into seven groups, distinguishing between embodied and bodiless orders—implying that ancestral existence spans both gross and subtle modes, relevant to dharma and rites for ancestors.
Nārada is instructing a respected listener (addressed as ‘best of men’) by giving doctrinal information about the Pitṛs, setting a framework for understanding ancestral realms and related duties.