Shloka 20
Nāga–Nāgabhāryā Saṃvāda: Varṇa-Dharma, Gṛhastha-Discipline, and Mokṣa-Self-Inquiry
Mahābhārata 12.347
त्रयो मूर्तिविहीना वै पिण्डमूर्तिधरास्त्विमे । भवन्तु पितरो लोके मया सृष्टा: सनातना:
trayo mūrtivihīnā vai piṇḍamūrtidharāstvime | bhavantu pitaro loke mayā sṛṣṭāḥ sanātanāḥ ||
那罗陀说道：“此三者本无形体，却因取受可触可见的‘供团’（piṇḍa，祭祖食团）之形而显现。愿世间知之为我所化生的永恒祖灵（Pitṛ）。”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links the invisible ancestral realm to visible ethical practice: though the Pitṛs are formless, they become accessible through dharmic rites such as offering piṇḍa in śrāddha. It underscores continuity of obligation—care for ancestors as part of sustaining cosmic and social order.
Nārada is describing the origin/status of the Pitṛs, stating that three formless beings manifest through the piṇḍa-form and are to be recognized in the world as eternal ancestors created by him.