Shloka 36
Karma-yoga Discipline for the Twice-born: Upanayana, Upavīta Conduct, Guru-veneration, and Alms-regimen
नास्ति मातृसमं दैवं नास्ति पितृसमो गुरुः / तयोः प्रत्युपकारो ऽपि न कथञ्चन विद्यते
nāsti mātṛsamaṃ daivaṃ nāsti pitṛsamo guruḥ / tayoḥ pratyupakāro 'pi na kathañcana vidyate
Não há divindade igual à mãe, nem mestre igual ao pai. Nem sequer existe, de modo algum, a possibilidade de retribuir sua benevolência.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu), instructing on dharma
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
By declaring mother and father as unsurpassed objects of reverence, the verse points to dharma as the practical doorway to inner purification—without which realization of the Atman is considered unstable or merely intellectual.
No technical meditation is prescribed directly; the practice emphasized is karma-yoga through seva (service) and gratitude toward parents and elders, a foundational discipline supporting later yogic steadiness (yama-niyama spirit) in the Kurma Purana’s broader teaching.
It does not name Shiva or Vishnu explicitly; instead, it reflects the Purana’s integrative dharma framework where devotion and yoga—whether Shaiva (Pashupata) or Vaishnava—begin with ethical obligations like honoring parents.