Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 23
Karma-yoga Discipline for the Twice-born: Upanayana, Upavīta Conduct, Guru-veneration, and Alms-regimen
लौकिकं वैदिकं चापि तथाध्यात्मिकमेव वा / आददीत यतो ज्ञानं तं पूर्वमभिवादयेत्
laukikaṃ vaidikaṃ cāpi tathādhyātmikameva vā / ādadīta yato jñānaṃ taṃ pūrvamabhivādayet
Dù là học vấn thế gian, học vấn Veda, hay trí tuệ tâm linh (adhyātmika), hễ nhận được tri thức từ ai thì trước hết hãy cúi đầu đảnh lễ người ấy.
Traditional narration in the Kurma Purana’s Purva-bhaga (instructional discourse attributed within the sage-to-sage Purana frame; presented as dharma-upadesha consistent with Kurma Purana teaching style)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
Indirectly: it frames adhyātmika-jñāna (knowledge of the Self) as a distinct and higher category of learning, and teaches that such wisdom is received through a worthy source who must be honored first.
No specific technique is listed; the verse emphasizes a foundational sādhana—guru-bhakti and humility—treated in Yoga-shastra and Purana traditions as prerequisites for receiving mantra, śāstra-artha, and adhyātma realization.
It does not name Shiva or Vishnu explicitly; its synthesis is methodological—spiritual knowledge (common to Shaiva and Vaishnava streams in the Kurma Purana) is approached through disciplined reverence to the teacher and lineage.