Bhagavad Gita · 17.23 · Yoga through Discerning the Three Divisions of Faith·23 of 28
तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः।ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा ॥
oṁ tat sad iti nirdeśho brahmaṇas tri-vidhaḥ
smṛitaḥ brāhmaṇās tena vedāśh cha yajñāśh cha vihitāḥ purā
Sanskrit recitation
Om Tat Sat — make it true · 17.23–17.28 · Teaching
Translation
"Om Tat Sat": This has been declared to be the triple designation of Brahman. By that, the Brahmanas, the Vedas, and the sacrifices were created formerly.
Meaning
Om Tat Sat is the root of the entire universe. Om is the Akshara Brahman. Tat means Thath, the indefinable. Sat means Reality.Para Brahman, that Supreme Being, the abiding place of all that lives and moves, is beyond name and class. The Vedas have ventured to give a name to Him. A new born child has no name but no,receiving one he will answer to it. Men who are troubled by the afflictions of this world run to the Deity for refuge and call Him by the name. When Brahman is invoked through the name that which is hidden is revealed to the aspirant.These three words have a divine power of their own. The vibrations that they produce in one are such as to arouse the latent divinity and also to secure the necessary response from the Cosmic Being Whom they connote.When a sacrificial rite or the like is found defective, it will be rendered perfect by the utterance of the powerful Mantra Om Tat Sat or one of the three designations in the end. With Om or Om Tat Sat all acts of sacrifice, study of sacred scriptures, spiritual discipline and meditation are commenced. If the doer of sacrifices remembers either of these Mantras all obstacles that stand in the way of success of the sacrifices are removed.Om Tat Sat has been declared to be the triple designation of Brahman in the Vedanta by the knowers of Brahman. The power of creation that lies in the Creator emanates from this Mantra
After Swami Sivananda
Om Tat Sat — make it true· 17.23–17.28→
Teachers usually read this idea across several verses together, one shared reflection covers the whole unit.
17.23"Om Tat Sat": This has been declared to be the triple designation of Brahman. By that, the Brahmanas, the Vedas, and the sacrifices were created formerly.
- 17.24Therefore, with the utterance of "Om," the acts of sacrifice, gift, and austerity, as enjoined in the scriptures, are always begun by the students of Brahman.
- 17.25Uttering "Tat," without aiming for the fruits, are the acts of sacrifice, austerity, and the various acts of gifts performed by those seeking liberation.
- 17.26The word "Sat" is used to refer to reality and goodness; likewise, O Arjuna, the word "Sat" is used to refer to an auspicious act.
- 17.27Steadfastness in sacrifice, austerity, and gift is also called 'Sat', and action in connection with these, or for the sake of the Supreme, is also called 'Sat'.
- 17.28Whatever is sacrificed, given, or performed, and whatever austerity is practiced without faith, it is called 'Asat', O Arjuna; it is of no value here or hereafter (after death).
Word-by-word→
- cha
- and
- iti
- thus
- tena
- from them
- purā
- from the beginning of creation
- vedāḥ
- scriptures
- om tat sat
- syllables representing aspects of transcendence
- vihitāḥ
- came about
- yajñāḥ
- sacrifice
- smṛitaḥ
- have been declared
- nirdeśhaḥ
- symbolic representatives
- tri-vidhaḥ
- of three kinds
- brahmaṇaḥ
- the Supreme Absolute Truth
- brāhmaṇāḥ
- the priests
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