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Bhagavad Gita · 17.24 · Yoga through Discerning the Three Divisions of Faith·24 of 28

तस्मादोमित्युदाहृत्य यज्ञदानतपःक्रियाःप्रवर्तन्ते विधानोक्ताः सततं ब्रह्मवादिनाम्

tasmād oṁ ity udāhṛitya yajña-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyāḥ

pravartante vidhānoktāḥ satataṁ brahma-vādinām

Sanskrit recitation

Om Tat Sat — make it true · 17.23–17.28 · Teaching

Translation

Therefore, 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.

Meaning

Those who are knowers of the scriptures have a vivid impression of Om in their minds by means of meditation and then they will utter the Pranava with the proper attitude and feeling. Then meditating on Om and uttering it, they perform the sacrifices. Just as a hillstick is very useful in climbing a hill, just as a boat is very useful in crossing a river, so also Om is very useful and important at the commencement of an action or sacrifice.It is not desirable to renounce actions or sacrifices to attain union with the Lord. What is wanted is total and perfect surrender of all actions to God. Sacrifice, charity and austerity are not hindrances to the attainment of Selfrealisation on the contrary the attainment of liberation is rendered easy by their performance without any selfish desires or egoism.

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.

Word-by-word
om
sacred syllable om
iti
thus
dāna
charity
yajña
sacrifice
satatam
always
tapaḥ
penance
tasmāt
therefore
kriyāḥ
performing
pravartante
begin
udāhṛitya
by uttering
brahma-vādinām
expounders of the Vedas
vidhāna-uktāḥ
according to the prescriptions of Vedic injunctions

Related verses

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