Chapter 17, Verse 23
ॐतत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः | ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा ||१७-२३||
OMtatsaditi nirdeśo brahmaṇastrividhaḥ smṛtaḥ . brāhmaṇāstena vedāśca yajñāśca vihitāḥ purā ||17-23||
Meaning
17.23 "Om Tat Sat": This has been declared to be the triple designation of Brahman. By that were created formerly, the Brahmanas, the Vedas and the sacrifices.
Word-by-Word Meaning
Explanation & Commentary
Krishna introduces a sacred triple formula: Om Tat Sat — a threefold nirdesha or designation of Brahman, the Absolute. This is among the most revered utterances in the Vedic tradition. By this very triad, Krishna says, the Brahmanas, the Vedas, and the sacrifices were ordained in the beginning. The phrase invokes the Supreme as the source and sanctifier of all spiritual life.
Each syllable carries weight: Om points to the primordial Reality, Tat ('That') to the transcendent beyond all forms, and Sat to existence, truth, and goodness. Together they remind the practitioner that every act of worship, study, or sacrifice draws its meaning from the Divine. After diagnosing how the gunas colour our actions, Krishna now points beyond the three gunas entirely — to the unconditioned Brahman, in whose name all noble deeds find their ground and consecration.
💡 Key Takeaway
Every sacred act draws its true meaning from the Divine — invoking 'Om Tat Sat' consecrates work, study, and giving to the Absolute.
Related Verses
तस्मादोमित्युदाहृत्य यज्ञदानतपःक्रियाः | प्रवर्तन्ते विधानोक्ताः सततं ब्रह्मवादिनाम् ||१७-२४||
tasmādomityudāhṛtya yajñadānatapaḥkriyāḥ . pravartante vidhānoktāḥ satataṃ brahmavādinām ||17-24||
17.24 Therefore, with the utterance of "Om" are the acts of sacrifice, gift and austerity as enjoined in the scriptures, always begun by the students of Brahman.
सद्भावे साधुभावे च सदित्येतत्प्रयुज्यते | प्रशस्ते कर्मणि तथा सच्छब्दः पार्थ युज्यते ||१७-२६||
sadbhāve sādhubhāve ca sadityetatprayujyate . praśaste karmaṇi tathā sacchabdaḥ pārtha yujyate ||17-26||
17.26 The word ï1Satï1 is used in the sense of reality and of goodness; and so also, O Arjuna, the word ï1Satï1 is used in the sense of an auspicious act.