Bhagavad Gita 17.23

Meaning

17.23 ‘Om-tat-sat’ [‘Om, That, Existence’: ‘Om iti brahma, Om is Brahman’ (Tai. 1.8.1); ‘Tattvamasi, Thou art That’ (Ch. 6.8.7); and ‘Sadeva somya idamagra asit, This was Existence alone in the beginning, O amiable one’ (Ch. 6.2.1)-in these texts Brahman is indicated by the words Om, tat, sat.]-this is considered to be the threefold designation of Brahman. The Brahmanas and Vedas and the sacrifices were ordanined by that in the days of yore.

Commentary

17.23 तत्सत् Om Tat Sat? इति thus? निर्देशः designation? ब्रह्मणः of Brahman? त्रिविधः threefold? स्मृतः has been declared? ब्राह्मणाः Brahmanas? तेन by that? वेदाः Vedas? च and? यज्ञाः sacrifices? च and? विहिताः created? पुरा formerly.Commentary 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. When He meditated inwardly on the meaning of this Mantra and repeated the threefold word? He acired the power to create. Then He created the Brahmanas? gave them the Vedas to be their guide and directed them to perform sacrifices and other rites.Puraa Of old At the beginning of creation by the Prajapati.Brahman here means the Veda.