17.23 Om, Tat, Sat Krishna speaks
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
Om, Tat, Sat — this is held to be the threefold naming of Brahman. By it the priests, the Vedas and the offerings were established of old.
Explanation
Three syllables, offered as a threefold naming.
oṁ tat sat — and by it, the verse says, the priests, the Vedas and the offerings were established of old.
The chapter has spent twenty-two verses grading acts by intention. It now turns to language, and the last five verses are about what saying something does to what you are doing.
Word by word
- om tat sat
- syllables representing aspects of transcendence
- iti
- thus
- nirdeśhaḥ
- symbolic representatives
- brahmaṇaḥ
- the Supreme Absolute Truth
- tri-vidhaḥ
- of three kinds
- smṛitaḥ
- have been declared
- brāhmaṇāḥ
- the priests
- tena
- from them
- vedāḥ
- scriptures
- cha
- and
- yajñāḥ
- sacrifice
- cha
- and
- vihitāḥ
- came about
- purā
- from the beginning of creation
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