Bhagavad Gita · Shraddhatraya Vibhaga YogaChapter 17, Shloka 23 (17.23)
Original Sanskrit · श्रीभगवान्
ॐ तत् सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः
ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा
॥ 17.23 ॥
ॐ tat saditi nirdeśo brahmaṇastrividhaḥ smṛtaḥ
brāhmaṇāstena vedāśca yajñāśca vihitāḥ purā
Translation
"'Om Tat Sat' — this is held to be the threefold designation (name) of Brahman. By it, in the beginning, the brahmins, the Vedas and yajna were created."
Interpretation
Shankaracharya. trividho nāmanirdeśaḥ brahmaṇaḥ smṛtaḥ cintitaḥ vedānteṣu brahmavidbhiḥ.
Acharya Ramanuja. brahmaṇaḥ anvayī bhavati — this designation is connected with Brahman.
Shridhara Swami. A question: sarvam api yajñatapodānādi rājasatāmasaprāyam eveti vyartho yajñādiprayāsa — if all yajna, tapas and giving are more or less rajasic and tamasic, is the effort futile? In answer, Om Tat Sat — tathāvidhasyāpi sāttvikatvāpādanaprakāraṃ — a means of making even such actions sattvic.
Madhusudana Saraswati. He regards Om Tat Sat as sāmānyaprāyaścittaṃ paramakāruṇikatayā — a general atonement given out of supreme compassion: anuṣṭhātṝṇāṃ pramādabahulatvāt — because those who perform actions make many lapses, to make up for them.
AI-assisted draft translation — under review.