📿 Shloka Collection

Om Tat Sad Iti Nirdesho

Gita 17.23 Bhagavad Gita
📖 Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 17 — Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga
ॐ तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः ।
ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा ॥
Om tat sad iti nirdesho brahmanah trividhah smritah,
Brahmanas tena vedash cha yajnash cha vihitah pura.
Om (the sacred syllable)
तत्
Tat (That — referring to Brahman)
सत्
Sat (Truth / the Eternal)
इति
thus
निर्देशः
designation / indication
ब्रह्मणः
of Brahman
त्रिविधः
threefold
स्मृतः
is considered
वेदाः
the Vedas
यज्ञाः
sacrifices
विहिताः
were ordained / created
पुरा
in ancient times

Krishna now arrives at the chapter's summit. "Om Tat Sat" — these three words together form the threefold designation of Brahman, the supreme reality. From this threefold name, the Vedas, the learned, and all sacred rituals were established in the beginning of creation.

Each word carries its own weight. "Om" is the primordial sound — the first vibration from which all of creation emerged. "Tat" means "That" — pointing to the supreme reality that lies beyond everything we can see or name. "Sat" means truth, existence, the eternal — that which never perishes.

Together, these three syllables hold the essence of the Vedic tradition. The shlokas that follow will unpack each word individually, showing how they sanctify every act of sacrifice, austerity, and charity.

This shloka opens the final and most profound section of Chapter 17 (shlokas 17.23-28). "Om Tat Sat" is regarded as the highest designation of Brahman in the Vedic tradition. The Mandukya Upanishad provides an extended meditation on Om. Here, Krishna gives the concept a practical dimension — connecting it to everyday acts of sacrifice, austerity, and charity.

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