Verse 17.23

ॐतत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः ।

ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा ॥

17.23

Transliteration

oṃtatsaditi nirdeśo brahmaṇastrividhaḥ smṛtaḥ |

brāhmaṇāstena vedāśca yajñāśca vihitāḥ purā ||

By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · @indic-transliteration/sanscript 1.3.3

Translation

"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.

From the owner's sheet · +1 more

Word by word

Om
Tat
Sat
thus
designation
of Brahman
threefold
is held

the brahmins
by that
the Vedas
and
sacrifices
and
were ordained
of old

By Sanskrit System · Machine draft · claude-opus-5-5 · 2026-11-08

Explanation

The chapter now turns to the sacred formula Om Tat Sat, described as the threefold designation of Brahman. By it, Krishna says, the brahmins, the Vedas and the sacrifices were established at the beginning. The three words are often understood as naming the supreme reality in different aspects. The verse prepares a remedy for the imperfections described earlier in the chapter: by linking actions to Brahman through these words, one dedicates them to the highest.