Shloka
ॐतत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः |
ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा ||१७-२३||Transliteration
OMtatsaditi nirdeśo brahmaṇastrividhaḥ smṛtaḥ .
brāhmaṇāstena vedāśca yajñāśca vihitāḥ purā ||17-23||Translations
Dr.S.Sankaranarayan
17.23. OM TAT SAT : This is held to be the three-fold indication of the Brahman. By means of that, the Vedas, and also the sacrifices had been fashioned formerly by Brahma.
Shri Purohit Swami
17.23 Om Tat Sat’ is the triple designation of the Eternal Spirit, by which of old the Vedic Scriptures, the ceremonials and the sacrifices were ordained.
Sri Abhinav Gupta
17.23 See Comment under 17.27
Sri Ramanuja
17.23 Here Brahman means the Veda. It is the secondary meaning of the expression, especially of the ritualistic portion of the Veda. The three-fold expression Om Tat Sat is connected with the Brahman or the Veda. Sacrifices and similar rituals are prescribed in the Vedas. These expressions Om Tat Sat are used in these Vedic rites. The connection of Om is that it should be invariably used at the commencement of the recitation of Vedic hymns. The syllable Tat and Sat indicate that these rituals are worthy of honour. The Brahmanas are those who are to preserve Vedic study as also the Vedas and the sacrificial rites ordained in them. All these were created by Me in the past.
Sri Krsna elaborates in the next verses the nature of the connection of these syllables with the Vedic rituals, beginning first with Om.
Sri Shankaracharya
17.23 Om, tat, sat-iti, this; is smrtah, considered, regarded, in the Vedanta, by the knowers of Brahman; to be the trividhah, threefold; nirdesah, designation, mention by name-nirdesa is that by which a thing is specified; brahmanah, of Brahman. The Brahmanas and the Vedas and the sacrifices were vihitah, ordainded, [When some defect arises in sacrifice etc., then this is corrected by uttering one of these words-Om, tat, sat.] created; tena, by that threefold designation; pura, in the days of yore [In the beginning of creation by Prajapati.]-this is said by way of eulogizing the designation.
Swami Adidevananda
17.23 Om, Tat, Sat - thus Brahman is denoted by this threefold expression. Associated with these, Brahmanas, the Vedas and sacrifices were ordained in the past.
Swami Gambirananda
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.
Swami Sivananda
17.23 “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.
Commentaries
Swami Sivananda
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.