Bhagavad-gītā 17.23
Read once with your eyes. Read again aloud.
तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः।ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा।।17.23।।
oṁ tat sad iti nirdeśho brahmaṇas tri-vidhaḥ smṛitaḥ brāhmaṇās tena vedāśh cha yajñāśh cha vihitāḥ purā
"Om, Tat, Sat": this has been declared to be the triple designation of Brahman. By that were made of old the Brâhmanas, the Vedas and the Yajnas.
English rendering by Swami Swarupananda. Public domain first edition, 1909.
Build the sentence from its parts
Read across once, then cover the meanings and recover them from the Sanskrit forms.
| Sanskrit form | Meaning here |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Begin with the verse itself, then trace its movement through om tat sat (syllables representing aspects of transcendence), tena (from them), and purā (from the beginning of creation). Ask what changes between the first and last term, and how that movement contributes to faith expressed through daily choices. State the connection in your own words, then check it against Bhagavad-gita 17.23.
Original school explanation. Written independently from the Sanskrit word map. It is not a quotation, translation, or summary of a named modern commentary. Chapter lens: Trace how faith, worship, food, sacrifice, austerity and gift are described under the three guṇas.
Five careful reading routes
The cards below are reading references, not claims about what an acharya says in this verse. Modern wording stays inside authorized editions. Classical commentary will appear only after an independent translation has passed scholarly and rights review.
Meaning map
Follow the thought
- 1
"Om, Tat, Sat"
- 2
this has been declared to be the triple designation of Brahman
- 3
By that were made of old the Brâhmanas, the Vedas and the Yajnas
Look, link, cover, teach
Look
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Cover
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A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Bhagavad-gita As It IsFor Bhagavad-gita 17.23, consult the authorized BBT edition. No purport, translation, or author-attributed summary is reproduced here.
Find the authorized editionBhaktivinoda Thakura
Rasika-ranjanaA verified independent rendering for Bhagavad-gita 17.23 has not yet passed scholarly and rights review. Modern translations are not copied here.
Independent rendering pending reviewBaladeva Vidyabhushana
Gita-bhushana-bhashyaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 17.23 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewVishvanatha Cakravarti Thakura
Sarartha-varshini-tikaThe original work is classical. A newly commissioned or independently prepared translation for Bhagavad-gita 17.23 must be verified before publication.
Independent translation pending reviewOther Gaudiya acharyas
Authorized Gaudiya editionsFor Bhagavad-gita 17.23, later teachers remain a further-reading route. Their wording and distinctive teaching structures require permission or a separate rights review.
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