Gita 17.23
Shraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga
ॐ तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः | ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा ||२३||
oṁ tat sad iti nirdeśo brahmaṇas tri-vidhaḥ smṛtaḥ | brāhmaṇās tena vedāś ca yajñāś ca vihitāḥ purā ||23||
In essence: The sacred triad OM TAT SAT - three words that name the unnameable Brahman, the mystical formula from which all Vedic wisdom, spiritual knowledge, and sacred ritual emerged in the beginning.
A conversation between a seeker and guide to help you feel this verse deeply
Sadhak-Guru Dialogue
Sadhak: "Guruji, how can three words 'create' priests, scriptures, and rituals? Is this metaphor or literal truth?"
Guru: "Consider: before any scripture was written, before any ritual was performed, before anyone taught, what existed? Pure Being (Sat), beyond description (Tat), vibrating with the primordial sound (Om). From this ground of reality, all sacred knowledge and practice emerged. Not that someone spoke these words and creation happened - rather, these words name what was already there, from which all else proceeded. The Vedas are Om made text; yajñas are Om made action; Brahmanas are Om made teachers."
Sadhak: "Why three designations? Isn't Brahman one?"
Guru: "Brahman is beyond one and many - these categories don't apply. Three designations are needed because Brahman exceeds any single name. Om captures the dynamic aspect - existence vibrating. Tat captures the transcendent aspect - beyond all conception. Sat captures the foundational aspect - reality itself. Together, they triangulate what no single word can encompass. Each alone is partial; together, they create complete pointing."
Sadhak: "How do I use 'Om Tat Sat' in practice?"
Guru: "Krishna will explain in the following verses. But essentially: begin significant actions by invoking Om, remembering the sacred vibration underlying all. Continue with awareness of Tat - this action connects to That which transcends. Complete with Sat - affirming truth and reality in what you do. This transforms any sincere action into yajna. The words need not be spoken aloud - the consciousness they invoke matters more than the sounds."
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🌅 Daily Practice
Begin the day with three conscious breaths: inhaling 'Om' (awareness of sacred vibration), exhaling 'Tat' (release into transcendence), resting in 'Sat' (grounding in reality). Before your first significant action, silently invoke the triad. This need not be elaborate - simple recognition that you act within and from the sacred.
Use 'Om Tat Sat' as mental reset throughout the day. When stressed, rushed, or forgetting the sacred dimension: pause, breathe, remember Om-Tat-Sat. Before important meetings, decisions, or communications, briefly invoke this consciousness. Let 'Tat' remind you that outcomes transcend your planning; let 'Sat' anchor you in what is real.
Close the day by offering its activities into Om Tat Sat. Whatever was done - well or poorly - release it into Tat (That which transcends judgment). Whatever remains undone - accept it in Sat (the truth of limitation). Whatever tomorrow holds - trust it to Om (the sacred unfolding). Let the threefold formula become your evening prayer, dissolving the day's particulars into universal ground.