Mahakatha

Chapter 17 · Verse 23 · Sraddhatraya Vibhaga Yoga

Bhagavad Gita 17.23

devotional Dharma & Duty Self & Identity

Sanskrit

तत्सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस्त्रिविधः स्मृतः।ब्राह्मणास्तेन वेदाश्च यज्ञाश्च विहिताः पुरा।।17.23।।

Transliteration

oṁ tat sad iti nirdeśho brahmaṇas tri-vidhaḥ smṛitaḥ brāhmaṇās tena vedāśh cha yajñāśh cha vihitāḥ purā

In plain words

You're asking: What am I meant to do? What makes my life matter? Krishna says the sacred order that runs through existence—through all genuine work, all true calling, all real devotion—isn't something you have to invent or earn. It's already woven into you. When you stop waiting for permission and offer your honest work as a gift, not as a weapon or a desperate grab for safety, you're participating in something far larger than your doubt.

Word by Word

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
Simplified Perspective

Sri Krishna reveals the sacred syllable Om-Tat-Sat as the three-fold designation of Brahman itself—the ultimate reality that has eternally ordained the Vedas, the priestly order, and all sacrifice. These are not arbitrary human inventions but divine expressions flowing directly from the nature of transcendence.

When you chant Om, study scripture with reverence, or perform your duties as an offering, you are participating in this cosmic order that sustains all existence.

Listen

Bhagavad Gita 17.23 — BG 17.23

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Sanskrit text from the Bhagavad Gita (public domain). Commentary © Mahakatha.

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