Thanks a lot. *The Meaning of Om Tat Sat*
We are now on the concluding portion of the Seventeenth Chapter of the
Bhagavadgita.
*oṁ tat sad iti nirdeśo brahmaṇas trividhaḥ smṛtaḥ, brāhmaṇās tena vedāś ca
yajñāś ca vihitāḥ purā* (17.23)
*tasmād om ity udāhṛtya yajñadānatapaḥkriyāḥ, pravartante vidhānoktāḥ
satataṁ brahmavādinām* (17.24)
*tad ityanabhisaṁdhāya phalaṁ yajñatapaḥkriyāḥ, dānakriyāś ca vividhāḥ
kriyante mokṣakāṅkṣibhiḥ* (17.25)
*sadbhāve sādhubhāve ca sad ityetat prayujyate, praśaste karmaṇi tathā
sacchabdaḥ pārtha yujyate* (17.26)
*yajñe tapasi dāne ca sthitiḥ sad iti cocyate, karma caiva tadarthīyaṁ sad
ityevābhidhīyate* (17.27)
*aśraddhayā hutaṁ dattaṁ tapas taptaṁ kṛtaṁ ca yat, asad ity ucyate pārtha
na ca tat prepya no iha* (17.28)
The Supreme Being—Brahman, the Absolute—is designated as Om Tat Sat in a
threefold definition or description. Knowers of the Vedas, known as
Brahmanas, and the Veda mantras, and the *yajnas* or sacrifices, are all
purified and consecrated by the recitation of this mystic symbol Om Tat
Sat. The threefold description of Brahman as Om, Tat and Sat is always
recited in all religious performances—during the study of the Vedas, at the
conclusion of sacrifices or *yajnas*, and whatever rituals that Brahmanas,
that is, the knowers of the Vedas, may undertake. Sacrifices (*yajna)*,
charities (*dana)*, austerities (*tapas*), are undertaken by people
according to the rules and regulations of the scriptures and as laid down
by knowers of Brahman, beginning with the chanting of Om: *om ity udāhṛtya
yajñadānatapaḥkriyāḥ*. Whenever we commence any holy act, we say Om. We
never see people commencing a worship without chanting Om first. Whether it
is a prayer, a meditational session, a worship or a *svadhyaya*, all this
commences with an inward recitation of Om.
*Tad ityanabhisaṁdhāya phalaṁ yajñatapaḥkriyāḥ, dānakriyāś ca vividhāḥ
kriyante mokṣakāṅkṣibhiḥ*: Similarly, *yajna*, *dana* and *tapas* are
associated with the other letter, Tat, in the same way as Om is associated
with *yajna*, *dana* and *tapas*, and with all religious performances. Sat
is the third symbol, which signifies goodness. We say *satsanga*, *sant*,
saint, mahatma, which all come from the word ‘Sat'. *Sacchabdaḥ pārtha
yujyate*: Whenever there is something good or saintly, we call that Sat.
Whenever there is something auspicious, then also we use the word Sat in
regard to that auspicious beginning. The words *yajna*, *dana* and
*tapah*—sacrifice,
austerity and charity—are repeated again and again, but they become stable
and meaningful, and bear the requisite fruit, only when they are associated
with Sat, or Pure Existence. All the activities that we perform for the
sake of fulfilling *yajna*, *dana *and* tapas*—*karma caiva
tadarthīyaṁ*—anything
that we do for the welfare of our own self as well as that of others, for
the fulfilment of our spiritual aspirations, all come under Sat, or immense
goodness.
Actually, the terms ‘Tat' and ‘Sat' signify the transcendent aspect of
Brahman and the immanent aspect of Brahman, both of which are blended
together in a universalised connotation, or denotation, as we may call it,
which is Om. The Supreme Being is called Om because of the inclusiveness of
the Supreme Being. Though the Supreme Being is inclusive, it manifests
itself as transcendent and immanent when creation takes place. We are in
this world of creation, and we know very well that every nook and corner
and particle of every atom is pervaded and indwelt by the Supreme Brahman,
yet this Brahman is not exhausted in this world. The whole of Brahman is
present in this world, and yet the whole of Brahman is above this
world. *Pūrṇam
adaḥ, pūrṇam idam, pūrṇāt pūrṇam udacyate* (Isa upanishad). The whole
Brahman manifests the whole universe, and the whole Brahman enters wholly
into this whole universe. {BG KR I AM IN ALL BUT NONE IN ME} Though the
whole Brahman enters wholly into this universe, the transcendent aspect of
Brahman is not in any way affected by this entry of Brahman into the cosmos.
The usual idea of location that we have in our minds is that if we are in
one place, we cannot be in another place; and if Brahman is inside this
world, Brahman cannot be outside the world. That is to say, if God is
involved in this world as the immanent principle enveloping the whole world
completely, there would be no God left beyond the world. There would be no
transcendence. But it is not so. The entire Brahman remains there,
uninvolved in the creational process in spite of the entire Brahman
controlling the whole universe and entering into it, even to the smallest
particle.{KR Brahmam is pervaded in prakriti the nature also and
destruction of nature is pre-determined; destruction of nature causes only
the destruction embedded with the nature viz us but not the nature; as
anything added to nature is same nature; anything taken away is also the
same nature; poornamidham Isa Upanishad}
Thus, the Tat is the transcendent, the otherworldly, impossible to grasp,
beyond the reaches of space and time; and the Sat is that very same thing
involved in this creation. It is here, and also there. Our minds have a
peculiar difficulty in imagining the connection between transcendence and
immanence because we always think that transcendence means something
getting beyond our control and remaining far above, so distant from us that
we cannot even imagine where it is. Far, far, infinitely far, is that
unreachable Supreme Brahman. But Brahman which is so far, apparently
unreachable even by the mind with its speed of thought, is also here,
immanently involved as the soul of all beings. Therefore, it is necessary
to visualise a total picture of this transcendent existence as well as the
immanent existence of God, and to overcome the limitations of the mind
which compel us to make a distinction between that which is far and that
which is near. We cannot, even for a moment, imagine how something that is
very far away can also be something that is very near. It is impossible to
imagine such a thing. The near thing cannot be the distant thing. But here
is a peculiar situation where the most distant thing is also the nearest.
That is the reason why we say that spatial definitions are not to be
introduced into the characterisation of Brahman, the Absolute.
Our difficulty in blending together the notions of distance and nearness
arise on account of our thinking in terms of space. When we say God is far
away, we think in terms of spatial distance. When we say that God is very
near us, then also we think in terms of some location in space juxtaposed
to our body, as it were. But, try to think a thing minus the measurable
characteristic of space. The mind cannot perform this feat. Minus space,
nothing can be thought and, therefore, an immeasurable thing, or
non-measurable thing, cannot be conceived in the mind. This is why God
cannot become an object of thought. Nobody can think God because thinking
is a process involved in space and time, and that which is called God is
not in space and time.
Hence, that which is not involved in the distance of space and the duration
of time cannot be thought by the human mind, which always thinks in terms
of distance and duration. Yet, in spiritual meditations we are expected to
wean the mind from this involvement of thinking in terms of distance and
duration, and bring together the concepts of transcendence and immanence,
Tat and Sat, together in an Om that is all-inclusive.
This inclusiveness is signified by Om, or *pranava*, which is partly a
vibration that creates all substances constituting the universe, and is
partly scriptural because it is a name or nomenclature for God. *Tasya
vācakaḥ praṇavaḥ *(Y.S. 1.27), says Patanjali in one of the sutras. If we
want to designate God, we have to designate Him only by the term Om,
*pranava*. We cannot call Him by any other name, because all names arising
from language denote some object which is in some place. When we say tree,
the name ‘tree' denotes some object which is in some place. Everything else
is also of the same nature. When we utter any word that designates some
object—it could be any word in the dictionary—that word connotes or denotes
something that is in some place or at some time, but it cannot denote
something that is everywhere and for all time. So, no word in any language
can designate That which is everywhere and at all times.
Hence, Om is specially regarded as a symbolic expression which embodies in
itself the total process of sound production. All the letters of the
alphabet, when they are uttered, create a vibration in the vocal cords. The
sound box operates in some way when one letter is uttered, and in another
way when another letter is uttered; and there are varieties of operations
of the vocal system when different letters are uttered. But when Om is
chanted, the entire sound box vibrates—“Aaaaauuuummm”. This process
originates from the deepest beginning of the process of sound and ends with
just a rarefied form of the sound ‘m', which merges into a soundless,
ethereal, pervading something. This total sound vibration goes beyond the
process of sound production and becomes an intangible super-sensory force.
In this kind of Omkara, the transcendent aspect and the Sat aspect are
clubbed together.
Thus, the threefold definition of Brahman—Om Tat Sat—means God here, God
above and God below, and God everywhere. {KR: Chandogya Upanishad: “"That
infinite, indeed, is below. It is above. It is behind. It is before. It is
to the south. It is to the north. The Infinite, indeed, is all this. "Next
follows the instruction about the Infinite with reference to ‘I’: I,
indeed, am below. I am above. I am behind. I am before. I am to the south.
I am to the north. I am, indeed, all this”.} The everywhere Ness of God
includes the aboveness and the hereness of God. The aboveness is Tat, the
hereness is Sat, and the everywhere Ness is Om. Therefore, Om Tat Sat is a
complete mystical symbol which was evolved by ancient Masters. This is why
in all auspicious beginnings, Om is chanted; and when we conclude anything,
we say Om Tat Sat, dedicating the performance to the Almighty.
*Aśraddhayā hutaṁ dattaṁ tapas taptaṁ kṛtaṁ ca yat, asad ityucyate pārtha
na ca tat prepya no iha*: Faithless performance is *asat*, whether it is a
performance in the form of *yajna* or sacrifice, charity, a philanthropic
deed, or an austerity or *tapas*. Anything that is done without faith is
*asat*. This chapter is devoted entirely to the question of what faith is
in its *sattvic*, *rajasic* and *tamasic* aspects. Performance without
faith is devoid of the immanent force of divinity because it is not
conducted with the operation of the soul, which is called the faith of the
person. Faith is nothing but the action of the soul and, therefore, it is
more powerful than any other faculty working in a person. If this faith is
not there, the performance brings no result either in this world or in the
other world: *na ca tat prepya*, not after death; *na iha*, not even here.
Faith is supreme, and its threefold character has been beautifully
explained in the Seventeenth Chapter. With this, we conclude the
Seventeenth Chapter.(Main from Krishnananda) KR IRS 8423
On Sat, 8 Apr 2023 at 00:19, [email protected] <[email protected]>
wrote:
> *On fundamental questions of life, answer to every 'why' will lead to
> another 'why', almost unendingly. One interpretation of the ancient wisdom
> behind 'Tat Sat' * (*तत सत), is 'be that as it may' or extrapolated, it
> could mean 'that's the way it is'. There are not only the 'unknowns', but
> also the 'unknowables'. The resultant humility of realising these truths
> and the limitations of our instruments of perception may be helpful for
> peace of mind and harmony in relationships. *
>
> *Ramu*
>
> On Sat, Apr 8, 2023, 12:19 PM Rajaram Krishnamurthy <[email protected]>
> wrote:
>
>> A nice way comparing freelife against the present nature being damaged.
>> However, freedom is not just to do whatever one wishes; the society has "n"
>> ways of freedom, thoughts; and "n"way of life; however where all are
>> travelling in their own paths of flight, it must be remembered that
>> collision shall occur frequently since freedom also kills.Freedom is a
>> regulated disciplinary path. Nature got damaged only because of the wide
>> freedom enjoined to the lovers who went against nature, knowing fully well
>> the consequences. That kind of power freedom , had it been disciplined,
>> today nature might have survived. We lack the ability to speak freely,
>> whether the earth, or nation or even a small group. Fear complex is the key
>> to selling away our freedom. KR IRS 8423
>>
>> On Fri, 7 Apr 2023 at 18:30, Markendeya Yeddanapudi <
>> [email protected]> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> *Mar* Freedom from Questions
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> For every answer the Brain provides to a question, there will be a
>>> hundred new questions. The Brain is a cauldron of questions. You may ask
>>> ‘what is the point in all this effort?’
>>>
>>> You may get an answer. But there can be many questions about the points.
>>> And the questions never end. You may stumble on the main point. But then
>>> there will be the question, ‘what is the point in this main point?’Then
>>> what is the point in the main point of the main point?
>>>
>>> The glaring and staring point is that there is no point at all. The
>>> Universe is in rapture, and all of us want to enter that rapture or the
>>> speed of light, and every point has its own main point, purpose, meaning…,
>>> everything. You can be very happy, enter into rapture, if you stick to your
>>> present and accept your present. Then nature on its own takes you to
>>> happiness and rapture. There is no point in the Universe where there is no
>>> God or the other name for God-Rapture.
>>>
>>> Just sit in free and lush nature, close your eyes and stop all thinking
>>> or make your mind blank. Then every cell in you by means of breathing,
>>> smelling and sensing, establishes direct connection with nature, and nature
>>> takes over, keeping your mind at rest. Your internal hormonal communication
>>> will be taken over by nature. The mind instead of sending directions and
>>> creating hormonal communications to the cells begins receiving brilliant
>>> lights of ultimate revelations, brilliant solutions to every problem, total
>>> courage and direction towards action, with no questions or doubts. You no
>>> longer search for meaning or point in life. You enter the flow of
>>> continuous predications, where you cannot pause and create sentences, by
>>> allotting a piece of predication to a subject. You tune and sing your
>>> freedom from sentences. Musing ends and music takes over. You muse in
>>> revelations, and sing, your sounds of happy songs being the continuous
>>> predication as wonderful revelations, with no pause or hurdle for subjects
>>> and questions.
>>>
>>> You get freedom from questions. You go back in time, and laugh again the
>>> laughter when you were a one year old. Continuous questioning, every
>>> question has the disease of not accepting answers but raising more
>>> questions, is a big disease. You may build bigger machines than the CERN
>>> lab, stumble on another basic boson that created the Higgs field that
>>> created the Higgs Boson, but then you search for the boson that created the
>>> basic boson.
>>>
>>> Find a big tree, close your eyes and make your mind blank. After
>>> sometime nature makes you experience its main and only point-rapture.
>>>
>>> YM
>>>
>>
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