Bhagavad Gītā Chapter 17, Verse 23: Krishna to Arjuna — Śraddhātraya-Vibhāga-Yoga
Bhagavad Gītā 17.23
ॐ तत् सदिति निर्देशो ब्रह्मणस् त्रिविधः स्मृतः ।
ब्राह्मणास् तेन वेदाश् च यज्ञाश् च विहिताः पुरा ॥
oṃ← oṃ(3 verses)Oṃ (the sacred syllable) tat← tad(305 verses)nominative neuter singular nounthat (distal demonstrative); also 3rd-person pronoun sad iti← iti(73 verses)thus (quotative particle) nird← nirdeśanominative masculine singular nouninstruction, order (nis- + √diś)eśo brahmaṇa← brahman(53 verses)genitive neuter singular nounBrahman (the Absolute); also: the Veda; sacred utterances trividhaḥ← trividha(9 verses)nominative masculine singular nounthreefold, of three kinds (tri 'three' + vidha 'kind')attested in commentariesviśiṣṭādvaitaअयं निर्देशः शब्दः ब्रह्मणः स्मृतः, ब्रह्मणः अन्वयी भवतिadvaita-bhaktiस्मृतो वेदान्तविद्भिः smṛtaḥ← √smṛ(9 verses)nominative masculine singular participle nounto remember (verbal root)attested in commentariesadvaitaचिन्तितः वेदान्तेषु ब्रह्मविद्भिःviśiṣṭādvaita, ब्रह्मणः अन्वयी भवतिśuddhādvaitaब्रह्मशब्देन ब्रह्मात्मकं सर्वमक्षरादिकमक्षरपदवाक्यादिकमत्रोच्यतेbhaktiशिष्टैः
brāhmaṇā← brāhmaṇa(5 verses)nominative masculine plural nouna brāhmaṇa (priest-class); pertaining to Brahmans tena← tad(305 verses)instrumental masculine singular nounthat (distal demonstrative); also 3rd-person pronoun vedā← veda(14 verses)nominative masculine plural nounthe Veda; knowledgeś ca← ca(391 verses)and; (homonym: also the consonant ca) yajñā← yajña(44 verses)nominative masculine plural nounsacrifice, worship, ritual offeringś ca← ca(391 verses)and; (homonym: also the consonant ca) vihitāḥ← vi-√dhā(5 verses)nominative masculine plural participle nounto ordain, place, allotattested in commentariesadvaitaनिर्मिताः पुरा पूर्वम् इति निर्देशस्तुत्यर्थम् उच्यतेviśiṣṭādvaitaपुरा मयाśuddhādvaitaविशेषेण हिता वा मया पुरा सर्गादावित्यर्थःbhaktiविधात्रा निर्मिताः सगुणीकृता वाadvaita-bhaktiप्रजापतिना तस्माद्यज्ञादिसृष्टिहेतुत्वेन तद्वैगुण्यपरिहारसमर्थो महाप्रभावोयं निर्देश इत्यर्थः purā← purā(3 verses)formerly, of oldattested in commentariesadvaitaपूर्वम् इति निर्देशस्तुत्यर्थम् उच्यतेviśiṣṭādvaitaविहिताः पुरा मयाśuddhādvaitaसर्गादावित्यर्थःadvaita-bhaktiविहिताः प्रजापतिना तस्माद्यज्ञादिसृष्टिहेतुत्वेन तद्वैगुण्यपरिहारसमर्थो महाप्रभावोयं निर्देश इत्यर्थः
spoken
The ancient threefold designation of Brahman is *oṃ tat sat*, through which Brahmanas, the Vedas, and sacrificial rites were ordained from the beginning.