Link to purport by A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada

Transcript of Bhakti-Shastri class on this verse by Chaitanya Charan

Now after describing charity Krishna has mentioned that whatever activity is done that can be made transcendental by reciting Om Tat Sat. 

17th chapter discusses faith in the three modes Sraddha Tray Vibhaga Yoga, in 17th chapter Krishna started by talking faith in three modes. 16th chapters talk about two extremes those who have faith and those who don’t have faith, divine and demoniac nature, but what about those who are in between, those who have faith but not in scripture what happens to them, so Krishna responds by telling about the three modes of material nature, and how by observing the modes we can understand what the situation of a person is and accordingly the person is in that particular mode, we have discussed about Ahar, Yajna, Dana and Tapa now Krishna comes to the solution part in the last section where in He says what if somebody’s faith is not scriptural somebody’s faith is not transcendental, then how can that person elevate oneself, increase one’s faith that is by reciting OM TAT SAT. 

That means there can be non-scriptural faith there can be scriptural faith and there can be transcendental faith. So non-scriptural faith means something which has come from their tradition or culture or things like that, scriptural faith doesn’t have to always transcendental, in this chapter only Krishna explained how people in goodness worships devatas, passion worships Yakshas and Rakshasas and Pretas and Bhutas are worshiped by those in mode of ignorance, so not everything taught in scripture are transcendental, so the submit of scriptural faith is transcendental faith, śraddhayā parayā ukatam, Krishna talks about transcendental faith at several places in BG, so chanting of OM TAT SAT can elevate from non-scriptural faith to scriptural faith and from scriptural faith to transcendental faith, so let us see how this happens in the series of verses.

Bg 17.23

oṁ tat sad iti nirdeśo
brahmaṇas tri-vidhaḥ smṛtaḥ
brāhmaṇās tena vedāś ca
yajñāś ca vihitāḥ purā

Synonyms: 

oṁ — indication of the Supreme; tat — that; sat — eternal; iti — thus; nirdeśaḥ — indication; brahmaṇaḥ — of the Supreme; tri–vidhaḥ — threefold; smṛtaḥ — is considered; brāhmaṇāḥ — the brāhmaṇas; tena — with that; vedāḥ — the Vedic literature; ca — also; yajñāḥ — sacrifice; ca — also; vihitāḥ — used; purā — formerly.

Translation: 

From the beginning of creation, the three words oṁ tat sat were used to indicate the Supreme Absolute Truth. These three symbolic representations were used by brāhmaṇas while chanting the hymns of the Vedas and during sacrifices for the satisfaction of the Supreme.

oṁ tat sad, are the three references to the Absolute Truth 

nirdeśo, indicated or referred to 

the Absolute Truth are referred to by this

brahmaṇa can be many meaning it is the person who is Brahman and also can be the Absolute truth who is Brahm, here the brahmaṇa referred to Absolute Truth , The Supreme, and in 17.23 c, the third line brāhmaṇās refer to Brahmins, people who are having Brahminical qualities, so brahmaṇas tri-vidhaḥ smṛtaḥ, so that Brahman or Brahma in three ways it is referred to nirdeśo, smṛtaḥ, it is said like this, so Brahman, the Absolute Truth can be referred in three ways, what are three ways OM TAT SAT, 

brāhmaṇās tena vedāś ca, 

yajñāś ca vihitāḥ purā

Pura means in the past, 

This is how it has used, brāhmaṇās tena vedāś ca, 

So by the Brahmans by the vedas in the Yajnas, this is how OM TAT SAT has been used, so here now Krishna is explaining how things work in Spiritual life in terms of gradual progression, 

• First is just materialistic without any faith to anything higher – faithless

• Then comes some kind of faith which is not scriptural – Non Scriptural

• Then one comes to faith that is scriptural – Scriptural

• Then one comes to faith that is transcendental – Transcendental

OM TAT SAT is a familiar vedic invocation, Srila Prabhupada has also written it at many place e.g. end of introduction of SB.

So first point is OM TAT SAT refers to the Absolute Truth.

People can refer to the Absolute Truth in a personalized way like Krishna Rama, but when people don’t wanted to refer in a personalized way or don’t know the personal forms of Lord then they refer to OM TAT SAT. 

OM is Non-personal, we will not use impersonal, because there is no direct reference to personality. OM itself is not necessarily impersonal reference, the word OM is related to the word that is referred to God, even in the various world religions for example in English we see the word Omni means all so the God is Omni potent, Supremely powerful, all powerful, Omniscient He knows everything, Omni is related to OM semantically as well as vocally, OM that which pervades everything, that which includes everything, in Abrahmic religion it is Amin or Amen here also root is the same.

Srila Bhakti Vinod Thakur refers to two kinds of names to the Supreme Lord, Primary Names and Secondary Names, so Krishna, Yasho Nandan, Radhika Vallabhav these are primary names where has Parmatma, Param Purusha, Jagat Vyapi these names are secondary names. Because they are not directly connected to Krishna with His pastimes in spiritual world, they are connected with His administration in this world, there is no Supervisor required in spiritual world Upadrishta Ca Anumanta Ca.

So OM TAT SAT is secondary names. Sometimes OM is used with other names like OM Namo Narayanaya. 

Now earlier Krishna mentioned that OM refer to Himself in 7.8 when He was describing essence of everything that time while describing how He is the essence of everything that time He describes Pranava Serva Vedesu, among all Vedas I am Pranava. So Pranava refers to Krishna, and in 10th chapter also in Vibhuti Yoga it comes that Krishna is OM, in this way Krishna made it clear what OM refers to. 

iti nirdeśo, means this is how Absolute Truth is referred to. 

brahmaṇas tri-vidhaḥ smṛtaḥ, tri three names Tat also refers to Absolute Truth as it is referred Tat Amsi, You are that, Mayavadi refers this for individual soul you are that but you are that in qualitative sense not quantitative sense, so Vaishanava understanding is you are His, SAT also refers to Absolute Truth as eternal underling source of everything so OM TAT SAT these are three ways to refer to Absolute Truth, and in one sense through this Krishna is talking about the chanting of the holy names, and the potency of chanting to elevate faithless to the faithful and non-scriptural faith to the scriptural faithful level, that is all people can make spiritual advancement through chanting of the holy name. So this is very inclusive understanding of Bhakti.

Srila Prabhupada was asked this question do everyone has to chant name of Krishna? Srila Prabhupada said no you can chant name of God as per your religion. 

Once in Iran when Srila Prabhupada was discussing with his disciples in back ground Namaz sound has started and Srila Prabhupada closed his eyes went in deep meditation and when Namaz ended Srila Prabhupada opened his eyes and his eyes were bright and Srila Prabhupada asked was that not beautiful and devotees were aback and asked wouldn’t it be better if they were chanting Hare Krishna and Srila Prabhupada looked hurt and Srila Prabhupada said why are you making me sectarian, they are glorifying God in their way and we are glorifying God in our way.

So as long as principle of glorification of God is there that principle has to be focused the form in which the glorification happens that is different for different people. The name Krishna does refer to the form of the Lord which is there in the highest abode in the spiritual world, there is some specialty to the name Krishna  but when we are talking to the world on the universalist perspective at that time we should understand what time to present what, we are talking about people of different faith we don’t have to impose our faith on them, our goal is not to spread one organization but to raise global consciousness, goal is to spread consciousness hence the name ISKCON, at one level Krishna consciousness for some people is God consciousness they may not be aware that God is Krishna, if someone is elevated from the faithlessness to faith then why not. We see that Srila Prabhupada approach to people of other religion was different depending on level of commitment of those people, if someone is normal Christian not a strict follower of Christianity then Srila Prabhupada would tell them to practice KC, but to those who are committed practitioner of Christianity he will not try to convert them and tell them to follow Bible more faithfully and understand the universal principle of God Consciousness, Srila Prabhupada will tell them to read BG which is science of God as it will help you to become better Christian, so focus of devotee is to elevate the consciousness of people according to their level. Srila Prabhupada has mentioned about atrocities and vandalism of Islamic religion on Hindu temples but he did not harp on it he did not stick to this point, every religion there are exclusivist which means my way is the only way. When Krishna says surrender unto Me He says through His representatives and His representatives can come at different ways in different times to elevate gradually, or in Bible it is said one should go to the father through only me. So these statements refers that one need to follow God in this world. Like if a patient goes to doctor and doctor says do this and then patient says no I went to that doctor and he said me something else and another doctor and he said me some other thing, then  the current doctor will say just forget everything and follow to me. Now this does not necessarily means that all other doctors are false, but the statement to follow is meant to create a focus, like someone in class told Srila Prabhupada Swami Ji your philosophy sounds like Bhuddha, Srila Prabhupada asked him do you follow Buddha? That person was aback and then Prabhupada said follow Buddha, follow Christianity, follow someone don’t just talk. 

Srila Prabhupada said that old testimony , new testimony and kurana were not eternal was recently published and doesn’t give deep scientific knowledge but this he is not saying in BG purport but in CC purport and he is not quoting this in any public class. 

Any religion can make its followers advance but generally we see religions is for Dharama, Artha and Kama and at this level most of the religions practice today, they aim for heaven for enjoyment. So when Prabhupada said scriptures of Malecha and Yavana have limitations, he simply pointing an objective fact, it is not sectarian but an objective fact anybody can read and understand this. 

Now someone can say Jesus talks about Father but he has not said that Krishna is God, Jesus said that I have much to say but you don’t have ear to hear, Jesus only preached for 5 years practically speaking. So are we interested in knowledge or college? College is a means for knowledge. Here College is different religions, we are grateful to the college which has given the knowledge but the focus is knowledge. All religions agrees about the six opulences of Absolute Truth but no religion is having a person defined like that who is Krishna Himself. E.g. someone can say I am PM of India but whether he is having power? But there is someone who matched the description of PM is the PM. Is there a sweeter and better conception of God available in any scripture more than Krishna. OM TAT SAT is generic way to refer God.

End of transcription.