ANANDMURTI GURUMAA sheds light on and unravels the essential meaning of the appellation Aum Tat Sat, quoting select verses from the Gita
Aum tat sad iti nirdeso brahman as tri-vidhah smr tah brahman as tena vedas ca yajnas ca vihitah pura
Aum Tat Sat is the three-fold appellation of Satchidananda Brahmn.And it is that very absolute reality which created the brahmanas, vedas and yagynas in ancient times. Krishna says that the three-fold appellation of Brahmn — Aum Tat Sat — is the source of entire creation with the brahmanas; that is, rishis and vedas being created in the very beginning. Veda means jnana, higher knowledge. Jnana existed even before the four vedas came into existence. Jnana emerged from Satchidananda Brahmn.And then the sages who incorporated the jnana in their antahkaran, talked about it through the vedas. So know that Brahmin or Brahmana refers to the one who has lifted the veil of ignorance, the veil of maya, who has realised Brahmn, the absolute truth.
Tasmad au ity udahr tya yajna-dana-tapah — kriyah Pravartante vidhanoktah satata brahma-vadinam.
Therefore, students and followers of vedic scriptures commence acts of yagyas, charity and austerity with utterance of Aum, which is the root of everything including the vedas and other scriptures. That is why one should commence any yagya, charity or austerity with the utterance of Aum.The entire world and Brahmn are held in the three-syllabled Aum.Entire Prakriti, Creation, is in its three syllables (A, U, M), whereas the amatra (non-syllable) is the infinite substratum, the absolute Brahmn.Thus,utterance of Aum is veritably beneficial. Tad ity anabhisandhaya phala yajnatapah kriyah Dana-kriyas ca vividhah kriyante moks a-ka ks ibhih. Utterance of ‘Tat’ is done by seekers of liberation who regard everything as belonging to the Divine and, thus, perform all actions like yagyas, austerity and charity without seeking any fruit.
Everything belongs to the Lord and I too belong to the Lord, and thus I perform yagyas, austerities and charity only for the joy of doing. I don’t desire anything in return.I seek no fruit of actions.And this is the only way I know to live, this is my nature, I see it as my duty and I enjoy doing so.Now, this is the attitude of a superior,noble human who doesn’t need any auspicious day to wake up early.He wakes up early morning every day and engages in spiritual practices, for he derives joy from doing so.These three categories of people are tamasic, rajasic and sattvic, respectively. Likewise, the one who is not charitable or who gives only because of his attitude of one-upmanship is tamasic. For example, someone refuses to donate to a charity. But when his wife informs him that his neighbour has given such and such amount, his ego is stirred and he says,‘Well, in that case I will give twice as much, for who does he think he is?’ Now, this is tamasic nature.
Some, on the other hand, give because they think by doing so their desires will get fulfilled,they will get something in return.These folk are of rajasic disposition.Then again, there are a few who give without any expectations, without any desires, who derive joy from the act of giving, who regard charity as sharing the Lord’s wealth with the Lord’s beings, and who serve the guru with the same devout faith — they are of sattvic disposition. Better is rajasic than tamasic and best of all is sattvic.Thus, see where you stand and endeavour to better yourself. When service becomes a joy,when serving or giving becomes a part of one’s nature,when waking up early and performing one’s spiritual practices becomes a matter of course —these attributes indicate sattvic disposition. And Krishna says such sattvic folk easily attain higher realms of dhyana and gyana.
Sad-bhave sadhu-bhave ca sad ity etat prayujyate Prasaste karman i tatha sacchabdah partha yujyate.
‘O Arjuna, Sat, this name of God,represents ultimate reality and also a generic sense of goodness and uprightness.’ And the word Sat is also used in context of commendable, meritorious acts. That which exists in all times, that which is untouched by time, that which transcends the realm of time, the substratum for the existence of time, in which time dissolves — this eternal, timeless entity is known as Sat, truth, ultimate reality. Sat is equivalent to God, a synonym for Brahmn. So don’t blatantly speak untruth in the name of the guru or God. Steadfastness in yagya, dana and tapa is also regarded as Sat and so is action offered unto the Lord. Sat is the backbone, the underpinning substratum, not only of your body, senses, mind and your intellect, but also of this entire manifest world.
You are not separate from Sat and you cannot be separated from it for Sat is the word representing God. Sat always prevails. And remember that when someone lies, even therein the substratum is still of the truth.Truth was, truth is and truth will always be. A-Sat (untruth, unreality) is always short. The manifest world is also untruth, unreal and, hence, has a finite shelf life. It is ephemeral, transient.Truth alone is eternal.Truth alone is the fundamental crux of everything.
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