Bg. 17.24

BG 17.24

Devanagari

तस्माद् ॐ इत्युदाहृत्य यज्ञदानतप:क्रिया: । प्रवर्तन्ते विधानोक्ता: सततं ब्रह्मवादिनाम् ॥ २४ ॥

Verse text

tasmād oṁ ity udāhṛtya yajṣa-dāna-tapaḥ-kriyāḥ pravartante vidhānoktāḥ satataṁ brahma-vādinām

Synonyms

tasmāt therefore ; oṁ beginning with oṁ ; iti thus ; udāhṛtya indicating ; yajṣa of sacrifice ; dāna charity ; tapaḥ and penance ; kriyāḥ performances ; pravartante begin ; vidhāna-uktāḥ according to scriptural regulation ; satatam always ; brahma-vādinām of the transcendentalists.

Translation

Therefore, transcendentalists undertaking performances of sacrifice, charity and penance in accordance with scriptural regulations begin always with oṁ, to attain the Supreme.

Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

25. Uttering tat, persons aspiring for liberation performed sacrifice, austerity and charity without seeking results.

Translation (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

25. Uttering tat, persons aspiring for liberation performed sacrifice, austerity and charity without seeking results.

Purport

Oṁ tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padam ( Ṛg Veda 1.22.20). The lotus feet of Viṣṇu are the supreme devotional platform. The performance of everything on behalf of the Supreme Personality of Godhead assures the perfection of all activity.

Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)

Uttering the word tat (tad iti), udāhṛtya being understood from the previous verse, they perform activities such as charity. Anabhisandhaya means without seeking results.

Purport (Baladeva Vidyabhusana)

Sacrifice, austerity and charity were performed by those desiring liberation, along with the chanting of the name tat, without aspiration for material benefits. The word tat is very powerful because it produces a desire for liberation, by uttering it with absence of desire.