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At the end of each chapter of Bhagwat gita, I found "Om Tat Sat".

My questions are:

  • What Is the meaning of Om Tat sat Or Hari Om Tat Sat?
  • What is the significance of writting this at the end?
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    Om - The sound or Brahman as vibration. Tat - 'That' which is the beautiful and loving, full of qualities, the Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent and Kutastha (that which remains unchanged) Saguna Brahman. Sat - 'truth' which the indescribable Absolute Truth or Sivam or Nirguna Brahman. Basically all three are same - Brahman ... just desribed differently. Inspired by Paramhansa Yogananda's teachings and books.
    – Sai
    Jan 18, 2015 at 8:17
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    This seems very close to "I am That, I am" The name of god
    – user5137
    Mar 23, 2016 at 0:24
  • I am I This is the first that is This is that
    – user7012
    Jun 28, 2016 at 21:28

3 Answers 3

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The meaning of "Om Tat Sat" is given by Shri Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita. Om denotes Brahman, Tat (that) also means Brahman like in the popular mahavakya of the Upanishad Tat twam asi (you are That), and Sat (truth) also means Brahman. So these are the three names of Brahman, the absolute truth:

oṁ tat sad iti nirdeśo brahmaṇas tri-vidhaḥ smṛtaḥ
brāhmaṇās tena vedāś ca yajñāś ca vihitāḥ purā [BG - 17.23]

Meaning
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.

So in that verse Shri Krishna says "Om Tat Sat" is used during yajnas (sacrifices) and He explains on the verses following it (24,25,26,27) what the names mean.

And because reciting Gita is a yajna or sacrifice itself (BG - 18.70), at the end of each chapter "Om Tat Sat" is used just like any other yajna as explained by Shri Krishna in the above verse.

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Om is the sound Brahman, the sphota. It was what projected out of Brahman that the whole universe came from. Om is Brahman.

Tat is 'That' - the way to refer to Brahman as there are no words to directly describe Brahman.

Sat is Reality or Existence Absolute.

Om [is] That Reality [Existence Absolute]. Om Tat Sat is [The] Lord Om [is] That Reality [Existence Absolute].

Swami Vivekananda said "Repeating the Om continually is the only true worship. It is not a word, it is God Himself."

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  • @RubelliteYakṣī English please.
    – Pandya ♦
    May 11, 2018 at 16:11
  • @RubelliteYakṣī If this is verse 1 from bible in Hebrew, then please quote with English translation.
    – The Destroyer ♦
    May 11, 2018 at 16:30
  • It is reminiscent, but not exactly the same. As you know, translations can be difficult to properly convey in English, but I will do so if there is actual interest. I'm not sure if people care about cross-cultural similarities, though.
    – Rubellite Yakṣī
    May 12, 2018 at 14:44
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Om Tat Sat can be translated to mean the ‘Supreme Absolute Truth’, or more literally ‘all that is’.

  • Om refers to the Supreme Infinite Spirit or Person.

  • Tat refers to‘that’, or ‘all that is’.

  • Sat refers to ‘truth’.

    "Om Tat Sat" is related to the English "Him That is".

Om tat sat is the mantra for salvation (getting true god who frees you from repeated birth and death in different life forms).

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