Verse 17.26

Verse 17.26: “For (denoting) the idea of existence, or the idea of goodness, the(symbol) ‘SAT’ is employed; so also, for (denoting) a praiseworthy act, the word ‘SAT’ is, Oh Son of Pritha, employed. (380)

Commentary called Jnaneshwari by Jnaneshwar:

The word ‘Sat’ signifies complete evaporation—disappearance of the counterfeit coin viz. the illusive appearance of this universe and it exhibits in its entirety the nature of Absolute Existence. That ‘Sat’ undergoes no change whatever on account of place and time, but remains intact as it is throughout eternity. All that is perceptible (to the senses) being ‘Asat’ (Non-etemal) is not classed under that ‘Sat’; that is only known with the attainment of Supreme Brahman (in essence), and the actions sanctioned by (such) ‘Sat’ get united with Supreme Self and appear as Supreme Brahman itself. All the actions that become Supreme Brahman on account of the letters ‘Om’ and ‘Tat’, get merged in and appear as ‘Sat’ pure and simple. Such is the esoteric application of the word ‘Sat’ which please note,” said Lord Krishna.

“It is not I who say this (added Jnanadev [Jnanadeva]). But if I say it is not I who declare it, it will be infected with the taint of duality vis-a-vis Shriranga, and so it is unquestionably God’s revelation.”

“There is one more application of this ‘SAT’ which puts the Sattvic and pure actions under obligation, and hear about it. If, while being performed, in the proper way, according to the respective qualifications of the doers, the actions get defective in any way, such defect transforms even a good act into a faulty one in the way any defect in a physical organ makes the entire body come to a standstill or in the way the want of one wheel makes the entire chariot come to a dead halt. On such an occasion chanting the letter ‘Om’ along with the word ‘Tat’, with the further help of the word ‘Sat’, rejuvenates (makes perfect) the defective actions. Thus the symbol ‘Sat’, removes the defects from the action, and brings to it the glory of ‘Sat’ like its own self.

What is Divine Medicine to a diseased person, or some sort of help to a broken (vanquished) person, the symbol ‘Saf is to the defective action and brings perfection to it. Or, owing to some mistake, if any action takes a wrong path transgressing the enjoinments of the Scriptures, there being no certainty that mistakes would not occur, since it is not uncommon for a wayfarer to miss his way or a scrutiniser (connoisseur) to get confused. Therefore where an action misses its own boundary through thoughtlessness and tends to incur the infamous repute of evil action—at this stage any resort to the word ‘Sat’—rather than to the words ‘Om’ and ‘Tat’—brings holiness and purity to such actions.

The application of the word ‘Sat’ to a faulty action confers, O Warrior, benefit upon it, in the way does the rubbing of Paris (parisa) on iron or the joining with the Ganges of a brook, or a shower of nectar on the dead. Such is the glory of this word ‘Sat’. In short, recognising the essence of the above exposition, if you keep thinking about that name you will realize that it is nothing else but Supreme Brahman itself. The chanting of the group of the words ‘Om-Tat-Sat’ takes the being to the place whence arises the entire aggregate that bears name and form. That place is nothing else but the immutable, pure, Supreme Brahman and the symbol of its inherent power is this name (‘Om-Tat-Sat). The sky is its own support, in that way this name has got an uninterrupted support in itself. The sun rising in the sky, sheds light on himself, in that way this (tri-lettered) name sheds light on Supreme Brahman.