17-25

तदिति अनभिसन्धाय फलम् यज्ञ तपः क्रियाः ।
दानक्रियाः च विविधाः क्रियन्ते मोक्ष कांक्षिभिः ॥ २५ ॥

taditi anabhisandhAya phalam yajJa tapaH kriyAH |
dAnakriyAH ca vividhAH kriyante mokSa kAMkSibhiH || 25 ||

क्रियाः [kriyAH] Activities in the form of यज्ञ [yajJa] worship, तपः [tapaH] discipline च [ca] and विविधाः [vividhAH] various kinds of दानक्रियाः [dAnakriyAH] charitable deeds क्रियन्ते [kriyante] are done फलम् अनभिसन्धाय [phalam anabhisandhAya] without being bogged down by expectations मोक्ष कांक्षिभिः [mokSa kAMkSibhiH] by those who desire moksha , तत् इति [tat iti] saying the word ‘tat’.

Worship, discipline, charity and the study of the Vedas are activities to achieve the Lord. People who desire moksha follow them. They aren’t bogged down by expectations.

These activities are distinguished by the sound of ‘tat’, which points to Brahma.

‘Brahma’ indicates an expanse. The expanse of the universe, the expanse of knowledge – they are all part of the Lord.

The Lord, as the highest purpose, has great expanse.

The word ‘tat’ is famously used in the Vishnu Sahasranama to name the Lord - it mentions the names of the Lord as - [sa: va: ka: kim yat tat padam anuttamam].

The word ‘tat’ is present in the Gayatri Mantra as well – [tat savitu: varENyam]. It signifies the expanse of knowledge.

In this way, the sound of ‘tat’ points to the study of Vedas, as well as activities such as worship, which accomplish the goal of moksha . The word ‘tat’ is applied to all those activities. Those who are in the quest for the Lord will do these activities to achieve moksha . Those people are also associated with the sound of ‘tat’.

Next, the Lord describes the origin of the word ‘sat’, before explaining the way in which the sound of ‘sat’ applies to these activities.