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Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣadबृहदारण्यक उपनिषद्

Khila Kanda. Adhyaya 6, Brahmana 2. The five fires, and the two paths after death

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Each mantra is given four ways: the Sanskrit in its Devanagari script, the same sounds in Roman letters, an English translation set in our own voice, and then the line once more in plain words, for a first and unhurried reading.

Not every passage is opened to the same depth. A few central mantras carry the full cross-school commentary, where the schools are set side by side. The rest are kept here whole and faithful, set in their place but not expounded, so the book stays entire and nothing is dropped for being thought minor.

Where the schools read a line differently, the difference is kept open. None is crowned and none is corrected. Each is met on its own terms, and where they contradict, the contradiction is left standing for you to sit with.

॥ 6.2.7 ॥

Coming as a student of old

स होवाच विज्ञायते हास्तिहिरण्यस्यापात्तं गोअश्वानां दासीनां प्रवाराणां परिधानस्य । मा नो भवान् बहोरनन्तस्यापर्यन्तस्याभ्यवदान्यो भूदिति । स वै गौतम तीर्थेनेच्छसा इति । उपैम्यहं भवन्तमिति । वाचा ह स्मैव पूर्व उपयन्ति । स होपायनकीर्त्योवास ।
In transliteration
sa hovāca vijñāyate hāstihiraṇyasyāpāttaṃ goaśvānāṃ dāsīnāṃ pravārāṇāṃ paridhānasya | mā no bhavān bahoranantasyāparyantasyābhyavadānyo bhūditi | sa vai gautama tīrthenecchasā iti | upaimyahaṃ bhavantamiti | vācā ha smaiva pūrva upayanti | sa hopāyanakīrtyovāsa |

In English

He said: It is well known that I have my fill of gold, of cattle and horses, of maidservants, of retinue, of garments. Do not, sir, be ungenerous toward me concerning this abundant, endless, boundless thing. Then, Gautama, you must seek it in the proper way. I come to you, sir. By the word alone did the ancients come as students. So he dwelt there, having declared his approach.

In plain words

Gautama said he already had plenty of gold, cattle, horses, servants, retinue, and clothing, and asked the king not to be stingy toward him with this boundless, inexhaustible wealth, the knowledge itself. The king said he must then seek it in the right way (as a disciple). Gautama declared, I come to you (as your student), since the ancients became students by such a declaration alone, and so he stayed on.