वेत्थ यथेमाः प्रजाः प्रयत्यो विप्रति-पद्यन्ता ३ इति नेति होवाच वेत्थो यथे-मं लोकं पुनरापद्यन्ता ३ इति नेति हैवो-वाच वेत्थो यथासौ लोक एवं बहुभिःपुनः पुनः प्रयाद्भिर्न संपूर्यता ३ इति नेतिहैवोवाच वेत्थो यतिथ्यामाहुत्याँ हुता-यामापः पुरुषवाचो भूत्वा समुत्थाय व-दन्ती ३ इति नेति हैवोवाच वेत्थो देव-यानस्य वा पथः प्रतिपदं पितृयाणस्य वायत्कृत्वा देवयानं वा पन्थानं प्रतिपद्यन्तेपितृयाणं वापि हि न ऋषेर्वचः श्रुतं द्वेसृती अशृणवं पितृणामहं देवानामृतमर्त्यानां ताभ्यामिदं विश्वमेजत्समेतियदन्तरा पितरं मातरं चेति नाहमतएकंचन वेदेति होवाच ॥ २ ॥
In plain words
'Do you know how these creatures, when they die, scatter off in every different direction?' 'No,' he said. 'Do you know how they come back again to this world?' 'No, I don't,' he said. 'Do you know why that other world, taking in so many who arrive there again and again, never fills up?' 'No, I don't,' he said. 'Do you know at which offering the water poured into the fire rises up and actually speaks with a human voice?' 'No, I don't,' he said. 'Do you know how to find the path to the gods, or the path to the ancestors — what a person has to do to end up on one or the other? Because we've heard the old seer's line: I have heard of two roads for mortals, one to the ancestors, one to the gods — and by those two roads this whole restless world moves, the point where they part lying somewhere between a father and a mother.' 'I don't know a single one of these,' he said.
Close to the Sanskrit
'Do you know how these creatures, on dying, go their separate ways?' 'No,' said he. 'Do you know how they return again to this world?' 'No indeed,' said he. 'Do you know how that world yonder, filled again and again by so many who depart, is not filled up?' 'No indeed,' said he. 'Do you know at which offering, when poured, the waters, having become possessed of a human voice, rise up and speak?' 'No indeed,' said he. 'Do you know the entry-point of the path leading to the gods, or of the path leading to the fathers — having done what does one enter the path leading to the gods, or the path leading to the fathers? For we have heard the seer's word: I have heard of two courses, of the fathers and, indeed, of the gods, belonging to mortals; by those two, this whole moving universe converges — the point which lies between the father and the mother.' 'I do not know even one of these,' said he.