नास्पर्धन्त वदिष्याम्येवाहमिति वाग्दध्रे द्रक्ष्याम्यहमिति चक्षुः श्रोष्याम्यहमिति श्रोत्रमेवमन्यानि कर्माणि यथाकर्म तानि मृत्युः श्रमो भूत्वोपयेमे तान्याप्नोत्तान्याप्त्वा मृत्युरवारुन्ध तस्माच्छ्राम्यत्येव वाक्श्राम्यति चक्षुः श्राम्यति श्रोत्रमथेममेव नाप्नोद्योऽयं मध्यमः प्राणस्तानि ज्ञातुं दधिरे ।अयं वै नः श्रेष्ठो यः संचरँश्चासंचरँश्च न व्यथतेऽथो न रिष्यति हन्तास्यैव सर्वे रूपमसामेति त एतस्यैव सर्वे रूपमभवँस्तस्मादेत एतेनाख्यायन्ते प्राणा इति तेन ह वाव तत्कुलमाचक्षते यस्मिन्कुले भवति य एवं वेद य उ हैवंविदा स्पर्धतेऽनुशुष्यत्यनुशुष्य हैवान्ततो म्रियत इत्यध्यात्मम् ॥ २१ ॥
In plain words
They did not yield, but contended: 'I speak indeed,' asserted speech; 'I see,' asserted the eye; 'I hear,' asserted the ear. Thus did all the other faculties assert themselves according to their functions. Death, taking the form of weariness, approached and overtook them; having overtaken them, Death subdued them. Therefore speech tires, the eye tires, and the ear tires. But Death did not overtake this middle breath. The faculties resolved to know it: 'This indeed is the best among us—he who, whether moving or at rest, suffers no distress and never perishes. Come, let us all assume his form.' They all became of the form of that breath; and therefore they are called by this very name, breaths. People speak of that family in which such a knower is born; and whosoever competes with one who possesses this knowledge withers away, and withering away, ultimately perishes. This is the teaching concerning the bodily self.
Close to the Sanskrit
Not they contended: "I will speak indeed" thus speech held; "I will see" thus eye; "I will hear" thus ear; thus other actions according to action. Those death weariness having become approached; those obtained, having obtained death obstructed. Therefore gets weary speech, gets weary eye, gets weary ear, and this very not obtained who this middle breath. Those to know held: "This indeed of us is most excellent, who moving and not moving not is troubled, and moreover not perishes; come, of this very all form let us be" thus. They of this very all form became; therefore these by this are called breaths thus. Therefore indeed that family they designate in which family he is who thus knows; who moreover with knower thus competes withers away, having withered indeed ultimately dies, thus regarding the self.