Bhashya
तत्र पूर्वपक्षवादी अविद्याविषयब्रह्मवित् दृप्तबालाकिः— दृप्तः गर्वितः असम्यग्ब्रह्मवित्त्वादेव— बलाकाया अपत्यं बालाकिः, दृप्तश्चासौ बालाकिश्चेति दृप्तबालाकिः, ह-शब्द ऐतिह्यार्थ आख्यायिकायाम्, अनूचानः अनुवचनसमर्थः वक्ता वाग्मी, गार्ग्यो गोत्रतः, आस बभूव कचित्काल-विशेषे ।स होवाच अजातशत्रुम् अजातशत्रुनामानम् काश्यं काशिराजम् अभिगम्य — ब्रह्म ते ब्रवाणीति ब्रह्म ते तुभ्यं ब्रवाणि कथयानि ।स एवमुक्तोऽजातशत्रुरुवाच — सहस्रं गवां दद्मः एतस्यां वाचि — यां मां प्रत्यवोचः ब्रह्म ते ब्रवाणीति, तावन्मात्रमेव गोसहस्रप्रदाने निमित्तमित्यभिप्रायः ।साक्षाद्ब्रह्मकथनमेव निमित्तं कस्मान्नापेक्ष्यते सहस्रदाने, ब्रह्म ते ब्रवाणीति इयमेव तु वाक् निमित्तमपेक्ष्यत इत्युच्यते — यतः श्रुतिरेव राज्ञोऽभिप्रायमाह — जनको दाता जनकः श्रोतेति च एतस्मिन्वाक्यद्वये पदद्वयमभ्यस्यते जनको जनक इति ; वै-शब्दः प्रसिद्धत्वद्योतनार्थः ; जनको दित्सुर्जनकः शुश्रूषुरिति ब्रह्म शुश्रूषवो विवक्षवः प्रतिजिघृक्षवश्च जनाः धावन्ति अभिगच्छन्ति ; तस्मात् तत्सर्वं मय्यपि संभावितवानसीति ॥
In plain words
Here the opponent holding the preliminary view is Dṛpta-Bālāki, a knower of Brahman dwelling in ignorance. Arrogant—that is, proud simply because he does not truly know Brahman—Bālāki is the son of Balākā (hence Bālāki, both arrogant and Bālāki). The particle 'ha' is traditional in narrative. He was learned, capable of recitation, a fluent speaker, and a Gārgya by lineage, living at a certain time. He approached Ajātaśatru, the king of Kāśī, and said: 'I will declare Brahman to you.' When addressed thus, Ajātaśatru replied: 'We give a thousand cows for these very words you spoke to me:
Close to the Sanskrit
There, the opponent holding the preliminary view, the knower of Brahman who is within the realm of ignorance, arrogant Bālāki—arrogant meaning proud, precisely from the state of not knowing Brahman rightly; Bālāki, being the offspring of Balākā, and arrogant and Bālāki thus arrogant Bālāki; 'ha' is in the sense of tradition in the narrative; learned, capable of reciting, a speaker, eloquent, Gārgya by lineage, was at a certain special time. He, having approached Ajātaśatru, named Ajātaśatru, belonging to Kāśī, the king of Kāśī—'I will declare Brahman to you.' That Ajātaśatru, addressed thus, said: 'We give a thousand cows for this speech which you spoke to me, saying: