स होवाच गार्ग्यः य एवायमप्सु पुरुष एतमेवाहं ब्रह्मोपास इति ।स होवाचाजातशत्रुः मा मैतस्मिन्संवदिष्ठाः ।प्रतिरूप इति वा अहमेतमुपास इति ।स य एतमेवमुपास्ते प्रतिरूपं हैवैनमुपगच्छति नाप्रतिरूपम् ।अथो प्रतिरुपोऽस्माज्जायते ॥२,१.८ ॥
In plain words
Gārgya said, "The person who is in the waters — him indeed I worship as Brahman." Ajātaśatru said to him, "Do not draw me into talk about him. I worship him as the likeness." He who worships him thus — what is like him comes to him and not what is unlike, and one like him is born from him.
The commentators
Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣadbhāṣyam· bhāṣya
प्रतिरूपं श्रुतिस्मृतिशासनानुरूपमेव एनमुपगच्छति प्राप्नोति न विपरीतम्, अन्यच्च-अस्मात् तथाविध एवोपजायते ॥
In plain words
In complete harmony with the teachings of scripture and tradition, he attains this state rather than its opposite. Moreover, an offspring bearing those very same qualities is born from him.
Close to the Sanskrit
Conforming strictly to the injunctions of Sruti and Smriti, he approaches it, he obtains it, not the contrary. And furthermore, from this one, an offspring of precisely that character is born.