प्रथमोऽध्यायः द्वितीयोऽध्यायः तृतीयोऽध्यायः चतुर्थोऽध्यायः पञ्चमोऽध्यायः षष्ठोऽध्यायः अथ तृतीयोध्यायः ॥प्रथमं ब्राह्मणम् ।(अश्वलब्राह्मणम्) जनको ह वैदेहो बहुदक्षिणेन यज्ञेनेजे ।तत्र ह कुरुपञ्चालानां ब्राह्मणा अभिसमेता बभूवुः ।तस्य ह जनकस्य वैदेहस्य विजिज्ञासा बभूव कः स्विदेषां ब्राह्मणानामनूचानतम इति ।स ह गवां सहस्रमवरुरोध ।दशदश पादा एकैकस्याः शृङ्गयोराबद्धा बभूवुः ॥३,१.१ ॥
In plain words
Janaka of Videha performed a sacrifice with many gifts. The brahmins of the Kurus and Pañcālas had gathered there. Janaka of Videha wished to know which of these brahmins was the most learned. So he penned in a thousand cows, and ten pieces of gold were fastened to the horns of each.
The commentators
Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣadbhāṣyam· bhāṣya
मानस्य, को नु खल्वत्र ब्रह्मिष्ठ इति विशेषेण ज्ञातुमिच्छा विजिज्ञासा, बभूव ; कथम् ? कःस्वित् को नु खलु एषां ब्राह्मणानाम् अनूचानतमः- सर्व इमेऽनूचानाः, कः स्विदेषामतिशयेनानूचान इति । स ह अनूचानतमविषयोत्पज्जिज्ञासः सन् तद्विज्ञानोपायार्थं गवां सहस्रं प्रथमवयसाम् अवरुरोध गोष्ठेऽवरोधं कारयामास ; किंविशिष्टास्ता गावोऽवरुद्धा इत्युच्यते- पलचतुर्थभागः पादः सुवर्णस्य, दश दश पादा एकैकस्या गोः शृङ्गयोः आबद्धा बभूवुः, पञ्च पञ्च पादा एकैकस्मिन् शृङ्गे ॥
In plain words
...of Māna. 'Who here is truly the most learned in brahman?' — that particular curiosity, the wish to find out, took hold of him. How did it happen? He found himself wondering: 'Who, really, among these brāhmaṇas is the most learned? They are all learned men — but which one of them stands out above the rest?' Gripped by this question, and wanting a way to settle it, he gathered a thousand cows in the prime of their lives and had them penned up in a cattle-yard. What marked out these particular cows? Here is the answer: a quarter of a pala of gold makes one pāda. Ten such pādas were tied to the horns of each cow — five pādas on each horn.
Close to the Sanskrit
...of Māna. 'Who indeed here is most learned in brahman?' — thus the desire to know in particular, that is, the desire-to-investigate, arose. How? [He wondered:] 'Who indeed, who now, indeed, of these brāhmaṇas, is the most learned? All these are learned; who among them, indeed, is learned to an outstanding degree?' He indeed, this curiosity concerning who was most learned having arisen in him, for the sake of a means to determine that, confined a thousand cows of prime age; he had a confinement made in a cow-pen. Of what distinguishing character were those cows that were confined? It is explained: a quarter of a pala is a pāda of gold; ten pādas each were tied onto the two horns of each single cow, five pādas on each single horn.