स होवाच विज्ञायते हास्तिहिरण्यस्यापात्तं गोअश्वानां दासीनां प्रवाराणां परिधानस्य ।मा नो भवान् बहोरनन्तस्यापर्यन्तस्याभ्यवदान्यो भूदिति ।स वै गौतम तीर्थेनेच्छसा इति ।उपैम्यहं भवन्तमिति ।वाचा ह स्मैव पूर्व उपयन्ति ।स होपायनकीर्त्योवास ॥६,२.७ ॥
In plain words
He said, "It is known that I have plenty of gold and of cattle and horses, of maidservants and coverlets and clothing. Do not, sir, be niggardly toward me of what is abundant, endless and boundless." "Then, Gautama, thou must ask in the proper way." "I come to thee as a pupil, sir." For with those words the men of old came as pupils; and having declared himself a pupil by such an address, he stayed.
The commentators
Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣadbhāṣyam· bhāṣya
भूत्वा, अवदान्यो मा भून् कदर्यो मा भूदित्यर्थः ; बहोः प्र-भूतस्य, अनन्तस्य अनन्तफलस्येत्येतत्, अपर्यन्तस्य अपरि-समाप्तिकस्य पुत्रपौत्रादिगामिकस्येत्येतत्, ईदृशस्य वित्तस्य, मां प्रत्येव केवलम् अदाता मा भूर्वान् ; न च अन्यत्र अदे-यमस्ति भवतः । एवमुक्त आह—स त्वं वै हे गौतम तीर्थेन न्यायेन शास्त्रविहितेन विद्यां मत्तः इच्छासै इच्छ अन्वा-मुम् ; इत्युक्तो गौतम आह— उपैमि उपगच्छामि शिष्य-त्वेन अहं भवन्तमिति । वाचा ह स्मैव किल पूर्वे ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रियान् विद्यार्थिनः सन्तः वैश्यान्वा, क्षत्रिया वा वै-श्यान् आपदि उपयन्ति शिष्यवृत्त्या हि उपगच्छन्ति, न उपायनशुश्रूषादिभिः ; अतः स गौतमः ह उपायनकीर्त्या उपगमनकीर्तनमात्रेणैव उवास उषितवान्, न उपायनं चकार ॥
In plain words
'Having become' means: 'let me never be stingy toward you, never be a miser.' 'Much' means abundant; 'endless' means its fruit never runs out; 'without limit' means it never terminates, passing down through sons and grandsons and on. Whatever wealth of that kind I have, let me never be one who withholds it from you alone — there's nothing else of mine that isn't yours to have. Hearing this, the king said: 'Then you, Gautama, should seek this knowledge from me the proper way, exactly as scripture directs — go ahead and ask.' So addressed, Gautama said: 'I come to you as your student.' In the old days, brahmins seeking knowledge would approach kshatriyas, or vaishyas, purely by declaring themselves in words — and kshatriyas did the same with vaishyas — whenever they were in real difficulty; they came simply in the posture of a student, not bearing the usual gifts and service a pupil brings. That's why Gautama stayed there just by announcing that he had come, nothing more, without ever bringing the customary gift.
Close to the Sanskrit
'Having become' — the meaning is, 'let him not become ungenerous, let him not become miserly.' 'Of much,' that is, abundant; 'endless,' meaning 'having endless fruit' — this is the sense; 'without limit,' meaning 'without termination,' extending down to sons, grandsons and so on — this is the sense; of such wealth, let there not be, solely towards you, one who fails to give; nor is there elsewhere anything not to be given, on your part. Thus addressed, he said — 'You then indeed, O Gautama, should desire the knowledge from me by the sanctioned approach, by the proper method enjoined by scripture — desire it, following that.' Thus addressed, Gautama said — 'I approach, I come to you, as a disciple.' By word alone, indeed, formerly did brahmins, desiring knowledge, approach kshatriyas, or vaishyas, or kshatriyas approach vaishyas, in a time of distress — they approach by the conduct of a disciple, not by the customary gift of approach, service, and so on. Therefore that Gautama dwelt merely by declaring his approach, by the mere statement of coming — he did not perform the customary gift of approach.