स ह हारिद्रुमतं गौतममेत्योवाच ब्रह्मचर्यं भगवति वत्स्याम्युपेयां भगवन्तमिति ॥ ४.४.३ ॥
In plain words
He went to Hāridrumata Gautama and said, "I wish to live with you, sir, as a student of sacred knowledge. May I come to you, sir?"
The commentators
Chāndogyopaniṣadbhāṣyam· bhāṣya
स ह सत्यकामः हारिद्रुमतं हरिद्रुमतोऽपत्यं हारि- द्रुमतं गौतमं गोत्रतः एत्य गत्वा उवाच— ब्रह्मचर्यं भग- वति पूजावति त्वयि वत्स्यामि अतः उपेयाम् उपगच्छेयं शिष्यतया भगवन्तम् इत्युक्तवन्तं तं ह उवाच गौतमः—किं- गोत्रः नु सोम्य असीति, विज्ञातकुलगोत्रः शिष्य उपनेतव्यः ; इति पृष्टः प्रत्याह सत्यकामः । स ह उवाच— नाहमेतद्वेद भो, यद्गोत्रोऽहमस्मि ; किं तु अपृच्छं पृष्टवानस्मि मातरम् ; सा मया पृष्टा मां प्रत्यब्रवीन्माता ; बह्वहं चरन्तीत्यादि पूर्ववत् ; तस्या अहं वचः स्मरामि ; सोऽहं सत्यकामो जाबा- लोऽस्मि भो इति ॥
In plain words
Satyakama approached the teacher Haridrumata Gautama and said, 'Sir, I wish to live with you as a student of sacred knowledge.' The teacher asked, 'Of what lineage are you, gentle youth?' Satyakama answered, 'Sir, I do not know my lineage. I asked my mother, and she replied as stated before. I remember her words, and therefore I am Satyakama Jabala, sir.'
Close to the Sanskrit
That Satyakama, approaching Haridrumata, the offspring of Haridruma, Gautama by lineage, went and said: 'In you, venerable one, who possess reverence, I will dwell as a brahmacharin; hence I would approach you as a pupil.' To him who spoke thus, Gautama said: 'Of what lineage are you, gentle youth?' A student whose family and lineage are known should be initiated - thus asked, Satyakama replied. He said: 'I do not know this, sir, of what lineage I am...'