प्राचीनशाल औपमन्यवः सत्ययज्ञः पौलुषिरिन्द्रद्युम्नो भाल्लवेयो जनः शार्कराक्ष्यो बुडिल आश्वतराश्विस्ते हैते महाशाला महाश्रोत्रियाः समेत्य मीमांसां चक्रुः को न आत्मा किं ब्रह्मेति ॥ ५.११.१ ॥
In plain words
Prācīnaśāla Aupamanyava, Satyayajña Pauluṣi, Indradyumna Bhāllaveya, Jana Śārkarākṣya and Buḍila Āśvatarāśvi — these great householders and great men learned in the Veda came together and considered the question, "What is our Self? What is Brahman?"
The commentators
Chāndogyopaniṣadbhāṣyam
दक्षिणेन पथा गच्छतामन्नभाव उक्तः—'तद्देवानामन्नम्' 'तं देवा भक्षयन्ति' इति ; क्षुद्रजन्तुलक्षणा च कष्टा संसार- गतिरुक्ता । तदुभयदोषपरिजिहीर्षया वैश्वानरात्तृभावप्रति- पत्त्यर्थमुत्तरो ग्रन्थ आरभ्यते, 'अत्स्यन्नं पश्यसि प्रियम्' इत्यादिलिङ्गात् । आख्यायिका तु सुखावबोधार्था विद्यासंप्र- दानन्यायप्रदर्शनार्थी च—
प्राचीनशाल इति नामतः, उपमन्योरपत्यमौपमन्यवः । सत्ययज्ञो नामतः, पुलुषस्यापत्यं पौलुषिः । तथेन्द्रद्युम्नो नामतः, भल्लवेरपत्यं भाल्लविः तस्यापत्यं भाल्लवेयः । जन इति नामतः, शर्कराक्षस्यापत्यं शार्कराक्ष्यः । बुडिलो नामतः, अश्वतराश्वस्यापत्यमाश्वतराश्विः । पञ्चापि ते हैते महाशालाः महागृहस्था विस्तीर्णाभिः शालाभिर्युक्ताः संपन्ना इत्यर्थः, महाश्रोत्रियाः श्रुताध्ययनवृत्तसंपन्ना इत्यर्थः, ते एवं-
In plain words
For those who travel by the southern path, the scripture declares they become food—saying 'That is the food of the gods' and 'The gods consume him'—along with the painful journey of repeated birth as tiny creatures. Wishing to avoid both these evils and to establish the status of being an 'eater' through the meditation on Vaiśvānara, the subsequent text begins, as indicated by scriptural passages like 'You eat food and behold what is dear'. The opening narrative is simply introduced to make the teaching easy to grasp and to show the traditional way in which sacred knowledge is handed down.
'Prācīnaśāla' is his given name, and because he is the descendant of Upamanyu, he is called Aupamanyava. 'Satyayajña' is his given name, and as the descendant of Puluṣa, he is Pauruṣi. Similarly, 'Indradyumna' is his given name, and as the descendant of Bhallavi, he is Bhāllaveya. 'Jana' is his given name, and as the son of Śarkarākṣī, he is Śārkarākṣya. 'Buḍila' is his given name, and as the son of Aśvatarāśva, he is Āśvatarāśvi. All five of these indeed are great householders—meaning they maintain vast, spacious estates—and great śrotriyas—meaning they are rich in Vedic study and virtuous conduct. They thus...
Close to the Sanskrit
For those going by the southern path, the state of being food has been stated—'That is the food of the gods', 'The gods consume him'—and the painful transmigratory course characterized by tiny creatures has been stated. With the desire to avoid both those faults, for the purpose of attaining the status of an eater through Vaiśvānara, the subsequent text is commenced, from the indicative mark such as 'You eat food, you see what is pleasing'. But the narrative is for the purpose of easy comprehension and for showing the method of imparting knowledge.
Prācīnaśāla by name, descendant of Upamanyu: Aupamanyava. Satyayajña by name, descendant of Puluṣa: Pauruṣi. Similarly, Indradyumna by name, descendant of Bhallavi: his descendant, Bhāllaveya. Jana by name, descendant of Śarkarākṣī: Śārkarākṣya. Buḍila by name, descendant of Aśvatarāśva: Āśvatarāśvi. All five of these indeed are mahāśālāḥ—meaning they are endowed with extensive halls; mahāśrotriyāḥ—meaning they are endowed with the study of sacred texts and proper conduct; they thus...