वेत्थ यदितोऽधि प्रजाः प्रयन्तीति न भगव इति वेत्थ यथा पुनरावर्तन्त३ इति न भगव इति वेत्थ पथोर्देवयानस्य पितृयाणस्य च व्यावर्तना३ इति न भगव इति ॥ ५.३.२ ॥
In plain words
"Dost thou know where creatures go from here?" "No, sir." "Dost thou know how they return again?" "No, sir." "Dost thou know where the path of the gods and the path of the fathers part?" "No, sir."
The commentators
Chāndogyopaniṣadbhāṣyam· bhāṣya
तं ह उवाच—यद्यनुशिष्टोऽसि, वेत्थ यदितः अस्माल्लो- कात् अधि ऊर्ध्वं यत्प्रजाः प्रयन्ति यद्गच्छन्ति, तत्किं जानीषे इत्यर्थः । न भगव इत्याह इतरः, न जानेऽहं तत् यत्पृच्छसि । एवं तर्हि, वेत्थ जानीषे यथा येन प्रकारेण पुनरावर्तन्त इति । न भगव इति प्रत्याह । वेत्थ पथोर्मार्गयोः सहप्रयाण- योर्देवयानस्य पितृयाणस्य च व्यावर्तना व्यावर्तनमितरेतर- वियोगस्थानं सह गच्छतामित्यर्थः ॥
In plain words
King Pravāhaṇa said to him, 'If you have received instruction at home, do you know where people go when they leave this world and how they ascend?' 'No, revered sir,' the other replied, 'I do not know what you are asking.' 'Then do you know how they return?' 'No, revered sir.' 'Do you know where the path of the gods and the path of the fathers diverge from one another?'
Close to the Sanskrit
To him he spoke: 'If you have been instructed, do you know how creatures go upwards from this world and where they go?' — that is the meaning. The other replied, 'No, revered sir, I do not know that which you ask.' 'In that case, do you know how they return by a certain method?' He replied, 'No, revered sir.' 'Do you know the divergence of the two paths, the path of the gods and the path of the fathers?' — the divergence means the place of mutual separation of those traveling together.