य आत्मापहतपाप्मा विजरो विमृत्युर्विशोको विजिघत्सोऽपिपासः सत्यकामः सत्यसंकल्पः सोऽन्वेष्टव्यः स विजिज्ञासितव्यः स सर्वांश्च लोकानाप्नोति सर्वांश्च कामान्यस्तमात्मानमनुविद्य विजानातीति ह प्रजापतिरुवाच ॥ ८.७.१ ॥
In plain words
"The Self, whose evil is struck away, ageless, deathless, sorrowless, without hunger and without thirst, whose desire is true and whose resolve is true — that is to be sought out, that is to be understood. He who has found that Self and understands it wins all worlds and all desires." So said Prajāpati.
The commentators
Chāndogyopaniṣadbhāṣyam
‘अथ य एष संप्रसादोऽस्माच्छरीरात्समुत्थाय परं ज्योतिरूपसंपद्य स्वेन रूपेणाभिनिष्पद्यत एष आत्मेति होवाचैतदमृतमभयमेतद्ब्रह्म’ इत्युक्तम् । तत्र कोऽसौ संप्रसादः ? कथं वा तस्याधिगमः, यथा सोऽस्माच्छरीरात्समुत्थाय परं ज्योतिरूपसंपद्य स्वेन रूपेणाभिनिष्पद्यते ? येन स्वरूपेणाभिनिष्पद्यते सं किंलक्षण आत्मा ? संप्रसादस्य च देहसंबन्धीनि पररूपाणि, ततो यदन्यत्कथं स्वरूपम् ? इति एतेऽर्था वक्तव्या इत्युत्तरो ग्रन्थ आरभ्यते । आख्यायिका तु विद्याग्रहणसंप्रदानविधिप्रदर्शनार्था विद्यास्तुत्यर्था च— राजसेवितं पानीयमितिवत् ।
य आत्मा अपहतपाप्मा विजरो विमृत्युर्विशोको विजिघत्सोऽपिपासः सत्यकामः सत्यसंकल्पः, यस्योपासनाय
In plain words
"Now, this serene spirit, rising from this mortal body and reaching the supreme light, appears in its own true form—this is the Self, he said: This is the immortal, the fearless, this is Brahman." Thus it was taught. But who is this serene spirit? How does it attain this, rising from the body and awakening in its own light? What is its true nature when it is thus manifested? And since it has taken on foreign forms through the body, what is its essential nature apart from them? These questions must be answered, and so the following text begins. The narrative itself serves to show how knowledge is received and imparted, and to praise that knowledge—just like the water fit for kings.
That Self who is free from evil, ageless, deathless, sorrowless, free from hunger and thirst, whose desires and resolves are true—for the sake of meditating upon him...
Close to the Sanskrit
"Now, he who, this serene self, rising up from this body, having attained the supreme light, is fully manifested with his own form—this is the Self, thus he spoke: This is the immortal, the fearless, this is Brahman"—thus it has been stated. Therein, who is that serene self? And how is its attainment, as it—rising up from this body, having attained the supreme light, is fully manifested with its own form? By what true form does it manifest, and what kind of self is that? And what are the bodily-associated alien forms of the serene self, and what is its true form apart from them? These matters are to be explained; hence the subsequent text is commenced. The narrative, however, is for the purpose of showing the method of receiving and imparting knowledge, and for praising the knowledge—like the water served by kings.
That Self who is free from sin, free from old age, free from death, free from sorrow, free from hunger, free from thirst, whose desires are true, whose resolve is true, for the purpose of whose meditation...