असन्नेव स भवति असद्ब्रह्मेति वेद चेत् ।ब्रह्मेति चेद्वेद ।सन्तमेनं ततो विदुरिति ।तस्यैष एव शारीर आत्मा ।यः पूर्वस्य अथातोऽनुप्रश्नाः ।उताविद्वानमुं लोकं प्रेत्य ।कश्चन गच्छी३ ।आहो विद्वानमुं लोकं प्रेत्य कश्चित्समश्नुता ३ उ ।सोऽकामयत ।बहुभ्यां प्रजायेयेति ।स तपोऽतप्यत ।स तपस्तप्त्वा ।इदँ सर्वमसृजत ।यदिदं किञ्च ।तत्सृष्ट्वा ।तदेवानुप्राविशत् ।तदनुप्रविश्य ।सच्च त्यच्चाभवत् ।निरुक्तं चानिरुक्तं च ।निलयनं चानिलयनं च ।विज्ञानं चाविज्ञानं च ।सत्यं चानृतं च ।सत्यमभवत् ।यदिदं किञ्च ।तत्सत्यमित्याचक्षते ।तदप्येष श्लोको भवति ॥ १ ॥
In plain words
He becomes as one who is not, if he knows Brahman as not being. If he knows that Brahman is, then men know him as one who is. This is the bodily self of the former one. Now hence the questions that follow. Does one who does not know go, on departing, to that world at all? Or does one who knows, on departing, attain that world? He desired: "Let me be many, let me be born." He performed austerity; and having performed austerity he created all this, whatever there is here. Having created it, he entered into it. Having entered into it, he became the being and the beyond, the defined and the undefined, the founded and the unfounded, the knowing and the unknowing, the true and the untrue. He became the true — whatever there is here; and that they call the true. On this too there is a verse.