अथ होवाच, ब्राह्मणा भगवन्तो यो वः कामयते स मा पृच्छतु, सर्वे वा मा पृच्छत, यो वः कामयते तं वः पृच्छामि, सर्वान्वा वः पृच्छामीति; ते ह ब्राह्मणा न दधृषुः ॥ २७ ॥
atha hovāca, brāhmaṇā bhagavanto yo vaḥ kāmayate sa mā pṛcchatu, sarve vā mā pṛcchata, yo vaḥ kāmayate taṃ vaḥ pṛcchāmi, sarvānvā vaḥ pṛcchāmīti; te ha brāhmaṇā na dadhṛṣuḥ || 27 ||
27. Then he said. ‘Revered Brāhmaṇas, whichsoever amongst you wishes may ask me questions, or all of you may. Or I shall ask questions of whichsoever amongst you wishes, or ask all of you. The Brāhmaṇas did not dare.
Then, after the Brāhmaṇas were silent, he said, addressing them, ‘Revered Brāhmaṇas, whichsoever amongst you wishes to ask me questions, may come forward and ask me questions, or all of you may. Or I shall ask questions of whichsoever amongst you wishes that I should ask him, or ask all of you.’ The Brāhmaṇas, even though thus addressed, did not dare to give any reply whatsoever.