तथेति ह समुपविविशुः स ह प्रावहणो जैवलिरुवाच भगवन्तावग्रे वदतां ब्राह्मणयोर्वदतोर्वाचं श्रोष्यामीति ॥ १.८.२ ॥
tatheti ha samupaviviśuḥ sa ha prāvahaṇo jaivaliruvāca bhagavantāvagre vadatāṃ brāhmaṇayorvadatorvācaṃ śroṣyāmīti || 1.8.2 ||
2. They said, ‘Let it be so,’ and then sat down. Pravāhaṇa, the son of Jīvala, said: ‘You two may please begin the debate. I would like to listen to the debate between you two brāhmins’.
Word-for-word explanation:
Tathā iti, saying, ‘Let it be so’; samupaviviśuḥ, they sat down; saḥ pravāhaṇaḥ jaivaliḥ ha uvāca, Pravāhaṇa, the son of Jīvala, said; bhagavantau agre vadatām, you two respected ones may kindly start the discussion; vadatoḥ brāhmaṇayoḥ vācam śroṣyāmi iti, I will listen to the debate of you two brāhmins.
Commentary:
The scholars agreed to the debate, and sat down. Lest this be construed as impertinence, Prince Pravāhaṇa said to the other two that he wanted to hear the two brāhmins debating. The fact that Pravāhaṇa addressed them as brāhmins, shows that he regarded himself as inferior, being a kṣatriya.