तद्धैतद्ब्रह्मा प्रजापतय उवाच प्रजापतिर्मनवे मनुः प्रजाभ्यस्तद्धैतदुद्दालकायारुणये ज्येष्ठाय पुत्राय पिता ब्रह्म प्रोवाच ॥ ३.११.४ ॥
taddhaitadbrahmā prajāpataya uvāca prajāpatirmanave manuḥ prajābhyastaddhaitaduddālakāyāruṇaye jyeṣṭhāya putrāya pitā brahma provāca || 3.11.4 ||
4. First, Brahmā taught this instruction on honey to Prajāpati. Then Prajāpati taught it to Manu, and Manu taught it to his children. The father Aruṇa then taught this knowledge of Brahman to his eldest son Uddālaka Āruṇi.
Word-for-word explanation:
Tat ha etat, that [i.e., the teaching on honey]; brahmā prajāpataya uvāca, Brahmā [first] taught to Prajāpati; prajāpatiḥ manave, Prajāpati [taught it] to Manu; manuḥ prajābhyaḥ, Manu [taught it] to his children; tat ha etat, that; brahma, [knowledge of] Brahman; pitā provāca, the father [Aruṇa] taught; jyeṣṭhāya putrāya uddālakāya āruṇaye, to his eldest son Uddālaka Āruṇi.
Commentary:
Starting from Brahmā, this knowledge has passed from generation to generation. The mention of this is only to emphasize its importance. This instruction on honey is nothing but Brahma-vidyā, the knowledge of Brahman. It is the secret of how to attain Brahman.