Taittirīyopaniṣat 02.13

अथातोऽनुप्रश्नाः। उताविद्वानमुं लोकं प्रेत्य। कश्चन गच्छती। आहो विद्वानमुं लोकं प्रेत्य। कश्चित् समश्नुता३ उ ॥१३॥

athāto'nupraśnāḥ। utāvidvānamuṃ lokaṃ pretya। kaścana gacchatī। āho vidvānamuṃ lokaṃ pretya। kaścit samaśnutā3 u ॥13॥

[अथ (atha) - now then; अतः (ataḥ) - therefore; अनुप्रश्नाः (anupraśnāḥ) - subsequent questions; उत (uta) - or; अविद्वान् (avidvān) - ignorant one; अमुं (amuṃ) - that; लोकं (lokaṃ) - world; प्रेत्य (pretya) - having departed; कश्चन (kaścana) - anyone; गच्छती (gacchatī) - goes; आहो (āho) - or; विद्वान् (vidvān) - knower; अमुं (amuṃ) - that; लोकं (lokaṃ) - world; प्रेत्य (pretya) - having departed; कश्चित् (kaścit) - someone; समश्नुते (samaśnute) - attains; उ (u) - indeed;]

Now, therefore, the following questions arise: Does an ignorant person, after departing from this world, go anywhere? Or does a knower, after departing from this world, truly attain that world?

Taittirīya Bhāshya 02.13

Testimonial continues, where Varuna asks Lord Brahma, "Among the various paths employed by different beings, does everyone attain the same goal?" Lord Brahma responds, saying not everyone attains the highest goal. There is gradation even among the knowers based on their limited knowledge. Sound 'U' symbolises this response'. Then he elaborated on the knowledge of Brahman, symbolised by the sound 'Om'.

इत्युक्ते ब्रह्मणा पूर्वं पप्रच्छवरुणो विभुम्।

ityukte brahmaṇā pūrvaṃ papracchavaruṇo vibhum।

[इति (iti) - thus; उक्ते (ukte) - having been said; ब्रह्मणा (brahmaṇā) - by Brahman; पूर्वं (pūrvaṃ) - before; पप्रच्छ (papraccha) - asked; वरुणः (varuṇaḥ) - Varuṇa; विभुम् (vibhum) - the all-pervading;]

After this was spoken by Lord Brahma earlier, Varuṇa questioned the all-pervading Brahma.

अविद्वानपि यः कश्चिद् ब्रह्माप्नोति कथञ्चन॥ विद्वानेवोत तत्रापि सर्वेवाऽथैव केचन। यदि सर्वेऽथ तत्रापि सर्वे सम्यक् समाप्नुयुः॥ केचिदेवोत सम्यक् तदसम्यगपरे जनाः। ज्ञानिनोऽपीति पृष्टः सन् ब्रह्मा प्राह चतुर्मुखः॥

avidvānapi yaḥ kaścid brahmāpnoti kathaṃcana॥ vidvāneva uta tatrāpi sarve vā'thaiva kecana। yadi sarve'tha tatrāpi sarve samyak samāpnuyuḥ॥ kecidevota samyak tadasamyagapare janāḥ। jñānino'pi iti pṛṣṭaḥ san brahmā prāha caturmukhaḥ॥

[अविद्वान् (avidvān) - ignorant; अपि (api) - even; यः (yaḥ) - who; कश्चित् (kaścit) - anyone; ब्रह्म (brahma) - Brahman; आप्नोति (āpnoti) - attains; कथञ्चन (kathaṃcana) - in any way; विद्वान् (vidvān) - knower; एव (eva) - indeed; उत (uta) - also; तत्र (tatra) - there; अपि (api) - even; सर्वे (sarve) - all; वा (vā) - or; अथ (atha) - then; एव (eva) - indeed; केचन (kecana) - some; यदि (yadi) - if; सर्वे (sarve) - all; अथ (atha) - then; तत्र (tatra) - there; अपि (api) - even; सर्वे (sarve) - all; सम्यक् (samyak) - properly; समाप्नुयुः (samāpnuyuḥ) - would attain; केचित् (kecit) - some; एव (eva) - indeed; उत (uta) - and; सम्यक् (samyak) - properly; तत् (tat) - that; असम्यक् (asamyak) - improperly; अपरे (apare) - others; जनाः (janāḥ) - people; ज्ञानिनः (jñāninaḥ) - the wise; अपि (api) - also; इति (iti) - thus; पृष्टः (pṛṣṭaḥ) - asked; सन् (san) - being; ब्रह्मा (brahmā) - Brahmā; प्राह (prāha) - said; चतुर्मुखः (caturmukhaḥ) - the four-faced one;]

Does whoever, even if ignorant, somehow attain Brahman? Is it only the knower, or perhaps all, or even some? There, some people do so properly, others improperly; thus even the wise. If all, then there too, would all properly attain? When asked, Brahmā, the four-faced one, spoke:

अज्ञा न प्राप्नुयुर्ब्रह्म प्राप्नुयुर्ज्ञानिनोऽखिलाः। तत्रापि सम्यक् प्राप्तिस्तु विरिञ्चस्यैव सर्वदा॥

ajñā na prāpnuyur brahma prāpnuyur jñānino'khilāḥ। tatrāpi samyak prāptis tu viriñcasyai va sarvadā॥

[अज्ञाः (ajñāḥ) - ignorant ones; न (na) - not; प्राप्नुयुः (prāpnuyuḥ) - may attain; ब्रह्म (brahma) - Brahman; प्राप्नुयुः (prāpnuyuḥ) - may attain; ज्ञानिनः (jñāninaḥ) - the wise; अखिलाः (akhilāḥ) - all; तत्र (tatra) - there; अपि (api) - even; सम्यक् (samyak) - properly; प्राप्तिः (prāptiḥ) - attainment; तु (tu) - but; विरिञ्चस्य (viriñcasya) - of Brahmā; एव (eva) - only; सर्वदा (sarvadā) - always;]

The ignorant never attain Brahman, while all the wise do. Yet, even among them, true attainment is always and only that of Lord Brahmā.

अन्येषां तारतम्येन प्राप्तिः सुखविशेषतः। इत्यभिप्रायवान् ब्रह्मा ह्युकारेण समासतः॥

anyeṣāṃ tāratamyena prāptiḥ sukhaviśeṣataḥ। ityabhiprāyavān brahmā hyukāreṇa samāsataḥ॥

[अन्येषां (anyeṣām) - of others; तारतम्येन (tāratamyena) - by gradation; प्राप्तिः (prāptiḥ) - attainment; सुखविशेषतः (sukhaviśeṣataḥ) - by particular happiness; इति (iti) - thus; अभिप्रायवान् (abhiprāyavān) - having the intention; ब्रह्मा (brahmā) - Brahmā; हि (hi) - indeed; उकारेण (ukāreṇa) - by the syllable 'u'; समासतः (samāsataḥ) - in summary;]

Lord Brahmā, intending that the attainment of others is by gradation and limited to particular happiness, indeed summarized this by the syllable 'u'.

उक्त्वा प्रश्नोत्तरं पश्चाद् विस्तरेण जगाद ह। कश्चिदेवोत सम्यक् तदाप्नुयादिति वाक्यतः॥ अनन्तरं तथैवेति ब्रह्मोङ्कारमुवाच ह॥

uktvā praśnottaraṃ paścād vistareṇa jagāda ha। kaścidevota samyak tadāpnuyāditi vākyataḥ॥ anantaraṃ tathaiveti brahmoṅkāramuvāca ha॥

[उक्त्वा (uktvā) - having said; प्रश्नोत्तरं (praśnottaraṃ) - question and answer; पश्चात् (paścāt) - after; विस्तरेण (vistareṇa) - in detail; जगाद (jagāda) - he spoke; ह (ha) - indeed; कश्चित् (kaścit) - someone; एव (eva) - indeed; उत (uta) - or; सम्यक् (samyak) - properly; तत् (tat) - that; आप्नुयात् (āpnuyāt) - might attain; इति (iti) - thus; वाक्यतः (vākyataḥ) - from the statement; अनन्तरं (anantaraṃ) - afterwards; तथैव (tathaiva) - just so; इति (iti) - thus; ब्रह्म (brahma) - Brahman; ओङ्कारम् (oṅkāram) - the syllable Om; उवाच (uvāca) - said; ह (ha) - indeed;]

After giving the question and answer, he then explained everything in detail. He said that only someone who truly understands may attain that, as stated. Then, in the same way, Brahman spoke the syllable 'Om'.