tatra - there; āhuḥ - spoke; brāhmaṇāḥ - brāhmaṇas; kecit - some; āsīnāḥ - seated; brahma - in the Vedas; vādinaḥ - fluent; pūrveṣām - of those of the past; puṇya - pious; yaśasām - whose fame; rājñām - of kings; ca - and; ākathayan - they recounted; kathāḥ - stories.

Some brāhmaṇas sitting in that assembly hall would fluently chant Vedic mantras, while others recounted stories of past kings of pious renown.