tulya - equal; śruta - in hearing from the Vedas; tapaḥ - and performance of penances; śīlāḥ - whose character; tulya - equal; svīya - to friends; ari - enemies; madhyamāḥ - and neutral parties; api - although; cakruḥ - they made; pravacanam - the speaker; ekam - one of them; śuśrūṣavaḥ - eager listeners; apare - the others.

Although these sages were all equally qualified in terms of Vedic study and austerity, and although they all saw friends, enemies and neutral parties equally, they chose one of their number to be the speaker, and the rest became eager listeners.