Often these verses in Chandogya Upanishad are quoted to claim that chandogya upanishad says varNa is by birth. Let's see these slokas of Chapter 5.10, as I translate and interpret it.
Executive Summary of Chandogya Upanishad Chapter 10
Due to Sun and Moon's effect on Earth, day, night, summer and winter solstices, years etc happen in cycles. Due to effect of moon, ancestral worlds of life is formed in Earth which also follow the cyclic pattern, releasing gases to sky, changing the atmospheric contents, forming clouds, bringing rain to distant lands and bringing out advanced life forms that devas eat (plants, trees, wood). Being that eat these plants and their products, evolve into 2 kinds, based on the work they do.
Those species said to do attractive work (produce something) called brahmana, ksatriya, vaizyas and those species said to be stinking work of scavenging like dogs, pigs, candalas.But then there's a third kind who are just born and die without any evolution called zudras who are the ones really abhorred.
A thief, alcoholic, who lives in guru's bed, kills brahman, these and whoever mixes with them are born to die without any evolution and hence called zudras. Whoever follows pancha-agni and who mixes with such people will be the others in punya-loka.
Summary of Chandogya Upanishad Chapter 10
Brahma is said to be the creator. Purusa is said to be the witness. How does this creation work..?
Rays of light cling,becomes day, fortnights, summer and winter solstices, year etc. Sun, Moon (from the sun), light (from sun and moon), such non-human forms are attained by brahma, the creator from the purusa. This is the path of devas. diva means day or dawn. devas are those that guide the light/day/dawn. These are known by people who penance with dedication in the forest.
But how come from sun, moon, lightning/radiation, night and apara-paksA, the other side of light is achieved..? It is explained in the next sloka
The sun and moon do rituals with gifts/dattam in our grAma (earthly community).( Sun's gift/dattam is the earth's rotation causing the change of day. Moon's dattam/gift is keeping the Earth's tilt stable causing solstices.) As light goes down (due to rotation of earth), smoke appears and complete darkness in night appears. From night, the other side of it(day) appears.( Moon also does the same with tilt as it causes winter solstice and the other side of it, the summer solstice). These lead to a (cyclic) year.
From the months (moon circling around the earth), the pitr-lokas (ancestral world of human beings, the first life forms of earth) and from these ancestral worlds of life, the atmosphere of earth, from that atmosphere, the earth ruled by Soma/moon. From this earth ruled by moon, food that devas eat.
In this earth ruled by Moon, whatever that falls and dwells, they release back to the atmosphere, the gases, that become white clouds (like smoke),and then with water vapor.
In the earth ruled by moon, the ancestral world of life forms. In that ancestral world of life,whatever that falls down and dwells on earth, release gases back to the atmosphere which become clouds and clouds with water vapor. This probably is the world of microbes.
The water vapor clouds become rain bearing and rain (in distant lands). From that grains,herbs, trees and plants like sesame are born. From this the difficult path whoever eats food, they have sperm/egg and they procreate. (life continues). From the world of microbes, the world of plants and animals form.
In this world of plants and animals, those practising their feet attractively occur/happen/attain attractive species brahmins, ksatriyas and vaizyas. Those with stinking feet become scavenging or dependent animals like dogs, pigs and candalas (tribals).
Every living being evolves based on how they practise their feet (what work they do). There are those with beautiful feet and those with stinking feet. The stinking feet animals live on scavenging the dead like dogs, pigs and candalas. The attractive feet animals/people work with their feet and produce like brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaizyas.
What species one becomes based on how they practise with their feet (or what work they do). If they produce they are brahmana, ksatriya, vaizyas. If they scavenge they are candalas.
Then there are zudra beings which take birth and die, thus constantly returning back to their old state, (without evolution). Hence this kind of beings can't fill the world. There is a sloka on the zudras (who the zudras are)
A gold thief, alcoholic drinker, who lives in guru's bed, kills brahman, these four fall down along with the fifth who mixes with them. These people are zudras who just are born to die without any evolution and whoever mixes with such people also imbibe such qualities in them. Hence they are also zudras.
Who knows the pancha-agni never succumbs to sin. Who even mixes with these becomes part of this pure, purified punyaloka, He who knows thuss (only) knows.
Sloka 5.10.1 and 2
tadya itthaṃ viduḥ| ye ceme'raṇye śraddhā tapa ityupāsate te'rciṣamabhisaṃbhavantyarciṣo'harahna āpūryamāṇapakṣamāpūryamāṇapakṣādyānṣaḍudaṅṅeti māsāṃstān || 5.10.1 ||
māsebhyaḥ saṃvatsaraṃ saṃvatsarādādityamādityāccandramasaṃ candramaso vidyutaṃ tatpuruṣo'mānavaḥ sa enānbrahma gamayatyeṣa devayānaḥ panthā iti
Tat ye viduḥ, those who know, ittham, thus; ye ca ime, these people; araṇye, of forest; śraddhā tapaḥ iti upāsate; doing penance with dedication
People who penance with dedication know this
te arciṣam abhisambhavanti, thoserays of light; abhisam bhavanti - they cling; arciṣaḥ, from light; ahaḥ, to the day; ahnaḥ, from the day; āpūryamāṇapakṣam, to the bright fortnight; āpūryamāṇapakṣāt, from the bright fortnight; yān ṣaṭ māsān, to the six months; udan eti, [when the sun] moves to the north; tān, to that; māsebhyaḥ, from those months; saṃvatsaram, to the year; saṃvatsarāt, from the year; ādityam, to the sun; ādityāt, from the sun; candramasam, to the moon; candramasaḥ, from the moon; vidyutam, to lightning; tat, that; puruṣaḥ amānavaḥ, purusa from non-human; enān, those ; saḥ gamayati, they reach; brahma, brahma, the creator ; eṣaḥ devayānaḥ panthāḥ iti, this is the path of the gods
As rays of light cling, it becomes day, fortnights (lunar periods), the solstices of six months (summer and winter solstice) in a year. The sun, from the sun the moon, from these the lightning/radiation, (with) that purusa, brahma, the creator, reaches non-human forms (amAnuva) . This is the path of the devas.
Brahma is said to be the creator. Purusa is said to be the witness. How does this creation work..?
Rays of light cling,becomes day, fortnights, summer and winter solstices, year etc. Sun, Moon (from the sun), light (from sun and moon), such non-human forms are attained by brahma, the creator from the purusa. This is the path of devas. diva means day or dawn. devas are those that guide the light/day/dawn. These are known by people who penance with dedication in the forest.
But how come from sun, moon, lightning/radiation, night and apara-paksA, the other side of light is achieved..? It is explained in the next sloka
Sloka 5.10.3
atha ya ime grāma iṣṭāpūrte dattamityupāsate te dhūmamabhisaṃbhavanti dhūmādrātriṃ rātreraparapakṣamaparapakṣādyānṣaḍdakṣiṇaiti māsāṃstānnaite saṃvatsaramabhiprāpnuvanti || 5.10.3 ||
Atha, then; ye ime, in this; grāme, village or community; iṣṭāpūrte dattam iti upāsate, yajna with giving away/dattam is performed te, in that; dhūmam abhisambhavanti,in that smoke appears/beomes possible dhūmāt rātrim, night from smoke rātreḥ aparapakṣam, from night, the tilt to the other side appears aparapakṣāt yān ṣaḍ māsān tān dakṣiṇa eti, , from the tilt to the other side, the six months of that winter solstice saṃvatsaram abhiprāpnuvanti, thus a cyclic year is reached.
The sun and moon do rituals with gifts/dattam in our grAma (earthly community). Sun's gift/dattam is the earth's rotation causing the change of day. Moon's dattam/gift is keeping the Earth's tilt stable causing solstices. As light does down (due to rotation of earth), smoke appears and complete darkness in night appears. From night, the other side of it(day) appears. Moon also does the same with tilt as it causes winter solstice and the other side of it, the summer solstice. These lead to a (cyclic) year.
Sloka 5.10.4
māsebhyaḥ pitṛlokaṃ pitṛlokādākāśamākāśāccandramasameṣa somo rājā taddevānāmannaṃ taṃ devā bhakṣayanti || 5.10.4 ||
Māsebhyaḥ, from the months, pitṛlokam, the pitr loka pitṛlokāt ākāśam, from pitr loka, the atmosphere, ākāśāt candramasam eṣaḥ somaḥ rājā, ruled by the Soma. tat, that; devānām annam, that food of devas tam devāḥ bhakṣayanti, that devas eat
From the months (moon circling around the earth), the pitr-lokas (ancestral world of human beings, the first life forms of earth) and from these ancestral worlds of life, the atmosphere of earth, from that atmosphere, the earth ruled by Soma/moon. From this earth ruled by moon, food that devas eat.
Sloka 5.10.5
tasminyavātsampātamuṣitvāthaitamevādhvānaṃ punarnivartante yathetamākāśamākāśādvāyuṃ vāyurbhūtvā dhūmo bhavati dhūmo bhūtvābhraṃ bhavati || 5.10.5 ||
Tasmin, in that [world of the moon]; yāvat sampātam,(whatever falls completely) uṣitvā, remaining/reside/dwell; atha,then etam eva punaḥ nivartante, they release back ; adhvānam, along this path; yathā itam, as one came; ākāśam, to the atmosphere; ākāśāt vāyum, the gases of atmosphere; vāyuḥ bhūtvā dhūmaḥ bhavati, which become white clouds like smoke; dhūmaḥ bhūtva abhram bhavati, which become clouds with water vapor
In this earth ruled by Moon, whatever that falls and dwells, they release back to the atmosphere, the gases, that become white clouds (like smoke),and then with water vapor.
In the earth ruled by moon, the ancestral world of life forms. In that ancestral world of life,whatever that falls down and dwells on earth, release gases back to the atmosphere which become clouds and clouds with water vapor. This probably is the world of microbes.
Sloka 5.10.6
abhraṃ bhūtvā megho bhavati megho bhūtvā pravarṣati ta iha vrīhiyavā oṣadhivanaspatayastilamāṣā iti jāyante'to vai khalu durniṣprapataraṃ yo yo hyannamatti yo retaḥ siñcati tadbhūya eva bhavati || 5.10.6 ||
Abhram bhūtvā meghaḥ bhavati, from water vapor they become rain bearing clouds meghaḥ bhūtvā pravarṣati, becomes rain ; te, they; iha, in this world; vrīhi-yavāḥ, grains oṣadhi-vanaspatayaḥ, plants and trees; tila-māṣaḥ iti, sesame etc ; jāyante, are born; ataḥ, then; vai khalu, for sure; durniṣprapataram, the way is difficult; yaḥ yaḥ, whoever; hi annam atti, eats this food; yaḥ retaḥ siñcati, as it procreates; tat bhūyaḥ eva bhavati, he becomes like that [its parents].
The water vapor clouds become rain bearing and rain (in distant lands). From that grains,herbs, trees and plants like sesame are born. From this the difficult path whoever eats food, they have sperm/egg and they procreate. (life continues). From the world of microbes, the world of plants and animals form.
Sloka 5.10.7
tadya iha ramaṇīyacaraṇā abhyāśo ha yatte ramaṇīyāṃ yonimāpadyeranbrāhmaṇayoniṃ vā kṣatriyayoniṃ vā vaiśyayoniṃ vātha ya iha kapūyacaraṇā abhyāśo ha yatte kapūyāṃ yonimāpadyerañśvayoniṃ vā sūkarayoniṃ vā caṇḍālayoniṃ || 5.10.7 ||
Tat, there; ye, those who; iha, in this world; ramaṇīyacaraṇāḥ abhyāśaḥ - practise feet attractively; ha yat certainly which; te, they; ramaṇīyām yonim, are attractive species ; āpadyeran, occur/attain/happen to be; brāhmaṇa yonim vā, brāhmin species or; kṣatriya yonim vā, or a ksatriya species; vaiśya yonim vā, vaiśya species; atha, but; ye iha kapūyacaraṇāḥ, those stinking feet ha yat, certainly which , they; kapūyām yonim āpadyeran, happen/occur/attain stinking species; śva yonim yā, dog species ; sūkara yonim vā, pig species ; caṇḍāla yonim vā, or candala species.
In this world of plants and animals, those practising their feet attractively occur/happen/attain attractive species brahmins, ksatriyas and vaizyas. Those with stinking feet become scavenging or dependent animals like dogs, pigs and candalas.
Every living being evolves based on how they practise their feet (what work they do). There are those with beautiful feet and those with stinking feet. The stinking feet animals live on scavenging the dead like dogs, pigs and candalas. The attractive feet animals/people work with their feet and produce like brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaizyas.
What species one becomes based on how they practise with their feet (or what work they do). If they produce they are brahmana, ksatriya, vaizyas. If they scavenge they are candalas.
Sloka 5.10.8
athaitayoḥ pathorna katareṇacana tānīmāni kṣudrāṇyasakṛdāvartīni bhūtāni bhavanti jāyasva mriyasvetyetattṛtīyaṃsthānaṃ tenāsau loko na sampūryate tasmājjugupseta tadeṣa ślokaḥ || 5.10.8 ||
Atha, then; etayoḥ pathoḥ, of these paths na katareṇa ca na, not by either; tāni imāni, all these; kṣudrāṇi bhūtāni, the ksudra beings asakṛt āvartīni, which are born again and again; jāyasva mriyasva iti, ‘be born and die’; etat tṛtīyaṃ sthānum, this is the third position [which is neither of the two previous paths]; tena, this is why; asau lokaḥ, that world; na sampūryate, is not filled up [with people]; tasmāt, therefore; jugupseta, abhorrence; tat eṣaḥ ślokaḥ, sloka on this.
Then there are zudra beings which take birth and die, thus constantly returning back to their old state, (without evolution). Hence this kind of beings can't fill the world. There is a sloka on the zudras (who the zudras are)
Sloka 5.10.9
steno hiraṇyasya surāṃ pibaṃśca gurostalpamāvasanbrahmahā caite patanti catvāraḥ pañcamaścācaraṃstairiti || 5.10.9 ||
Stenaḥ, a thief; hiraṇyasya, of gold; surām piban ca, and one who drinks liquor; guroḥ talpam āvasan, lives in guru's bed ; brahma hā ca, kills/strikes brahman; ete, these; catvāraḥ, four; patanti, fall down/lost; pañcamaḥ ca, and the fifth; ācaran taiḥ iti, is one who moves with them.
A gold thief, alcoholic drinker, who lives in guru's bed, kills brahman, these four fall down along with the fifth who mixes with them. These people are zudras who just are born to die without any evolution and whoever mixes with such people also imbibe such qualities in them. Hence they are also zudras.
Sloka 5.10.10
atha ha ya etānevaṃ pañcāgnīnveda na saha tairapyācaranpāpmanā lipyate śuddhaḥ pūtaḥ puṇyaloko bhavati ya evaṃ veda ya evaṃ veda || 5.10.10 ||
|| iti daśamaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ||
Atha certainly then, yaḥ etan, he who; evam, thus; pañcāgnīn veda, knows five fires; pāpmanā na lipyate, is not tainted with sin; saha taiḥ api, even with them ācaran, he mixes; śuddhaḥ, pure; pūtaḥ, innocent; puṇyalokaḥ, an inhabitant of a holy world; bhavati, he becomes; yaḥ evam veda yaḥ evam veda, he who knows thus,
Who knows the pancha-agni never succumbs to sin. Who even mixes with these becomes part of this pure, purified punyaloka, He who knows thuss (only) knows. This is the tenth khanda.
Reference
https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/chandogya-upanishad-english/d/doc239190.html
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