Bhashya
विद्यया कर्मनिरपेक्षया प्राप्यते; यस्मात् कर्मप्रकरणे वक्तुंप्राप्तापि सती प्रवर्ग्यप्रकरणे, कर्मप्रकरणादुत्तीर्य कर्मणाविरुद्धत्वात् केवलसंन्याससहिता अभिहिता अमृतत्वसाध-नाय- तस्मात् नातः परं पुरुषार्थसाधनमस्ति ।अपि चएवं स्तुता ब्रह्मविद्या- सर्वो हि लोको द्वन्द्वारामः, 'स वैनैव रेमे तस्मादेकाकी न रमते' इति श्रुतेः; याज्ञवल्क्योलोकसाधारणोऽपि सन् आत्मज्ञानबलात् भार्यापुत्रवित्तादि-संसाररतिं परित्यज्य प्रज्ञानतृप्त आत्मरतिर्बभूव ।अपि चएवं स्तुता ब्रह्मविद्या- यस्मात् याज्ञवल्क्येन संसारमा-र्गात् व्युत्तिष्ठतापि प्रियायै भार्यायै प्रीत्यर्थमेव अभिहिता,'प्रियं भाषस एह्यास्स्व' इति लिङ्गात् ।
In plain words
It is reached only by knowledge that needs nothing from action. And notice where it was placed: it belonged, by rights, in the section on ritual action, yet it appears instead in the section on the Pravargya rite — lifted clean out of the ritual section, because it simply cannot sit alongside action, and given together with total renunciation, for the sake of immortality alone. So there is no higher means to any human goal than this. And there is more praise in it still. Everyone in the world delights in pairs, in companionship — scripture itself says, 'He was not content alone; that is why no one is content alone.' Yet Yājñavalkya, an ordinary man to look at, simply by the strength of knowing the Self, walked away from everything the world delights in — wife, son, wealth — and, satisfied by understanding alone, came to delight only in the Self. And there is a final touch of praise: even as he was stepping out of the whole path of worldly life, Yājñavalkya spoke this knowledge to his beloved wife purely out of love for her — you can see it in his own words to her: 'You speak so dearly — come, sit down.'
Close to the Sanskrit
It is attained by knowledge independent of action; because, although due to be stated in the section on ritual action, it was, in the section on the Pravargya rite, having emerged from the section on ritual action, because of being incompatible with action, declared together with sole renunciation, for the sake of the means to immortality — therefore there is no means to a human goal higher than this. Moreover, the knowledge of brahman is praised thus: the whole world indeed delights in pairs, for scripture says, 'he indeed did not delight at all; therefore, alone, one does not delight'; Yājñavalkya, though outwardly ordinary in the world, by the strength of knowledge of the Self, having abandoned delight in the worldly round of wife, son, wealth, and the rest, satisfied by understanding, became one who delights in the Self. Moreover, the knowledge of brahman is praised thus: because, by Yājñavalkya, even while rising up out of the path of worldly life, it was declared to his beloved wife purely for the sake of affection, as shown by the line, 'you speak dearly — come, sit down.'