Bhashya
सा होवाच- हे ब्राह्मणा भगवन्तः शृणुत मदीयं वचः ; तदेव बहुमन्येध्वम् ; किं तत् ? यदस्मात् याज्ञवल्क्यात् नमस्कारेण मुच्येध्वम्- अस्मै नमस्कारं कृत्वा, तदेव बहुमन्येध्वमित्यर्थः ; जयस्त्वस्य मनसापि नाशंसनीयः, किमुत कार्यतः ; कस्मात् ? न वै युष्माकं मध्ये जातु कदाचिदपि इमं याज्ञवल्क्यं ब्रह्मोद्यं प्रति जेता ।प्रश्नौ चेन्मह्यं वक्ष्यति, न वै जेता भविता- इति पूर्वमेव मया प्रतिज्ञातम् ; अद्यापि ममायमेव निश्चयः- ब्रह्मोद्यं प्रति एतत्तुल्यो न कश्चिद्विद्यत इति ।ततो ह वाचक्नव्युपरराम ॥
In plain words
She said, ‘Venerable brahmins, hear me: value this one thing above all else. And what is it? Simply that you free yourselves from Yājñavalkya through a bow — pay him your respects, and let that be enough for you. Don’t even let yourselves hope, in your minds, to defeat him — let alone in fact. Why? Because not one of you will ever be his match in this contest of Brahman. I said long ago: if he answers my two questions, no one will ever defeat him. And that is still exactly what I hold today — no one here is his equal.’ And with that, Vācaknavī fell silent.
Close to the Sanskrit
She said: O venerable brahmins, listen to my word; hold that alone in high esteem. What is that? That by obeisance you should be freed from this Yājñavalkya — having paid obeisance to him, hold that alone in high esteem, is the meaning. His victory should not even be hoped for in the mind, how much less in deed. Why? Because among you none will ever at any time be a victor over this Yājñavalkya in theological debate. 'If he answers my two questions, he will certainly not be defeated' — this I vowed before; even today this alone is my settled conclusion: that with regard to theological debate no one exists equal to this man. Then indeed Vācaknavī fell silent.