तान् होवाच ब्राह्मणा भगवन्तो यो वो ब्रह्मिष्ठः स एता गा उदजतामिति ।ते ह ब्राह्मणा न दधृषुः ।अथ ह याज्ञवल्क्यः स्वमेव ब्रह्मचारिणमुवाच एताः सौम्योदज सामश्रवा३ इति ।ता होदाचकार ।ते ह ब्राह्मणाश्चुक्रुधुः कथं नु नो ब्रह्मिष्ठो ब्रुवीतेति ।अथ ह जनकस्य वैदेहस्य होताश्वलो बभूव ।स हैनं पप्रच्छ त्वं नु खलु नो याज्ञवल्क्य ब्रह्मिष्ठोऽसी३ इति ।स होवाच नमो वयं ब्रह्मिष्ठाय कुर्मो गोकामा एव वयं स्म इति ।तं ह तत एव प्रष्टुं दध्रे होताश्वलः ॥बृह. ३,१.२ ॥
In plain words
He said to them, "Reverend brahmins, let him among you who is the greatest knower of Brahman drive away these cows." The brahmins did not dare. Then Yājñavalkya said to his pupil, "Sāmaśravas, my dear, drive these away." And he drove them away. The brahmins were angry: "How can he call himself the greatest knower of Brahman among us?" Now Aśvala was the Hotṛ of Janaka of Videha. He asked him, "Yājñavalkya, art thou indeed the greatest knower of Brahman among us?" He said, "We bow to the greatest knower of Brahman; we simply want the cows." Thereupon the Hotṛ Aśvala set about questioning him.