यदेव ते कश्चिदब्रवीत्तच्छृणवामेति ।अब्रवीन्म उदङ्कः शौल्बायनः ।प्राणो वै ब्रह्मेति ।यथा मातृमान् पितृमानाचार्यवान् ब्रूयात्तथा तच्छौल्बायनोऽब्रवीत्प्राणो वै ब्रह्मेति ।अप्राणतो हि किं स्यादिति ।अब्रवीत्तु ते तस्यायतनं प्रतिष्ठाम् ।न मेऽब्रवीदिति ।एकपाद्वा एतत्सम्राडिति ।स वै नो ब्रूहि याज्ञवल्क्य ।प्राण एवायतनमाकाशः प्रतिष्ठा ।प्रियमित्येनदुपासीत ।का प्रियता याज्ञवल्क्य ।प्राण एव सम्राडिति होवाच ।प्राणस्य वै सम्राट्कामायायाज्यं याजयति ।अप्रतिगृह्यस्य प्रतिगृह्णाति ।अपि तत्र वधाशङ्का भवति यां दिशमेति प्राणस्यैव सम्राट्कामाय ।प्राणो वै सम्राट्परमं ब्रह्म ।नैनं प्राणो जहाति ।सर्वाण्येनं भूतान्यभिक्षरन्ति ।देवो भूत्वा देवानप्येति ।य एवं विद्वानेतदुपास्ते ।हस्त्यृषभं सहस्रं ददामीति होवाच जनको वैदेहह् ।स होवाच याज्ञवल्क्यः पिता मेऽमन्यत नाननुशिष्य हरेतेति ॥बृह. ४,१.३ ॥
In plain words
"Let me hear what anyone has told thee." "Udaṅka Śaulbāyana told me, 'The breath indeed is Brahman.'" "As one who had a mother, a father and a teacher might say, so did Śaulbāyana say that the breath indeed is Brahman; for what would one have who could not breathe? But did he tell thee its dwelling and its support?" "He did not tell me." "Then this is a thing of one foot only, your majesty." "Then do thou tell us, Yājñavalkya." "The breath is its dwelling and space its support. Let a man worship it as what is dear." "What is dearness, Yājñavalkya?" "The breath itself, your majesty," he said. "For out of love for the breath, your majesty, a man officiates for one for whom he ought not to officiate, and takes a gift from one from whom he ought not to take it; and even where he goes he is in fear of being killed, out of love for the breath alone, your majesty. The breath, your majesty, is the highest Brahman. The breath does not leave him, all beings flow toward him, and becoming a god he goes to the gods, who worships it thus knowing." "I give thee a thousand cows with a bull like an elephant," said Janaka of Videha. Yājñavalkya said, "My father held that one should not take a gift without having taught."