SanskritIASTMeaning
सःsaḥhe; that one
होवाचhovācahe said; He spoke
नnanot; no
वाvātruly; surely
अरेareO dear one; O
पत्युःpatyuḥof a husband (pati, gen.); the wife; of the husband
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
पतिःpatiḥthe male; the husband
प्रियःpriyaḥdear (priya); beloved; dear
भवतिbhavatibecomes; he presents himself
आत्मनस्ātmanasof the ātman (ātman, gen.); of the Self; the Ātman
तुtusurely; but
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
पतिःpatiḥthe male; the husband
प्रियःpriyaḥdear (priya); beloved; dear
भवतिbhavatibecomes; he presents himself
नnanot; no
वाvātruly; surely
अरेareO dear one; O
जायायैjāyāyaifor a wife (jāyā, dat.); of a spouse; of a wife
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
जायाjāyāthe wife; the wife
प्रियाpriyādear; beloved
भवतिbhavatibecomes; he presents himself
आत्मनस्ātmanasof the ātman (ātman, gen.); of the Self; the Ātman
तुtusurely; but
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
जायाjāyāthe wife; the wife
प्रियाpriyādear; beloved
भवतिbhavatibecomes; he presents himself
नnanot; no
वाvātruly; surely
अरेareO dear one; O
पुत्राणाम्putrāṇāmof sons (putra, gen. pl.); her sons; her sons
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
पुत्राःputrāḥsons; children
प्रियाःpriyāḥdear; the beloved [things]
भवन्तिbhavantibecome; are
आत्मनस्ātmanasof the ātman (ātman, gen.); of the Self; the Ātman
तुtusurely; but
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
पुत्राःputrāḥsons; children
प्रियाःpriyāḥdear; the beloved [things]
भवन्तिbhavantibecome; are
नnanot; no
वाvātruly; surely
अरेareO dear one; O
वित्तस्यvittasyaof wealth (vitta, gen.); of wealth; of wealth
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
वित्तम्vittamwealth; property
प्रियम्priyamwhat is dear; what is dear
भवतिbhavatibecomes; he presents himself
आत्मनस्ātmanasof the ātman (ātman, gen.); of the Self; the Ātman
तुtusurely; but
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
वित्तम्vittamwealth; property
प्रियम्priyamwhat is dear; what is dear
भवतिbhavatibecomes; he presents himself
नnanot; no
वाvātruly; surely
अरेareO dear one; O
ब्रह्मणःbrahmaṇaḥof brahminhood (brahman, gen.); of priesthood; of brahminhood
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
ब्रह्मbrahmaBrahman; the sacred reality
प्रियम्priyamwhat is dear; what is dear
भवतिbhavatibecomes; he presents himself
आत्मनस्ātmanasof the ātman (ātman, gen.); of the Self; the Ātman
तुtusurely; but
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
ब्रह्मbrahmaBrahman; the sacred reality
प्रियम्priyamwhat is dear; what is dear
भवतिbhavatibecomes; he presents himself
नnanot; no
वाvātruly; surely
अरेareO dear one; O
क्षत्रस्यkṣatrasyaof the kṣatra (kṣatra, gen.); to royal power; of the kṣatra
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
क्षत्रम्kṣatramthe kṣatriya power; the protecting power
प्रियम्priyamwhat is dear; what is dear
भवतिbhavatibecomes; he presents himself
आत्मनस्ātmanasof the ātman (ātman, gen.); of the Self; the Ātman
तुtusurely; but
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
क्षत्रम्kṣatramthe kṣatriya power; the protecting power
प्रियम्priyamwhat is dear; what is dear
भवतिbhavatibecomes; he presents himself
नnanot; no
वाvātruly; surely
अरेareO dear one; O
लोकानाम्lokānāmworlds; of the regions of being
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
लोकाःlokāḥworlds; the regions
प्रियाःpriyāḥdear; the beloved [things]
भवन्तिbhavantibecome; are
आत्मनस्ātmanasof the ātman (ātman, gen.); of the Self; the Ātman
तुtusurely; but
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
लोकाःlokāḥworlds; the regions
प्रियाःpriyāḥdear; the beloved [things]
भवन्तिbhavantibecome; are
नnanot; no
वाvātruly; surely
अरेareO dear one; O
देवानाम्devānāmof the gods; of the divine powers
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
देवाःdevāḥthe gods; divine powers
प्रियाःpriyāḥdear; the beloved [things]
भवन्तिbhavantibecome; are
आत्मनस्ātmanasof the ātman (ātman, gen.); of the Self; the Ātman
तुtusurely; but
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
देवाःdevāḥthe gods; divine powers
प्रियाःpriyāḥdear; the beloved [things]
भवन्तिbhavantibecome; are
नnanot; no
वाvātruly; surely
अरेareO dear one; O
भूतानाम्bhūtānāmof beings; of living beings
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
भूतानिbhūtānibeings; living beings
प्रियाणिpriyāṇidear; the beloved [things]
भवन्तिbhavantibecome; are
आत्मनस्ātmanasof the ātman (ātman, gen.); of the Self; the Ātman
तुtusurely; but
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
भूतानिbhūtānibeings; living beings
प्रियाणिpriyāṇidear; the beloved [things]
भवन्तिbhavantibecome; are
नnanot; no
वाvātruly; surely
अरेareO dear one; O
सर्वस्यsarvasyaof all; of the whole
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
सर्वम्sarvamall; the whole
प्रियम्priyamwhat is dear; what is dear
भवतिbhavatibecomes; he presents himself
आत्मनस्ātmanasof the ātman (ātman, gen.); of the Self; the Ātman
तुtusurely; but
कामायkāmāyafor the sake of (kāma, dat. — 'for the desire of'); for the sake of; for the sake of
सर्वम्sarvamall; the whole
प्रियम्priyamwhat is dear; what is dear
भवतिbhavatibecomes; he presents himself
आत्माātmāthe self; the ātman
वाvātruly; surely
अरेareO dear one; O
द्रष्टव्यःdraṣṭavyaḥis to be seen; is to be contemplated
श्रोतव्यःśrotavyaḥis to be heard; is to be listened to
मन्तव्यःmantavyaḥis to be reflected upon; is to be pondered
निदिध्यासितव्यःnididhyāsitavyaḥis to be meditated upon; is to be meditated on
मैत्रेयिmaitreyiO Maitreyī; Maitreyī
आत्मनोātmanoof the self; of the ātman
वाvātruly; surely
अरेareO dear one; O
दर्शनेनdarśanenaby seeing; by contemplation
श्रवणेनśravaṇenaby hearing; by listening
मत्याmatyāby reflection; by understanding
विज्ञानेनvijñānenaby knowing; by realisation
इदम्idamthis; this world
सर्वम्sarvamall; the whole
विदितम्viditamknown; recognised
Here begins the greatest discourse on love in all the Veda: na vā are patyuḥ kāmāya patiḥ priyo bhavati, ātmanas tu kāmāya patiḥ priyo bhavati — "not for the husband's sake is a husband dear; for the sake of the ātman is a husband dear". And so of everything dear: wife, sons, wealth, priesthood, kingship… The formula does not belittle the beloved — it uncovers the floor of love: in everyone we love it is not the shell we love but the ātman showing through them, the nearest Self, the depth in them that is kin to us.
That is why love is not to be satisfied by anything finite: from the very beginning it is addressed to the Infinite within the finite. He who loves a husband as merely a husband is preparing his own bereavement; he who has recognised in the beloved a window onto the ātman loves without falsehood and without fear. The Vedānta of bhakti takes the last step of this logic: the Self of all selves is the Lord; every earthly dearness is Kṛṣṇa's handwriting in people, and all the rivers of love flow, knowingly or not, to one Sea. "I am the taste of water… I am in every heart" (BG 7.8; 15.15): Yājñavalkya's verse is the source of those words.
Note too the courtesy of the truth: the list begins with the husband — Yājñavalkya is the first to loosen Maitreyī's hold, and it is from himself: do not cling to me, but to Him within me, who alone does not go off to the forest and does not die.