And he said: 'Verily, a husband is not dear, that you may love the husband; but that you may love the Self, therefore a husband is dear. 'Verily, a wife is not dear, that you may love the wife; but that you may love the Self, therefore a wife is dear. 'Verily, sons are not dear, that you may love the sons; but that you may love the Self, therefore sons are dear. 'Verily, wealth is not dear, that you may love wealth; but that you may love the Self, therefore wealth is dear. 'Verily, the Brahman-class is not dear, that you may love the Brahman-class; but that you may love the Self, therefore the Brahman-class is dear. 'Verily, the Kshatra-class is not dear, that you may love the Kshatra-class; but that you may love the Self, therefore the Kshatra-class is dear. 'Verily, the worlds are not dear, that you may love the worlds; but that you may love the Self, therefore the worlds are dear. 'Verily, the Devas are not dear, that you may love the Devas; but that you may love the Self, therefore the Devas are dear. 'Verily, creatures are not dear, that you may love the creatures; but that you may love the Self, therefore are creatures dear. 'Verily, everything is not dear that you may love everything; but that you may love the Self, therefore everything is dear. 'Verily, the Self is to be seen, to be heard, to be perceived, to be marked, O Maitreyi! When we see, hear, perceive, and know the Self, then all this is known.

In plain words: Yajnavalkya explains that husbands, wives, children, wealth, priests, warriors, worlds, gods, creatures and everything else are not dear for their own sake. They are dear for the sake of the Self. So the Self is what we must come to see, hear, think about and understand. When we know the Self, we know everything.