Shloka 10
Aśoka-śāstra: Nārada’s Instruction on the Cessation of Śoka
Grief
Devanagari script
परचक्षुषि चात्मानं ये न पश्यन्ति पार्थिव
Transliteration
paracakṣuṣi cātmānaṃ ye na paśyanti pārthiva
Translation
Yājñavalkya said: “O king, those who fail to perceive the Self (Ātman) within what is ‘seen through another’s eyes’—that is, who seek their identity only in external viewpoints and appearances—do not truly know themselves.”
Word by Word
परचक्षुषिin another's eye/through another's sight
परचक्षुषि:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootपर-चक्षुस्
FormNeuter, Locative, Singular
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
आत्मानम्oneself/the self
आत्मानम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootआत्मन्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
येwho (those who)
ये:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
पश्यन्तिsee
पश्यन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootपश्
FormPresent (Lat), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
पार्थिवO king (earth-lord)
पार्थिव:
TypeNoun
Rootपार्थिव
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
Speaker
याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच
Characters & Entities
य
याज्ञवल्क्य (Yājñavalkya)प
पार्थिव (the king, addressed as ‘Pārthiva’)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
True self-knowledge is inward: one must recognize the Ātman directly, not define oneself by external appearances or by how others see and judge.
In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, the sage Yājñavalkya addresses a king and delivers a reflective teaching on self-perception—warning against mistaking external viewpoints for the reality of the Self.