Aśoka-śāstra: Nārada’s Instruction on the Cessation of Śoka
Grief
परचक्षुषि चात्मानं ये न पश्यन्ति पार्थिव
paracakṣuṣi cātmānaṃ ye na paśyanti pārthiva
ຍາຊະນະວັນກະຍະ ກ່າວວ່າ: “ໂອ ພຣະຣາຊາ! ຜູ້ໃດບໍ່ອາດເຫັນອາດຕະມາໃນສິ່ງທີ່ ‘ເຫັນຜ່ານຕາຂອງຄົນອື່ນ’—ນັ່ນແມ່ນ ຜູ້ທີ່ຫາອົງຕົນຂອງຕົນແຕ່ໃນທັດສະນະພາຍນອກ ແລະຮູບລັກ—ຜູ້ນັ້ນບໍ່ຮູ້ຈັກຕົນແທ້.”
याज्ञवल्क्य उवाच
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.