Shloka 3
दमयन्त्याः व्याकुलता — स्वयंवरसंनिपातः — देवदूतयाचनम्
Damayantī’s Distress, Proclamation of the Svayaṃvara, and the Gods’ Request
नरात्रौ न दिवा सूत शान्तिं प्राप्रोमि वै क्षणम् । संचिन्त्य दुर्नयं घोरमतीतं द्यूतजं हि तत्
narātrau na divā sūta śāntiṁ prāpromi vai kṣaṇam | saṁcintya durnayaṁ ghoram atītaṁ dyūtajaṁ hi tat ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “O Sūta, neither by night nor by day do I find even a moment’s peace, as I keep reflecting on that dreadful, ill-judged course of action—born of the dice—that has already taken place.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical weight of wrongful decisions: actions rooted in vice (here, gambling) can produce lasting consequences that disturb the mind and destroy peace, even long after the event has passed.
The speaker (Vaiśaṃpāyana) addresses Sūta and confesses persistent unrest—day and night—caused by brooding over a terrible misjudgment connected to the earlier dice episode, whose repercussions continue to haunt the characters and the story.