Shloka 8
दमयन्त्या वणिजां सार्थगमनम्, हस्तियूथविप्लवः, चेदिराजपुरप्रवेशश्च
Damayantī joins a caravan; elephant-herd catastrophe; entry into Cedi
सुप्तायां दमयन्त्यां तु नलो राजा विशाम्पते । शोकोन्मथितचित्तात्मा न सम शेते तथा पुरा,राजन्! राजा नलका चित्त शोकसे मथा जा रहा था। वे दमयन्तीके सो जानेपर भी स्वयं पहलेकी भाँति सो न सके
suptāyāṃ damayantyāṃ tu nalo rājā viśāṃpate | śokonmathitacittātmā na samaṃ śete tathā purā ||
Disse Bṛhadaśva: Quando Damayantī adormeceu, o rei Nala—ó senhor dos povos—com a mente e o íntimo revolvidos pela dor, não conseguiu deitar-se e dormir em serenidade como outrora.
बृहदश्च उवाच
Educational Q&A
Grief, if allowed to dominate the mind, destroys inner equilibrium (samatva) and disrupts even basic human functions like sleep; the ethical implication is the need for steadiness and self-governance, especially for one bearing responsibility such as a king.
After Damayantī falls asleep, Nala remains awake; his mind is unsettled by sorrow, and he cannot rest as he used to, signaling his deep inner crisis at this point in the Nala–Damayantī episode.