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 ||
毗舍波耶那说：“车夫啊，夜亦如昼，我片刻不得安宁；只因我反复思量那可怖而失策之举——由掷骰而起——而今已成既往。”
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.