Note 25 — Chapter X · MAGH, JANUARY.

The circumstances of the death of this noble poet are the following. He was in the habit of visiting a literary public woman, who was widely known for her acquisitions. One evening she was standing near a pond, looking at the lotus-buds, when the king with his nobles was passing by. The royal train halted by the pond to observe the rays of the moon on its placid bosom. The king asked this question of his friends: “Wind bloweth not, the water is calm, why then doth yon lotus tremble?” The woman immediately went to her home and asked Kalidass about it, who said it was for a Vromor, (kind of black wasp,) which had got in to extract honey, but being too much intoxicated as the shades of the eve were closing, the lotus made it a prisoner for the night. As it moved within the lotus, it caused it to tremble. She came and informed the king about the lotus. He was quite surprised, and asked again, “Why the Vromor which gnaws dry woods does not cut through the lotus and go out of it?” She flew to her chamber, and the great poet solved the question. “The Vromor does not use his sharp sting, for two reasons. Having drank too much honey from the lotus he is dissipated now, and unable to use his weapon; secondly, he is too polite to cut the tender lotus, the queen of flowers.” The king wanted to know if it were her genius or that of another which solved his questions, and desired to see her more at her home. She wickedly went first and cut the head off Kalidass, who was sleeping then, that he might not be seen by the king at her house.