The Prince, the Princess, and the Hidden Lotus Code

In the ancient city of Banaras, King Pratapmukut ruled with justice. He had a son named Prince Vajramukut, whose mother was Queen Mahadevi. The prince’s closest companion was the brilliant son of the king's chief minister. One day, the prince and the minister's son rode deep into the jungle on a hunting expedition. In the heart of the forest, they stumbled upon a magnificent tank(Gundam/Kund). Its four sides were constructed of solid masonry ghats, its waters were filled with blooming lotuses, and the surrounding trees provided deep, cool shade where wild waterfowl, cranes, and geese played.

After tethering their horses, they visited a lakeside temple sacred to Mahadeva to offer their prayers. While they were inside, the daughter of a neighboring king arrived at the opposite bank with her attendants to bathe. Having finished her ablutions and prayers, the princess began strolling through the shade of the trees with her maidens.

As the prince emerged from the temple, his eyes met hers. He was instantly struck by her immense beauty, feeling completely helpless under Cupid's spell. The princess noticed his gaze and, without uttering a single word, performed a rapid sequence of cryptic gestures:

1. She took a lotus flower from her hair and placed it to her ear.

2. She bit the lotus firmly with her teeth.

3. She placed the flower under her foot.

4. She lifted it back up and pressed it tightly to her bosom.

With that, she gathered her maidens, mounted her chariot, and departed for home.

Decoding the Riddles

The prince fell into absolute despair. Overwhelmed with grief over her absence, he confessed everything to the minister's son, swearing that if he could not possess this mysterious woman, he would end his life. They returned to the palace, but the prince abandoned all his duties. He stopped his routine, neglected royal duties and spending all his hours sketching her portrait, staring at it, and weeping.

Seeing his friend's miserable state, the minister's son asked if the woman had left any clues. The prince repeated the strange gestures with the lotus flower. The minister's son smiled instantly and said, "Take heart, my prince! I have decoded her signs. She has told you her name, her home, and her heart." He explained the riddles:

• Touching the lotus to her ear: She signaled that she lives in the Karnatak (Carnatic) region.

• Biting it with her teeth: She indicated she is the daughter of King Danta-vat (King "Teeth").

• Placing it under her foot: She revealed her name is Padmavati (meaning "Lotus").

• Pressing it to her bosom: She declared that you already dwell in her heart.

Overjoyed, the prince urged his friend to guide him. The two dressed themselves, girt on their weapons, packed a collection of valuable jewels, mounted their horses, and set out for the Carnatic.

The Coded Messages

After several days of travel, they arrived at the capital city and began scouting beneath the royal palaces. They found a small house where an old woman sat spinning cotton. Dismounting, they pretended to be traveling merchants whose main goods were still on the road, asking if they could rent a lodging. Taking compassion on them, the old woman welcomed them in.

As they chatted, the minister's son inquired about her life. The old woman revealed that her son was well-provided for in the king's service, and she herself was the personal wet-nurse to Princess Padmavati. Though retired due to old age, she still visited the princess once every day.

The prince jumped at the chance and said, "Mother, when you visit her tomorrow, deliver this message: The prince whom you saw by the reservoir on the fifth day of the light half of the month of Jeth has arrived." The old woman refused to wait and left for the palace immediately. She found Padmavati sitting alone, blessed her, and praised the prince's excellent qualities, delivering his message.

Hearing this, Padmavati feigned great anger. She smeared white sandalwood paste onto her ten fingers and slapped the old woman across her face, yelling, "Wretch! Get out of my house!"

The nurse returned to the lodgings in tears and reported the hostility. The prince was stunned and discouraged, but the minister's son calmed him down: "Do not worry, you do not understand her language. By smearing sandalwood on her ten fingers and striking the face, she has signaled that you must wait out the ten remaining nights of bright moonlight. She will meet you in the dark phase of the month."

Ten days later, the dark phase began, and the old woman went back to the palace. This time, Padmavati stained three of her fingers with yellow saffron and struck the nurse's cheek, shouting again for her to leave. When this was reported, the prince was engulfed in sorrow, but the minister's son decoded it easily: "She is currently experiencing her monthly cycle and has requested three days of patience. On the fourth day, she will send for you."

When the three days passed, the old woman made inquiries again. This time, Padmavati angrily dragged the nurse to the western wicket gate of the palace and shoved her out. The minister's son rejoiced upon hearing this, stating, "The riddle is complete. She has invited you to enter the palace tonight through that very western gate."

The Union and the Poison

At midnight, when the city had fallen silent and most people were asleep, the prince and the minister's son made their preparations. Dressed in plain brown garments and carrying their weapons, they quietly made their way toward the palace. The minister's son remained outside the western wicket gate, while the prince entered alone.

There, waiting for him, stood Princess Padmavati. The moment their eyes met, she smiled. Closing the gate behind them, she led him into her private chambers. The room had been prepared for his arrival with every comfort and luxury a princess could offer. Fragrant perfumes filled the air, attendants stood respectfully at a distance, flowers decorated the room, and fine food and refreshments had been arranged for their enjoyment.

Padmavati welcomed the prince warmly. She had his feet washed, placed a garland around his neck, applied sandalwood paste to cool him after his journey, and personally attended to his comfort. The prince, touched by her kindness, asked why she was taking such trouble for him. Padmavati replied that he had travelled a great distance for her sake, and it was only proper that she should care for him.

From that day onward, the prince remained hidden within the palace. The lovers spent their days and nights together in secret, and whenever the prince spoke of returning home, Padmavati persuaded him to stay. Thus an entire month passed.

One night, however, the prince sat alone, troubled by a thought that would not leave his mind. He reflected upon everything he had sacrificed to come there—his kingdom, his family, and his responsibilities. Yet what disturbed him most was that he had not seen his closest friend, the minister's son, for many weeks. It was his friend who had deciphered the lotus signals, solved every mystery, and made this happiness possible. Yet the prince had almost forgotten him. At that moment Padmavati entered and noticed his troubled expression. "What weighs upon your mind?" she asked.

The prince answered honestly. He praised the minister's son and explained how every secret message she had sent had been understood through his intelligence. He described how his friend had deciphered the lotus signs, the sandalwood marks, the saffron marks, and every other hidden clue.

Padmavati listened carefully. Outwardly she smiled, but inwardly she grew uneasy. Until then she had believed her messages had been understood only by the prince. Now she realized that another man had read every one of her secrets from a handful of gestures and symbols. Whether she feared his influence over the prince or simply distrusted a man capable of unraveling hidden meanings so easily, she began to see him as a threat.

When the prince finished speaking, Padmavati suggested that he visit his friend. She offered to prepare sweetmeats and delicacies so that the two companions could feast together and enjoy each other's company. The prince was delighted by her thoughtfulness. But Padmavati had made a different decision. Unknown to the prince, she mixed deadly poison into the sweets.

The following day the prince carried the gifts to the minister's son and happily explained that Padmavati herself had prepared them. The minister's son listened carefully before asking a simple question.The minister's son then said, “You have unknowingly brought poison meant for me. It is fortunate indeed that you did not eat any of it yourself. My prince, listen carefully: a woman rarely looks kindly upon her lover’s friend. You acted unwisely when you revealed my name to her.”

The prince shook his head. “You speak of something no honorable person would do. Even if someone does not fear the judgment of others, surely they fear the judgment of God.”

Without replying, the minister's son picked up one of the round sweetmeats and tossed it to a stray dog. The animal had scarcely swallowed it before it collapsed to the ground, writhing in convulsions, and died.Witnessing this, the prince was overcome with anger. “It is beneath a man’s dignity to associate with such a deceitful woman,” he exclaimed. “Until this moment, she held a place in my heart, but now that feeling is gone forever.”

The minister's son remained composed. “Your Highness,” he said, “what has happened cannot be changed. Let the past remain where it is. Our concern now should be to act wisely and find a way to take Padmavati back with us to your kingdom.” The prince replied, “Brother, only your wisdom can accomplish such a task.”

The Counter plot

The minister's son then devised a plan. That night, the prince was to return to Padmavati exactly as before, show her affection, arouse no suspicion, and wait until she fell asleep. Once she was sleeping, he was to remove her jewelry, mark her left thigh with a trident, and return immediately. Though reluctant, the prince agreed.

Everything happened as planned. Padmavati trusted him completely, and when she finally fell asleep, the prince carefully removed her ornaments and marked her thigh with the trident before quietly slipping away. He returned to the minister's son and handed over the jewels.

The minister's son then led him to the city. There he disguised himself as a holy ascetic and instructed the prince to pose as his disciple. Once the disguises were complete, he handed the princess's jewels back to the prince.

"Take these into the marketplace," he said. "Attempt to sell them openly. If anyone questions you, tell them your spiritual master gave them to you."

The prince obeyed. As expected, a goldsmith immediately recognized the ornaments as belonging to Princess Padmavati. The city magistrate was informed, and the prince was arrested. When questioned, he calmly stated that the jewels belonged to his spiritual teacher. The magistrate then ordered that the holy man be brought before the king.

Soon both the disguised ascetic and his supposed disciple stood before the royal court. The king demanded an explanation. The minister's son, still in disguise, replied:

"Your Majesty, on the fourteenth night of the dark fortnight, I was performing spiritual rituals in the cremation grounds when a mysterious woman appeared before me. I seized her jewels and marked her left thigh with my trident. These ornaments came into my possession at that time."

The king was deeply disturbed. He immediately ordered a private investigation, and the queen was instructed to examine Princess Padmavati. When she returned, she confirmed that the princess indeed bore the exact trident mark upon her left thigh. The king was shocked. Believing his daughter had secretly engaged in disgraceful and dangerous activities, he sought advice regarding her punishment.

The disguised ascetic answered that scriptures prescribed banishment for those whose actions brought dishonor upon a household.

Without making any further inquiry, the king passed judgment.

The Banishment 

Padmavati was carried far into the forest, where she was abandoned. Only after the guards had departed did the prince and the minister's son appear. They rescued her and brought her safely away. Together they returned to Banaras. In time, the prince and Padmavati were reunited and began a new life together.

Vethal's Riddle and Judgment

Having finished the narrative, Vethal asked King Vikramaditya: "To which of those four individuals does the ultimate guilt and sin of this situation attach? 

Vetala then said, "If you know the correct judgment and fail to give it, your head shall shatter into a thousand pieces, and you will be condemned to hell. But if you speak the answer aloud, I shall leave you at once and return to my tree."

King Vikramaditya replied without hesitation, "The guilt attaches solely to the king."

Vethal asked king: "How does the sin fall on the king when the others committed the acts?"

Vikramaditya answered: The minister's son simply did his absolute duty to protect and serve his master; the city magistrate merely obeyed the direct commands of his sovereign; and the princess ultimately attained her romantic object. Therefore, the true guilt falls squarely on the king, for he completely failed his royal responsibility, refused to investigate the truth, and inconsiderately expelled his own daughter from the country on the word of a stranger.

Hearing the correct answer, Vethal laughed loudly, broke his silence pact, slipped off the king's shoulders, and flew back through the darkness to hang upside down from the tree.

Core Morals of the Story

• Wisdom Without Trust Creates Tyranny**:** The princess was highly intelligent, but because she lacked trust and acted out of fear, she weaponized her intelligence into a murder plot.

• A True Leader Must Investigate Before Passing Judgment**:** The king represents the ultimate failure of judgment. True justice requires patience and a thorough investigation of all sides. Acting blindly on surface evidence makes a leader guilty of the consequences.

• Loyalty and Strategy Outlast Raw Emotion: The prince was entirely driven by raw, helpless infatuation, which almost got him killed. It was the calculated, detached strategy and unwavering loyalty of the minister's son that secured his safety and victory.