There is a story told about the wife of Jayadev, the poet of the Sanskrit age whose Ashtapadis have been sung for centuries with unfailing interest. The story tells that Jayadev's wife visited the court of the queen to offer sympathy according to custom, after the queen's sister had died in Sati. Jayadev's wife remained silent before the queen, who began to feel insulted that she did not express admiration for the great ideal that her sister had shown, or console with her for her own loss. "Does it not seem to you a great and noble proof of love?" asked the queen. "Indeed, yes . . ." answered Jayadev's wife, but she seemed to hesitate as if she had no words and the queen kept this in her mind.