Dandi , Kalidasa, Bhoja

We just mention some free slokas.. called Chaatu slokas..
for occasions to drive home certain points in Shastras and lifestyle..
the ideas are appealing but can never say for sure that the source is authentic..
The fruit is sweet but we do not know from which tree it is plucked,
however, we tend to name the tree according to our limited data or even our convenience..

There is a sloka in circulation comparing the greatness of Dandi and Kalidasa..
that too umpired by Bhoja..
nice to read but without any authenticity..

Once the matter as to who was great as a poet between Dandi and Kalidasa was taken to the doors of Devi Kali..
king Bhoja was also a witness to the proceedings.

The three were assembled before the doors of the Devi which was just getting opened in the morning..

Seeing Dandi, Kali is reported to have said,
kavir dandiH kavir dandiH kavir Dandirna SashayaH

कविर्द्दण्डिः कविर्द्दण्डिः कविर्द्दण्डिर्न संशयः
kavirddaṇḍiḥ kavirddaṇḍiḥ kavirddaṇḍirna saṁśayaḥ

meaning three times I say, Dandi is the greatest poet.

Kalidasa was very sad.. but looking at his sad face, Mother Kali said.
Twamevaaham Twamevaaham Twamevaahama na samshayaH
त्वमेवाहं त्वमेवाहं त्वमेवाहं न संशयः
tvamevāhaṁ tvamevāhaṁ tvamevāhaṁ na saṁśayaḥ
meaning I declare thrice without any room for doubt that you are myself
who is greater?

So many such stories are there, with so many local variations in description and content..

So each can say things in the way he has learnt it..

Like perhaps the ten blind men who visited an elephant and described its form and qualities according to their perception..

IMPORTANT NOTE....
ACCORDING TO LEARNED HISTORIANS OF SANSKRIT LITERATURE AND SCHOLARS IT IS CLARIFIED THAT KALIDAS AND DANDI WERE NOT CONTEMPORARIES.. But I think that does not take away the enjoyability of the above chatuslokam..

method even in madness

कुत्सौहृदे न विश्वासो कुदेशे न प्रजीव्यते।
कुराजनि भयं नित्यं कुपात्रे सर्वदा भयं॥

॥अविश्वस्तेषु विश्वासो न कर्तव्यः॥ चाणक्यसूत्रं १८७
kutsauhṛde na viśvāso kudeśe na prajīvyate|
kurājani bhayaṁ nityaṁ kupātre sarvadā bhayaṁ||

|'viśvasteṣu viśvāso na kartavyaḥ|| cāṇakyasūtraṁ 187

There can be no mutual trust in an insincere and time serving  friendships,
 a bad country  is not good for habitation, 
to live under a vicious king is like dying every day,
and if we are supporting the wrong person or cause we are always in terror, 

This comes by way of explanation of Chankya aphorism 
॥अविश्वस्तेषु विश्वासो न कर्तव्यः॥ 
"One should not place his trust on a person who is not worthy of it"

For us  hapless human beings  circumstances are not always in our control.  
We all have a high percentage of unfaithful friends and in turn we are not faithful to most including those who deserve it most. 

 The place of habitation is hardly our choice.  
To eke out a livelihood  hundred migrate to desert area inhabited by people whose minds are worse than  deserts.  

And regrading the administration we have to live under, no words are adequate to explain.  
Again our adherence to ideologies and support groups are all conditioned by so many factors beyond our control..

One has to wonder aloud whether the world has turned into a worse place from the days of Chanakyas days of states-craft and intrigues as could be seen  between  Nandas and Mauryas and chanakyas and rakshasaas.  

But in  those times there was a method in the  madness.
Now our civilization has grown so much that there is  no method in the intrigues of life in the present day..
The stab can come from any direction, however cautious one is.

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knowledge is the light

गुणदोषानशास्त्रज्ञः कथं विभजते जनः।
किमन्धस्याधिकारोस्ति रूपभेदोपलब्धिषु॥
दण्डि
guṇadoṣānaśāstrajñaḥ kathaṁ vibhajate janaḥ|
kimandhasyādhikārosti rūpabhedopalabdhiṣu||
daṇḍi

This is a quote from the great poet Dandi of Dasakumaaracharitam  fame. 
How can a person without proper knowledge of the saastras  reach a decision as to what is good and what is bad?   How can a blind person be able to have authoritative views  about the beauty of objects.

My apologies to the visually impaired..Definitely the intention of the poet was not to hurt the sensibilities of any such people.  There are really very great human beings who have reached the highest level of aesthetic cognizance  despite visual impairment.  The greater misfortune is the blindness of the brain  because of the adamnant  denial of entry of any light  of knowledge..The master poet must have meant such blindness.

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