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Some Uncommon Things About Chaanakya
(1) Chaanakya was born with a complete set of teeth, a sign that he would become a king, which was inappropriate for a Braahman like Chaanakya. Chaanakya's teeth were therefore broken and it was prophesied that even if his teeth were broken, he will still rule, though through another person.
(2) The Nand King threw Chaanakya out of his court, prompting Chaanakya to swear revenge. (read the story "Chaanakya's Tuft" below)
(3) Chaanakya searched for one worthy person for him to rule through. Chaanakya encountered a young Chandragupta Maurya who was a born leader even as a child.
(4) Chaanakya's initial attempt to overthrow Nand fails, but when he comes across a mother scolding her child for burning himself by eating from the center of a bowl of porridge instead of eating from the outer cooler edges, and gives the example of Chaanakya who failed to win Nand. Chaanakya realized his initial strategic error and, then instead of attacking the heart of Nand territory, he slowly chipped away at its edges.
(5) Chaanakya changed his alliance with the mountain King Parvat due to his obstinacy and non-adherence to the principles of the treaty as agreed.
(6) Chaanakya enlists the services of a fanatical weaver to rid the kingdom of rebels.
(7) Chaanakya adds poison to the food eaten by Chandragupt Maurya, now king, in order to make him immune. Unaware, Chandragupt feeds some of his food to his queen, who was in her ninth month of pregnancy. In order to save the heir to the throne, Chaanakya cuts the queen open and extracts the fetus, who was named Bindusaar because he was touched by a drop (Bindu) of blood having poison.
(8) Chaanakya's political rivalry with Subandhu led to his death.

Chaanakya's Tuft
According to the description found in history books, Chaanakya had a lean and thin body, very dark complexion, pearly white teeth and a long tuft on his head. His tuft has a story behind it. As mentioned on the previous page, astrologers predicted that he would be a king, but his father didn't like his son to be a king so he, in anger, broke the infant's teeth; but the astrologers laughed and said - "This will not change his fate much, except that he will be the helper of the King, if he himself will not be the King."

So as this child, Vishnugupt, grew up, according to the social system of those times (Chatur-Varn was the order of the society) this Braahman boy took a vow to rule the country which was the duty of Kshatriya. He took a vow to rule the country himself or by proxy, He kept his tuft untied till he fulfilled the vow he has taken.

When Chaanakya went to meet the King Nand (read Chaanakya Meets Nand) and entered his palace, he saw ten gold plates and thrones. He was told that nine thrones were for the eight Nand princes (who were brothers) and their father Sarvaarth-siddhi. The tenth one was for the most learned person in Ved. It was occupied by Subandhu, whose incompetence was widely known. Chaanakya sat down on the tenth throne. The nine princes and Subandhu entered the place and noticed Chaanakya sitting on the throne which was meant for the learned person.

The two youngest brothers, Sukalp and Dhanaanand, asked him to get up and leave the place. Chaanakya said - "I am the most qualified person for the tenth throne. It is my right to sit on it. If Subandhu defeats me in a literary debate, I will readily step down." The princes become angry but Chaanakya remained calm and continued his request for a debate. Sukalp insulted him by calling him a monkey but Chaanakya still continued to be calm and said that the duty of the King is obey the Dharm. Since the tenth throne is to be given to the most learned man, it is according to Dharm that a contest be held to decide who is the most learned person."

Further, Chaanakya noted that he was called monkey because of being his dark complexion like a monkey but scholars are noted for their knowledge not for their beauty. The princes got angry and asked the guards to throw him out by pulling him by the tuft of the hair. At this instance, Chaanakya took the famous oath - "I will not tie my tuft of hair until I have uprooted the whole Nand dynasty and establish Dharm in Magadh. Rulers like you have spoilt Bhaarat. The tuft of hair which you have arrogantly pulled now will be like a serpent which will come back to bite you."

Hearing this, Sukalp ordered their people to put him to death. However, the minister Subuddhi Sharmaa intervened and requested the King to forgive Chaanakya. Chaanakya went away from there and started searching a person whom he can appoint the King. Later he met a worried Chandragupt. Chaanakya agrees that his life is in danger, and sets out in the direction of Vardhamaan Pur. It is mentioned in most books that Chaanakya acted in this arrogant manner only to humiliate the Nand rulers who were running the kingdom as dictators and not as kings.

Chaanakya Poisons Chandragupt
According to Jains, Chaanakya started mixing a little amount of poison in Chandragupt's food so that he gets used to it. His main purpose of this was to save him from killing him his enemies by poisoning him. One day, unaware of this fact, Chandragupt shared his food with his queen Durdhaa when she was pregnant of 9 months. As she was not used to it, she died. Chaanakya did not want the baby to be dead, so he cut the belly of the queen and took out the fetus. Since a drop (Bindu) of the poison had reached the head of he baby, Chaanakya named him Bindusaar. Bindusaar also became a great king like his father Chandragupt.

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