Kavi Kalash was a poet, a close friend and helper to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj of the Maratha Empire who reigned from 1680 to 1689.

[1] A Kanyakubja Brahmin by birth, Kalash dev was an able administrator as well as a warrior, who accompanied Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in many of his campaigns.

It is said that Aurangzeb got down from the throne to pray and thank Allah for the victory on seeing captured Sambhaji maharaj.

Taking that opportunity Kavi Kalash, who was also captured, made an instant poetry:[2] यावन रावन की सभा संभू बंन्ध्यो बजरंग। लहू लसत सिंदूर सम खूब खेल्यो रनरंग॥ ज्यो रबि छबि लखतही नथीत होत बदरंग। त्यो तव तेज निहारके तखत त्यजो अवरंग॥ which translates to: Sambhaji (maharaj) has been tied like Hanuman in the court of Islami ravan (i.e., Aurangzeb) Maharaj looking red because of wounds and blood from the great war he fought The way fireflies lose their glow after sunrise, Seeing your effulgence, Aurangzeb (also lost his glow and) gave up his thrown.

[2] Eventually Sambhaji Maharaj and Kavi Kalash were paraded as clowns and, according to some accounts, killed using tiger claws for a slow death.