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Eklavya

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Eklavya

Eklavya was the son of Hiranyadhanu, the King of Nishaad. Once praising about him to Arjun, Krishn said to him - "He was made weak by your Guru by asking his right thumb in Guru Dakshinaa, otherwise he was like a second Parashuraam. He was capable of shooting day and night and was invincible even by Devtaa. I killed him in the battle only for your good." (MBH, G-6-War/24/14)

Eklavya and Drone
He was a Bheel tribe boy who wanted to be a good archer. He went to learn this to Guru Drone but Drone refused to teach him, so he built a statue of Guru Drone and used to learn archery from it. He often used to go to the place where Guru Jee used to teach archery to Arjun and other princes. He sat there and watched them for long hours. Once Guru Jee took his students out for hunting. They had a hunting dog also. The dog also started wandering about and came to Eklavya. Seeing him clad in dark clothes, with matted locks, in a filthy look, he started barking aloud. To show his skill in archery, he filled his mouth with seven arrows. The dog came running to Paandav and seeing that the Paandav started searching for the man who did this to their dog. Soon they found a stranger and asked him - "Who are you and whose son you are?" Eklavya said - "I am the son of Hiranyadhanu, the King of Nishaad. I am a pupil of Drone."

After knowing everything about him, Paandav came back to the city and told everything to Drone that happened in the woods. Arjun saw Drone in private and asked him - "You said to me that there will be nobody equal to me then why this one, the Nishaad Prince, is superior to me?" Drone thought for a moment, decided the course of his action, took Arjun with him, and came to the woods where Paandav found Eklavya. He found Eklavya practicing his archery ceaselessly. As he saw Drone coming towards him, he touched his feet, prostrated before him, worshipped him and stood before him joining his hands in reverence.

Drone asked him - "Who is your Guru?"
Eklavya said - "My Guru is you only."
"But I have not trained you."
"But I have learnt from you only."
"How?"
"When you taught to Kuru Princes I used to look from outside and then practice at home. See, I have made a statue also of yours. I always practice archery after taking permission from your statue."
Drone said - "If you are really my pupil, then give me my fees - Guru Dakshinaa."
Eklavya got very happy to hear this, he said politely - "O Guru, Tell me what should I give to you, because there is nothing which I cannot give to my Guru."
Drone said - "If you really want to give me something, then give the right thumb to me."

Everybody was stunned to hear asking this strange Guru Dakshinaa from Drone, but these cruel words did not move Eklavya at all from his promise and with a cheerful face he picked the knife, cut his right thumb and offered it on the feet of his Guru. Guru was moved to see his devotion and humility. He blessed him - "I bless you that you will always be remembered for your Guru Bhakti." Arjun was very sad to see this. Drone went away with children. But Eklavya found that the lightness of his hand had gone.

Eklavya to Shishupaal
Later he worked for Jaraasandh. Once he went to Shishupaal as an emissary of Jaraasandh with the invitation to attend the Swayamvar of Bheeshmak's daughter Rukminee. Bheeshmak and his son Rukmee wanted to marry her to Shishupaal, but Rukminee loved Krishn. So She also sent a messenger to Krishn and Krishn abducted her defeating Rukmee.

Later Eklavya was killed by Krishn during a battle with Jaraasandh.

Eklavya and Krishn
Krishn says to Arjun praising Eklavya --
Ekalavya's expertise in mace fight and archery is narrated in 7 chapters of Harivamsh, 93 to 99. He stalls no less than Balaraam.
In MBH also Krishn tells at length about Ekalavya's valor, in Drone Parv after Ghatotkach Vadh He said -
7-156-0191/. ekalabyam. hi.sa.angushtham. azaktaa.deva. daanavaah. /
7 156-0193/. saraakshas. uragaah.paartha. vijetum.yudhi. karhichit. //

Means - Undeprived of thumb, Ekalavya, O Paarth, was incapable of being vanquished in battle by the gods, the Daanav, the Raakshas, and the Urag (together).' - a little stylistic… If Eklavya is with his thumb, it is impossible to conquer him in war [I had a hell with that thumbless fellow…] hence Suyodhan would have drafted him by all means …' is Krishn's sermon to Arjun.

--It is said that, this tribe still shoots arrows without using their right thumb.
--Krishn has not seen Helen of Troy, otherwise he would have said: Eklavya's thumb = Brad Pitt's heel; where the heel is shot in the last reel, while the thumb is cut in the first reel - with a little prognosis. Both are done with Chhadmanaa - not 'guilefully or trickiness' but 'circumspectly' , as teacher asked it and student gave it - instantaneously.

 

 

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Created by Sushma Gupta On 5/27/04
Contact:  sushmajee@yahoo.com
Modified on 06/24/13