Drone's Guru Dakshinaa 

Drone was burning in the fire of insult, pride and revenge. Kripaa came to take him home. Drone said - "Not yet Kripaa. I came out of the house telling Kripee that I was going to bring a cow for Ashwatthaamaa." Kripaa said - "But now we have many cows by the God's grace." Drone said - "But I don't have that cow for which I came out of the house." 

Kripaa said - "Didn't Drupad have even one cow?" Drone said - "Kripaa, He had a cow too and had insult also. He didn't give me cow but gave me insult. Drupad said - "I will give you anything whatever you ask, if you ask me without the right of friendship." Kripaa said - "You should have punished him then and there." Drone said - "If he had been any enemy, I could have punished him, but he was not an enemy, he was a friend. And in spite of being a friend he told me that I could ask anything being a Braahman but not as a friend. How could I think that he could be my friend. Friendship is always between equal status people." But now I will surely punish him." 

As Kaurav and Paandav's education was over, they came to pay Guru Dakshinaa. Drone said - "One of you should go and bring Drupad as a captive defeating him in fight." Duryodhan immediately said - "I go just now and kill him, Guru Dev." Drone said - "I did not order to kill him." Duryodhan said - "Please forgive me." Drone said - "Orderly should follow only orders. If somebody goes further than the order that is also called not following orders." Duryodhan went to bring Drupad.

Duryodhan started towards Paanchaal Desh. Arjun asked Drone - "Why didn't you allow us to go there for this work, Guruvar?" Drone said - "Because you have finished your education, but there is still one chapter remaining for him." "What is that?" "Pride. Because pride is the biggest enemy of brave people. Although I wish to destroy his pride, but I don't know how many days or years he will take to learn this."

Duryodhan went there with his army under the flag of Hastinaapur. When Drupad saw that Hastinaapur army was coming, although he did not understand it all that why they were coming there with army to attack him, because Hastinaapur was his friend, he also took his army and faced them. Duryodhan got defeated and came back without him. He asked pardon for not being able to pay Guru Dakshinaa. But Drone told him that he had accepted his Guru Dakshinaa as at least he tried - success or failure is another matter.

Then Drone sent Paandav. He asked - "Under whose flag will you go?" Yudhishthir said - "We cannot go under Hastinaapur flag, because this fight is for Guru Dakshinaa, and you have not asked Guru Dakshinaa from Hastinaapur. We will go alone." So Paandav didn't go there with army. They went alone. Arjun defeated Drupad by blinding him by showering his arrows and brought him to Drone as captive.

Now Drone had Drupad at his mercy. He asked Drupad - "May I still call you my friend? But you are not even equal to my disciples, then how friendship can exist between you and me? I am the same Braahman, still you are my friend. You did not keep your promise, but I will surely keep it. Whatever is mine is yours too. Since you are already defeated, your whole kingdom is mine. Therefore I give you half kingdom from my kingdom, and take the other half myself, so that the division is equal. But because you are standing before me, that is why I will surely punish you. All the cows from your cow herd will also be divided in half and half, and whatever cows will be yours, I will take one cow from them, and I will give that cow to Kripee and say "Take this cow to Kripee, it is from my friend's cow herd."

Drupad was so happy to see Arjun and his warfare techniques that he wished for a daughter who he could give him in appreciation. But he was very furious with Drone. He wanted to kill him. He knew that no ordinary person could kill Drone, so he thought to do a severe Tap to get a son who could kill Drone. Thinking thus he returned to Kaampilya Nagaree.

After Drupad had left Drone took a cow and went home with Ashwatthaamaa. Kripee got very happy to see both of them. He said to Ashwatthaamaa - "Son, You are now a king, but it doesn't mean that you have become Kshatriya. You are still an Aachaarya's son. Your duty is to learn all your lifelong, and whatever you have learned to impart it to able people. Education is not important, important is ability. As a river cannot be poured in a small pot, in the same way there is no meaning of taking a drop from sea."

Ashwatthaamaa said - "Father, I had a question in my mind for quite some time, if you permit me, may I ask you that question?" Drone said - "Yes, sure, You are permitted, but you are asking whom? From your father or Guru?" Ashawatthaamaa said - "From my Guru. Why did you ask Eklavya his thumb? (see Story of Eklavya) Is it because he was not a Kshatriya?" Drone said - "But you are also not Kshatriya." "But at least I am Braahman." 

Drone said - "But who came first? A human being or caste? Nobody becomes a Braahman only by birth. The day he will forget his Braahman's duties, he will not be a Braahman. I asked Eklavya's thumb not because that he was not of a higher caste, because education doesn't belong to any caste. Lower caste doesn't mean that they cannot get education. I took his thumb only because he did not take education, rather he stole it and he had no right on stolen education. If he had been any Braahman or Kshatriya, then also I would have asked his thumb on the same issue."