Eklavya - The Story of Sin
EKLAVYA
Lately, I had been going through this story - the story of Eklavya, which was
something I had gone through many years earlier. The story of sin - the way the word manipulates true passion and determination. It something I feel deeply about, this boy named Eklavya - who had come with hopes and aspiration only to be manipulated by the world and its tactics, and sadly , it highlights the caste system which made differences and divisions to talent. This event is what i would like to call "The hidden story of the Mahabharatha." because nobody talks about it as they may consider " bad advertising".
So, as in the Mahabharatha, there were the five princes of the Mahabharatha. The princes were taught by their teacher, Dronacharya. They were being trained to be exceptional in all the arts. Among them was one named Arjuna, the student who excelled in the art of archery. No one among his brothers could defeat him in this art, as he was exceptional. He was so good in this art that his attitude turned to arrogance. He believed as a usual teen guy, that he was the best among all. He would find that he was sadly mistaken. The day, that Eklavya came to Drona was to create a change in the way the company works. Eklavya asked Drona to tutor him and be his master. Drona rejected him stating that he was from the Nishada trible, a prince of a Jungle tribe. In todays time, there is the caste system of money, wherein you have to pay large sums to get into a University of your choice. But its far better than telling a person that you cannot learn because you are of a certain caste, religion or colour. Money can be earned or the education can be acheived through some other means, but being denied that because you are of a lower caste is like destroying the spirit. Imagine yourself being told you cannot learn Maths because the generations in your family were good in history and Geography. So you do the same thing, as it suits your requirements and thats what you are capable of. Ridiculous!!!
Why would Drona want to do this? It is written in the Mahabharatha that Drona told his son that education is free for all and should not be denied to anyone. Why then would this teacher who had said such a thing do something completely different. During his childhood, Drona had a friend named Drupada and due to their caste differences, Drona was constantly taunted by Drupada due to his low caste, and this thought hurt him to such an extent that he was determined to prove himself and better himself, but it left him with a sense of self -loathing and somehow, instead of helping the people with him, he detested them.Probably, his friends tauntings left a mark on his mind.Drupada had made a promise to Drona which he never fulfilled of giving him half his kingdom. So Drona swore revenge on Drupada and got his opportunity when he got the chance to coach the Kuru Princes, because he wanted to wage a war to capture Drupada's Kingdom.
When Eklavya asked for his tutelage, Drona refused to teach him and told him that since he came from a lower tribe, he could not learn as it was restricted only to the higher classes, the Kshatriyas. He could not teach Eklavya, as it was not something he could learn, and there is a reason it was given to the higher classes of Kshatriyas as they excelled in warfare. Eklavya asked for Drona's blessing, and departed. But he did not go back.He went to a forest nearby, and made a statue of the teacher, and practised day and night to master the skills of an Archer. Through the years, he got better and gradually got skilled in the art of archery through much trial and error. Once when the kuru Princes passed through the forest, they saw a shadow in the forest and got their dog to follow the shadow. That is when they discovered Eklavya and saw his immense skill in Archery. When asked who taught him,he said his teacher was Drona. The Kuru's were shocked. How could Drona be teaching this pupil. So they went and informed Drona who said he knew nothing about this and denied this. Among the pupils, Arjuna had seen the skill and was jealous that there was someone better than him. Drona had made a vow to make him the best archer in the world, and Arjun reminded him of this promise.
Drona said he would fulfill the promise he had given Arjun and went to meet Eklavya.He was impressed with the archery of Eklavya. He decided to give him a test, the wooden bird test. All the pupils of Drona had passed the shot of archery by nailing an arrow in the eye of the bird. Eklaya shot multiple arrows in the eye of the bird. Arjun who was following Drona and had hidden, and a chill went through his spine. Drona was highly impresed with this performance.
but the next thing that happened was quite shocking. Drona asked Eklavya that since he was his pupil, he would require a Guru-Dakshina , which is something the teacher asks for in return for his teaching. Eklavya agreed to accept this, and Drona was just waiting for this. He asked for Eklavya's right thumb, which he unhesitatingly cut off and gave the Acharya.
So , how cheap can one get? You reject your pupil, so he is not actually your pupil, you send him away and discourage him from learning, he goes ahead and practices day and night to practice his art, he builds a statue of yours out of his respect for you and he takes your blessing to learn, and that's all that he requires. He masters skills that are better than your students without any training and all his own efforts and hard work through years of practice. Now that he is ready, and has become an archer, and all the credit goes to him, you come around and ask for something in return?? on what grounds. For a teacher to fall so low, you have spoilt the name of all teachers till the end of time with his act. Was there no shame that passed through the time of Drona at the time. My personal reaction to this would be that Eklavya should have broken his bow and rammed it in Drona's mouth for saying such a thing. But being the beautiful person he was, he unhesitatingly gave his thumb to Drona, who had suceeded by introducing cunning into a traditional procedure of goodwill.
I thought about it, as to what would Eklavya had done if he was cunning and had understood the trick of Drona,how would he react to this. I brought myself to the place and time where this event happened. There I see Drona asking Eklavya for the thumb, but at this time Eklavya does not accept immediately. He twlls his guru that he will definitely fulfill hia wish. He tells him to wait, he goes in the forest and then he comes back after some time. Drona is waiting in anticipation for Eklavya, who returns to Drona. Once he is standing before Drona, he opens his hand and in his hand is a clay thumb. Eklavya tells his teacher that he learnt with the statue in front of him in the forest.So what he could give Drona is the clay thumb, but he cannot convert it to a real thumb. That is something that Drona would have to do himself
and that would be left upto him, which would be befitting for the teacher, nore likely a beggar.
Eklavya, I would say is a pioneer in the field of self - belief who defied the standards set upon him and proved himself to be much more. There are many Eklavya's in the world today, people who have a wish to study, people who want a particular job and cannot get it, some thing that a person wants to do with his life. There are many Drona's too whom we have to be careful of, while we embark on our journeys. But its really thrilling when a man breaks the mold he is in and makes the mold he wants to be in. Eklavya still continued to shoot with four fingers. Other stories say he became a general in the army of another king , and learnt to shoot with his legs. Truly, a triumph of the spirit. And he never had any
self - motivational books like we do today. I too want to becaome a artist. I am on the quest myself, I had left my materials in my shelf. I'm going to pick them up again and start painting. If Eklavya could become an archer just keeping a statue in front of him, with hard work and determination so can I!!!!
Lately, I had been going through this story - the story of Eklavya, which was
something I had gone through many years earlier. The story of sin - the way the word manipulates true passion and determination. It something I feel deeply about, this boy named Eklavya - who had come with hopes and aspiration only to be manipulated by the world and its tactics, and sadly , it highlights the caste system which made differences and divisions to talent. This event is what i would like to call "The hidden story of the Mahabharatha." because nobody talks about it as they may consider " bad advertising".
So, as in the Mahabharatha, there were the five princes of the Mahabharatha. The princes were taught by their teacher, Dronacharya. They were being trained to be exceptional in all the arts. Among them was one named Arjuna, the student who excelled in the art of archery. No one among his brothers could defeat him in this art, as he was exceptional. He was so good in this art that his attitude turned to arrogance. He believed as a usual teen guy, that he was the best among all. He would find that he was sadly mistaken. The day, that Eklavya came to Drona was to create a change in the way the company works. Eklavya asked Drona to tutor him and be his master. Drona rejected him stating that he was from the Nishada trible, a prince of a Jungle tribe. In todays time, there is the caste system of money, wherein you have to pay large sums to get into a University of your choice. But its far better than telling a person that you cannot learn because you are of a certain caste, religion or colour. Money can be earned or the education can be acheived through some other means, but being denied that because you are of a lower caste is like destroying the spirit. Imagine yourself being told you cannot learn Maths because the generations in your family were good in history and Geography. So you do the same thing, as it suits your requirements and thats what you are capable of. Ridiculous!!!
Why would Drona want to do this? It is written in the Mahabharatha that Drona told his son that education is free for all and should not be denied to anyone. Why then would this teacher who had said such a thing do something completely different. During his childhood, Drona had a friend named Drupada and due to their caste differences, Drona was constantly taunted by Drupada due to his low caste, and this thought hurt him to such an extent that he was determined to prove himself and better himself, but it left him with a sense of self -loathing and somehow, instead of helping the people with him, he detested them.Probably, his friends tauntings left a mark on his mind.Drupada had made a promise to Drona which he never fulfilled of giving him half his kingdom. So Drona swore revenge on Drupada and got his opportunity when he got the chance to coach the Kuru Princes, because he wanted to wage a war to capture Drupada's Kingdom.
When Eklavya asked for his tutelage, Drona refused to teach him and told him that since he came from a lower tribe, he could not learn as it was restricted only to the higher classes, the Kshatriyas. He could not teach Eklavya, as it was not something he could learn, and there is a reason it was given to the higher classes of Kshatriyas as they excelled in warfare. Eklavya asked for Drona's blessing, and departed. But he did not go back.He went to a forest nearby, and made a statue of the teacher, and practised day and night to master the skills of an Archer. Through the years, he got better and gradually got skilled in the art of archery through much trial and error. Once when the kuru Princes passed through the forest, they saw a shadow in the forest and got their dog to follow the shadow. That is when they discovered Eklavya and saw his immense skill in Archery. When asked who taught him,he said his teacher was Drona. The Kuru's were shocked. How could Drona be teaching this pupil. So they went and informed Drona who said he knew nothing about this and denied this. Among the pupils, Arjuna had seen the skill and was jealous that there was someone better than him. Drona had made a vow to make him the best archer in the world, and Arjun reminded him of this promise.
Drona said he would fulfill the promise he had given Arjun and went to meet Eklavya.He was impressed with the archery of Eklavya. He decided to give him a test, the wooden bird test. All the pupils of Drona had passed the shot of archery by nailing an arrow in the eye of the bird. Eklaya shot multiple arrows in the eye of the bird. Arjun who was following Drona and had hidden, and a chill went through his spine. Drona was highly impresed with this performance.
but the next thing that happened was quite shocking. Drona asked Eklavya that since he was his pupil, he would require a Guru-Dakshina , which is something the teacher asks for in return for his teaching. Eklavya agreed to accept this, and Drona was just waiting for this. He asked for Eklavya's right thumb, which he unhesitatingly cut off and gave the Acharya.
So , how cheap can one get? You reject your pupil, so he is not actually your pupil, you send him away and discourage him from learning, he goes ahead and practices day and night to practice his art, he builds a statue of yours out of his respect for you and he takes your blessing to learn, and that's all that he requires. He masters skills that are better than your students without any training and all his own efforts and hard work through years of practice. Now that he is ready, and has become an archer, and all the credit goes to him, you come around and ask for something in return?? on what grounds. For a teacher to fall so low, you have spoilt the name of all teachers till the end of time with his act. Was there no shame that passed through the time of Drona at the time. My personal reaction to this would be that Eklavya should have broken his bow and rammed it in Drona's mouth for saying such a thing. But being the beautiful person he was, he unhesitatingly gave his thumb to Drona, who had suceeded by introducing cunning into a traditional procedure of goodwill.
I thought about it, as to what would Eklavya had done if he was cunning and had understood the trick of Drona,how would he react to this. I brought myself to the place and time where this event happened. There I see Drona asking Eklavya for the thumb, but at this time Eklavya does not accept immediately. He twlls his guru that he will definitely fulfill hia wish. He tells him to wait, he goes in the forest and then he comes back after some time. Drona is waiting in anticipation for Eklavya, who returns to Drona. Once he is standing before Drona, he opens his hand and in his hand is a clay thumb. Eklavya tells his teacher that he learnt with the statue in front of him in the forest.So what he could give Drona is the clay thumb, but he cannot convert it to a real thumb. That is something that Drona would have to do himself
and that would be left upto him, which would be befitting for the teacher, nore likely a beggar.
Eklavya, I would say is a pioneer in the field of self - belief who defied the standards set upon him and proved himself to be much more. There are many Eklavya's in the world today, people who have a wish to study, people who want a particular job and cannot get it, some thing that a person wants to do with his life. There are many Drona's too whom we have to be careful of, while we embark on our journeys. But its really thrilling when a man breaks the mold he is in and makes the mold he wants to be in. Eklavya still continued to shoot with four fingers. Other stories say he became a general in the army of another king , and learnt to shoot with his legs. Truly, a triumph of the spirit. And he never had any
self - motivational books like we do today. I too want to becaome a artist. I am on the quest myself, I had left my materials in my shelf. I'm going to pick them up again and start painting. If Eklavya could become an archer just keeping a statue in front of him, with hard work and determination so can I!!!!
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