In ancient India, nearly 5000 years ago, there lived a young Nishada (a tribe of hunters) prince by the name of Eklavya. Even though he was a hunter by birth, being the son of the chief of hunters in the forests of Hastinapur, he aspired to become a great archer and a brave warrior.
He expressed this desire to his father, “Father, I want to be an archer and become a disciple of the great Guru Dronacharya – the greatest teacher of the art of archery and the science of warfare in the kingdom. Please give me your blessings before I set out for his Gurukul*.”
His father remained silent. Eklavya knew what was bothering his father. He said, “Father, I know we are Shudras, belonging to the hunting tribe. But the Guru is a wise and learned man. Please allow me to become his disciple.”
Eklavya’s father was a kind man and did not wish to refuse his son. So he gave his blessings and sent his son on his way.
Eklavya reached the Gurukul of Guru Dronacharya – who was also the royal teacher of the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Thrilled at the prospect of finally meeting the Guru he had idolized, his eyes eagerly sought out the teacher. He soon spotted him instructing a boy – none other than the Pandava Arjun.
Eklavya went to Drona and folded his hands in greeting, bowing down low to touch the sage’s feet. Drona was surprised to see the stranger and asked him, “Who are you?”
“Oh Guru, I am Eklavya, the son of the Chief of the Nishada tribe of hunters in the forests of Hastinapur. Please accept me as your humble shishya and teach me the art of archery and the science of warfare”, replied Eklavya.
Dronacharya reflected for a minute, then said, “Eklavya, if you are a Nishada hunter, then you are a Shudra, the lowest caste in the kingdom. I am a Brahmin, the highest of castes. All my students are Kshatriyas, the warrior caste. I cannot teach a Shudra boy.”
The Pandavas stood watching the exchange. Encouraged by the Guru’s words, Arjuna spoke up, “Guru Dronacharya is a royal teacher, appointed by the King to train us – the princes of the kingdom. How dare you expect to be taught by him! Leave the gurukul now.”
Eklavya was surprised and hurt at the Guru’s words, and stunned by Arjuna’s insult. He was a chief’s son, yet he had never insulted anyone. He quietly left the gurukul. Resolute in his determination to learn archery, he went back to the forest. There he built an idol of Guru Dronacharya with mud and placed it in a secluded clearing. Eklavya believed that if he practiced faithfully in front of his Guru, he would be able to master the art of archery. So every morning he would pray to the idol and practice throughout the day. After years of practicing, he became a skilled archer, even surpassing the best archer in the kingdom – Arjuna.
One day, while practicing, a dog started barking some distance away. Its constant barking irritated Eklavya, who fired seven arrows in quick succession, filling the dog’s mouth without injuring it. The dog was no longer able to bark and roamed around the forest.
Thus roaming, the dog reached the Pandavas, who were practicing in the forest along with Guru Dronacharya. Drona was amazed to see such a feat of archery. He realized that only an extremely skilled archer could have done this. He, along with the Pandavas, set out to look for the archer.
Soon they came across a young man, dressed in a hunter’s clothes practicing archery. It was Eklavya.
Dronacharya went up to him and asked, “You aim is remarkable! Who is your teacher?”
“You, Sir,” replied Eklavya.
Dronacharya was stunned. “How can I be your Guru when I have never met you before?”
“I am Eklavya, the boy who came to learn archery from you at your gurukul. After you refused, I came back to the forest and made a mud idol of you. I prayed to it everyday, and with its blessing I was able to master the skills of archery”, replied Eklavya.
Arjuna was angry, as he was sure of his place as the best archer in the world. Dronacharya also realized that Eklavya had the skills to surpass even Arjuna. However, as the royal teacher, Eklavya’s excellence would put him in a difficult situation, as a mere Shudra hunter would surpass a Kshatriya prince under his tutelage.
He devised a way out. To Eklavya he said, “Seeing that you have learnt from me, you will now have to pay guru dakshina – my gift for training you.”
Eklavya was overjoyed at this. A guru dakshina was the offering made to a teacher when the teacher considered the shishya to have completed his learning. He replied, “I am blessed that you have asked me for guru dakshina. I would never refuse anything that you ask.”
Dronacharya seized his chance, “Eklavya, as guru dakshina, you have to give me your right thumb.”
Everyone was shocked, even Arjuna. Everyone knew that an archer could never shoot an arrow without his right thumb.
Eklavya looked steadily at Dronacharya. He realized the reason behind this demand. Nevertheless he replied, “I will never disobey your wish, Sir. I am grateful that you recognized me your disciple even though I am a Shudra.”
Saying this, he took a knife and cut off his right thumb and placed it at his Guru’s feet.
Everyone, including Dronacharya marveled at the boy’s courage. Dronacharya was humbled and blessed Eklavya, “You will be known far and wide as a great archer, even without your thumb. Moreover, you will always be remembered as the greatest student ever for your loyalty towards your guru.” So saying, Dronacharya and the Pandavas left the forest.
Eklavya learnt to shoot with forefinger and middle finger and remains an example of the ideal student till today.
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* Gurukul – A residential school in Hinduism where children were sent for learning, where the guru (teacher) and the shishya (student(s)) would reside together at the place for many years till learning was complete.
**
FIRST OF ALL TO ME THEY BOTH WERE FOOLISH PEOPLE. BECAUSE EKLAVYA WAS A VERY TALENTED ARCHER FROM THE BEGINNING AS HE WAS A HUNTER AND HE DIDN’T ACTUALLY REQUIRED ANY GURU TO BECOME HIS ARCHERY TEACHER TO MAKE HIM THE WORLD’S BEST ARCHER BECAUSE HE WAS ALREADY HAVING A GOD GIFT NATURALLY. BUT HE GAVE ALL THE CREDIT OF HIS TALENT AS TO BECOME THE BEST ARCHER IN THE WORLD TO DRONACHARYA THAT TOO WHEN HE HAD NEVER LEARNED IT FROM GURU DRONACHARYYA. BECAUSE HE WAS ONLY GURU TO PANDAVAS & KAURAVAS EVEN THOUGH WHEN EKLAVYA WAS ACTUALLY INSULTED AND THROWN OUT OF THE GURUKUL. BUT HE SHAMELESS GURU DRONACHARYA DEMANDED GURU DHAKSHINA FROM EKLAVYA WITHOUT TEACHING HIM ARCHERY AND HE WAS SO CRUEL GURU I HAVE EVER KNOWN ON THIS EARTH THAT HE ASKED TO CUT AND GIVE EKLAVYA’S RIGHT THUMB AS HIS GURU DHAKSHANA. *SO THE MORAL OF THE STORY ACCORDING TO ME IS YOU SHOULD NEVER GIVE CREDIT FOR YOUR TALENT TO ANY HUMAN BEING (BECAUSE HUMAN BEING IS BORN OF SIN) DOES’NT MATTER HOW BIG YOUR GURU IS. BUT FIRST GIVE CREDIT TO ALMIGHTY GOD WHO HAD ALREADY GIVEN YOU THAT TALENT WHICH IS ALREADY THERE WITHIN YOU SINCE YOUR BIRTH
This is the story where Indian caste system is depicted.
Shudras will always be Suppressed by bhramins.
Guru Drona could have instead asked him to join the Kauravs and saved thousands more lives.
He was so cruel Guru.
Arrongant. Double standard Guru.
Since no emphaty at other human.
His son Aswatama killed by Krishna.
MrAnurag , any one who reads and understands things would not jump to comment. Dronacharya was not a brahmin, he was a Kshatriya. Please read to understand the caste ststem in
India. I appreciate and regard your
Comments, despite fact missing.
Wow! I just loved this awesome Story! Keep up the fantabulous work!
the way it has been told with reasons like he wasn’t taken in as he was a shudra makes it a shallow story. the person writing this muct have read it from a very narrow perspective.
the reason he wasn’t taken in is because since Eklavya isn’t exactly from the same kingdom and possibly from the kingdom of jayadrath who was enemy to the kingdom of hastinapur then, there are security reasons if he trains besides the princes. Also, despite denial, Eklavya has spied on the trainings the princes received.
lastly, being a hunter tribes prince, his skills wouldn’t have been acknowledges. hence, by asking his thumb as gurudakshina, Dronacharya makes sure that history acknowldges Eklavya as an ideal student and he is the one to suggest Eklavya to start using his forefinger and middle finger for shooting which is how the modern archery is today. The caste was never a reason for denial but modern addition to fit some narration and hate other communities instead. only if we could broaden our minds and get out of the hatred loop.