EKLAVYA
One disciple of Guru Dronacharya is sitting on the top seat of universe by his own effort, firm determination, will power and meditation. He is the greatest left handed archer of the world. In the context of Eklavya historians have too much defamed Guru Dronacharya. He is ill named as high castes’ favorer and dead against of lower castes. In the inner part of my heart, defaming words about the great guru were always haunting. How the greatest guru of all time, who has himself come from very poor back ground, can think and can act like that? After deep thought and investigation, I was quenched and the question was solved. The fact is quite different and the historians haven’t done justice with this great guru. The thought of guru was positive which the mean minded, anti social elements can’t think. The anti socials game is to spread hatred in the society and to do mean politics. The baseless propaganda was spread by these elements.
Positive aspect of guru regarding the character of Eklavya has totally been ignored. Besides the greatest archer Arjuna, no left handed archer can be seated beside Eklavya.
When I see the political situation of that time, the doubt, why such cruel decision was taken by the great guru, ends. We are well acquainted with Lord Vyas. He is not an ordinary writer. He is the greatest writer of all times of this universe and the very writer of all great epics of Hinduism. How the greatest writer can defame the greatest guru. Such writer cannot write for cheap popularity. Every word/ letter of his epics has some cause and special meaning. Can any epic be compared with The Mahabharat? No epic has ever been written like Mahabharat. Everything, which is in the world, is in Mahabharat. Which is not in Mahabharat, does not exist in the world. Every character is based on some cause and result of the action performed by the character previously and need of the character in future. Think about the character Abhimanu, Ghatotkach, Dhristadumna, Shikhandee, Karna etc and the episode of Draupadee cheerharan, Laakshaagrih, Shishupaalbadh etc. The above fact will be proved.
Prince Eklavya was the son of tribal king Vyaatraaj Hiranyadhanush under Magadh Empire. He was a very faithful person of the king of Magadh, Jaraasandh. Eklavya was a very genius student of archery. He was not satisfied with the primary education obtained from the ordinary tribal teacher. He wanted to get higher/special education by the world’s greatest tutor Dronacharya. Guru knew his identity and seeing the ill relation between Hastinapur and Magadh refused to teach the prince of opposite side. Who will want to teach & prepare a talented enemy to fight against himself? Even an ordinary person can’t do that; then why should the greatest guru be abused. He was a great seer of future; secrecy was his important weapon and so did not disclose the matter before anybody. That’s why nobody knew the matter and started to abuse the great guru.
Eklavya should be praised regarding his immense sincerity to learn and top most regard for guru. He was not ordinary disciple like us who start ill-treatment/ fighting against our tutor even on ordinary matter. Best education can only be achieved when I have highest regard towards our tutor. I have only to obey my guru, knowledge will automatically come. ‘Pranipaaten sevayaa’ and ‘guru sushrookhayaa vidyaa’ have been written by our sages. We, criticizers of the great guru also criticize our gurus and haven’t faith on them. That is why; best knowledge is far away from us. Even though, he was discarded by Dronachaarya, he started practising before the earthen statue of the guru. Hiding himself behind trees and bushes, he heard the lessons of archery and practised day and night without rest, before the guru's statue. Such rigorous practice can take any ordinary person on top of any field, what to talk about the most genius Eklavya. He became well versed in archery and surpassed the regular disciples. One day while he was practising, a dog came near him and seeing an unknown person, started barking loudly. Seeing the dog disturbing in the practice, he threw so many arrows in the dog’s mouth in such a speed that the dog was not hurt, only its mouth was shut. When the disciples saw the dog with mouth closed by arrows, they were surprised. They with the guru, started to search the person who had done the miracle. Eklavya was caught red handed. He disclosed everything about his knowledge gaining before the earthen statue of the guru. Guru asked to give right hand thumb as guru dakshina (fees of learning, donation, gift offered by a disciple against getting education). Eklavya, at once, cut his right hand thumb and offered gladly on guru’s feet. The mean historians of later days, have condemned Dronachaarya’s this very action too much and have also told him the greatest enemy of harijans (Down-troddens, tribes, untouchables etc).
When I see Lord Vyasa’s thought on the character ‘Dronacharya’ in broad aspect, following points will stop us to abuse the great guru and writer of the epic:-
1. Dronacharya is the greatest guru of all time. Our later day’s mean-minded, caste favoring historians don’t possess even a drop of imagination of the guru’s sea like thoughts. What should be the punishment to an enemy side person for stealing a secret specialized (patent) knowledge? The minimum punishment of this crime is death punishment. If such person is pardoned only by sacrificing a right hand thumb, the punishment can be told negligible.
2. If I test the gift of offering right hand thumb on the touch stone of, “Sheesh diye jaun guru mile, to bhee sastaa jaan”, it seems to be the cheapest gift (fees, offering).
3. Guru might have thought to demolish the ego of his disciples like Arjuna, Aswatthaamaa, Yudhishthiraa, Duryodhanaa etc and for this very purpose, the character ‘Eklavya’ might have been created.
4. The aim of the guru might be to give the best left handed archer to the universe. This thought is beyond imagination for small persons like us.
5. Dronacharya, the seer of ‘Lord Shiva’ in all creatures of the universe might have seen the action of Eklavya as the stopper of the natural voice of a weak animal (Barking is natural voice of the dog when it looks a stranger) and thus the punishment.
6. Seeing such genius, egoless, polite disciple who had unparalleled regard for guru, the guru might have thought to have abuses for him and made the disciple immortal in the universe. This is unique case in the history.
7. In later days, seeing Eklavya’s taking the side of Shishupal, Jarasandh and fighting against Lord Krishna and Pandavas proves the reality of statements told previously. In Rukminiharan episode, he had favored Shishupal and Rukmi. Eklavya was killed by Lord Krishna when he fought against yadavas to abolish them from the world.
8. The theft of specialization (patent) is a big crime and the action of the great guru seems right.
9. In ‘Raajsooya yagya,’ tribal king Eklavya offered special shoes to king Yudhishthira. This shows his regards towards the dharma’s side. But, due to living under the kingdom Magadh, taking side of Magadh emperor may be his compulsion. Even Dronacharya took the side of Duryodhan, although he had deep love for Pandavas and Arjun was his most favorite disciple. Pitaamah Bheeshma also took side of Duryodhana, though he loved Pandavaas more than Kauravas. Eklavya had also greatest regard for his guru, and had no grievance regarding the thumb cutting episode; only the mean and caste favoring persons have great pain in the stomach regarding the episode.
10. This very type of punishment was also given to Karna. When Dronacharya refused to teach him, he went to Dronacharya’s guru the great Parushrama in the guise of a Brahmin, because Parashurama only taught Brahmins (The seeker/knower of Brahma= The Almighty). Once, Lord Parashurama was sleeping on the thigh of Karna. A germ bit in Karna’s thigh. He didn’t move his thigh thinking it will awake the guru. Blood came out and spread from the thigh and touched Parashurama’s limbs. Feeling coldness of the blood, he awoke and saw the situation. Thinking that Brahman cannot tolerate such severe pain, he became doubtful about the identity of Karna and became angry on him. Karna became afraid and disclosed his identity. Parashuram cursed him that in emergency he would forget the knowledge. This punishment is bigger to that of Eklavya. Due to this very curse, Karna died otherwise he was undefeatable. Eklavya had lost only right hand thumb.
In the above context, it is clear that Dronacharya’s decision was not based on cast line; rather it was due to bigger aspect which we mean minded persons cannot imagine. We have to take the minute meaning of Mahabharata’s shlokas (rhymes). The literal or mean meaning in the present context will be very dangerous. Pandavas had taken birth by five different fathers, not by their own worldly father Pandoo (Husband of their mother’s Kunti and Madri). Karna had taken birth from Kunti when she was unmarried. Lord Vyas, Vidur, Dhritarashtra, Pandoo etc had taken birth from other persons except their worldly fathers (Mother’s husband).
Eklavya is the ideal example of self study. It can give miraculous result if done in regular devotional way. This can be taken as distant education of present days. By the firm, habitual and total surrendering to the learning, he became exceptional archer, greater than Drona’s regular disciples. On one occasion when Drona was asked by Arjuna about the thumb cutting episode, Drona replied, ‘Eklavya is the best left handed archer after you in the universe. I have made your path easier, my son’. Although, in Mahabharat war Drona and Eklavya were in the same side against Pandavas.
As already mentioned, in later days Eklavya worked in Jarasandha’s side. He helped Jarasandha and Shishupal in chasing Rukmini when she eloped with Krishna. He was killed by Lord Krishna when he was on the mission to kill all Yadavas in Dwarika and Kuntibhoj to take vengeance of Jarasandha’s murder. I want to tell a secret thing which no one knows. In later days, being pleased with his secret disciple Eklavya, the guru poured grace and the thumb again grew in his hand.
--------------------- k k jha, se,bcd, bihar.
