The Story of Ekalavya

Children’s names have been anonymized with the first two letters of their first and last names (for example, Ram Narayan will be presented as Ra Na)

Role assignments: Drona (Sh Kr), Duryodhana (Ve Ud), Yudhistra (Pr Ma), Arjuna (Ve Ma), Ekalavya (Pr Ch), Narrator (Sh Pa)

Characters: Drona, Duryodhana, Yudhistra, Arjuna, Ekalavya, Narrator

Backdrop: Forest

Narrator: This is a story about a student’s complete devotion to his teacher, and there is a special term for this devotion in Sanskrit. The term is Guru Bhakthi. It is the belief that one has to surrender oneself to the teacher, and be completely immersed in the learning process to master any skill. There is one character in Mahabharata whose name has become synonymous with Guru Bhakthi. Today we will see a small part of his life.

Bhishma requested Drona to become the teacher for both Kauravas and Pandavas. Drona was teaching them the skill of archery……

Drona: Do you see that tree over there?

All: Yes, we do.

Drona: Do you see a parrot sitting on the lowest branch of the tree to your left?

All: (Looking carefully) Yes, we do.

Drona: Your test today is to take aim and hit that parrot. Now let me see who amongst you is up to this task. Who wants to go first?

Druyodhana: I’ll go first. (raises his hand eagerly)

Drona: Very good, Duryodhana. Come forward and take aim. (waits for Duryodhana to take aim..) Tell me Duryodhana, what do you see?

Duryodhana: Guruji, I see them all: the mountains and the field, the tree, the branch to the left and the parrot ….

Drona: Stop there, Duryodhana. Please step aside. I don’t think you are quite ready for this task.

Duryodhana: Just give me a chance, I bet, I can shoot the bird down.

1 Drona: That’s fine, Duryodhana. Let me decide who needs to take the shot.

Duryodhana: It’s so unfair. You always play favorites with the Pandavas.

(Duryodhana retreats with an angry look and Yudhistra steps forward eagerly).

Yudhistra: May I try, Dronacharya?

Drona: Come forward and take your stance, Yudhistra, and tell me what you see?

Yudhistra: I can see the lowest branch on the tree and I see the parrot as well. Let me know if I can get him right now.

Drona: Not now Yudhistra. Please step aside; let me try Arjuna next.

(Drona turns and signals to Arjuna)

Arjuna: I am looking at the head but am focused on the eye of the parrot.

Drona : Very well done, Arjuna! (turning to the rest) This is exactly what I was expecting for an answer. A good archer’s concentration should be on the target and nothing else. Only then can he master the skill of archery. Only Arjuna passed the test today; I am going to make him the best archer in the world.

(Eklavya approaches)

Ekalavya: My salutations to you, Acharya.

Drona: May God bless you! Tell me, who are you?

Ekalavya: I am Ekalavya, a nishada prince of the jungle. I have learned that you are the best teacher of archery. I want to learn this skill from you. Please accept me as your student, Guruji.

Drona: I would like to, son. But I cannot because I am here to teach these royal princes. I cannot accept anyone else as my student now.

Ekalavya: (with a sad face) It is my great misfortune, but kindly allow me to collect a sampling of dust from under your feet.

Narrator: Dronacharya steps aside. Ekalavya takes a handful of mud from where he stood and leaves.

Drona: Come dear students, it’s time for us to return to the palace.

2 (All of them leave for the palace)

Narrator: Years rolled by after this incident. One day Drona decided to take the Kauravas and the Pandavas to the forest for hunting with their hunting dog. All of a sudden the dog spots something and starts barking and takes off running.

Yudhistra: I am not sure what our dog saw and started barking. Did any of you see anything?

Arjuna: I did not see anything, but he only barks like that when sees a stranger.

Yudhistra: Wait, the barking has stopped! Let us ago and find out what happened.

Arjuna: There, there, is our dog. Oh my God, look at him! His mouth is closed shut with three arrows? Who could have done this?

Duryodhana: Aha Arjuna, it looks like you are not the best archer anymore. It serves you right.

Narrator: Drona inspects the dog and is taken aback. Ekalavya comes there as well and falls at Drona’s feet.

Ekalvaya: I am so blessed to see you again, Guruji.

Drona: Who are you? Can you tell me if you have done this? Even Arjuna has not mastered this skill.

Ekalvaya: Guru-ji! Don’t you recognize me? I am Ekalavya. When you were teaching these princes how to take aim and shoot a target, I came to you with a request to accept me as your student. But you had refused.

Drona: (scratches his chin and tries to recall). Aha! Yes, I remember now.

Arjuna: Tell me, who is your master? Who teaches you archery?

Ekalavya: (Turning to Drona), Here, Dronacharya is my Guru.

Drona: (Surprised!) What, I ‘m your Guru? That can’t be. I refused to accept you as my student.

Arjuna: (in an annoyed voice) Guruji, you promised to make me the best archer. But, here is Ekalavya who is your student with better skills than mine.

Drona: (in a stern voice) Patience Arjuna. Ekalavya, why do you say I am your teacher when I had refused to accept you as my student?

3 Ekalavya: Guruji, Do you remember when I took the dust from under your feet? I mixed it up with clay and made a statue of you. Every day, I prayed in front of your idol and practiced for many hours. Just the act of praying to my guru every day gave me the confidence and the ability to learn this skill.

Drona: Eklavya, this is astounding! I have never seen anyone who has mastered a skill by merely praying to a guru. But you have now put me in a spot. I made a promise to Arjuna that no one would surpass him in archery. Now, it looks like your guru-bhakthi has made you even better than him! Tell me, if I am your guru, would you also give me a guru-dakshina?

Ekalavya: Ask anything within my power, Guruji, and I will be honored to give it to you.

Drona: Really? Anything I ask?

Ekalavya: Yes Guruji, I am blessed to get this request. Ask for anything.

Drona: Can I have your right thumb?

Ekalavya: Gladly.

Narrator: Without any hesitation he pulls out his knife and cuts off his thumb and offers it.

Ekalavya: Kindly accept my dakshina, guru-ji !

Drona: I am very touched by your selfless gesture, Ekalavya. I was testing your gurubhakti, and you have proved beyond doubt that you are the most dedicated student the world has ever seen.

Ekalavya: (falls at Drona’s feet) I am very thrilled to hear that you have finally accepted me as your student. I am happy to sacrifice the ability to apply my skills in exchange for privilege of being your student. I am the most blessed person.

Drona: No one can equal you in gurubhakthi. Henceforth, every teacher will want a student like you, and the world will always remember you for your selfless act.

Narrator: After the incident, Drona, Pandavas and Kauravas left the forest to go back to the palace.

Moral: Ekalavya’s story is a powerful reminder that deep respect for ones teacher – Guru Bhakthi – combined with a passion for learning is a wonderful enabler to attain the highest levels of mastery in any skill. Although Arjuna became an expert archer under the direct tutelage of Dronacharya, Ekalavya was able to surpass Arjuna despite the absence of a teacher to guide him from day-to-day.

4