Ekalavya
Encyclopedia
In the Hindu
epic Mahābhārata
, Ekalavya (Sanskrit
: एकलव्य, éklavya) is a young prince of the Nishadha
tribes, and a member of a low caste, who aspires to study archery in the gurukul
of Dronacharya. After being rejected by Drona
due to his low caste, Eklavya embarks upon a program of self-study in the presence of a clay image of Drona. He achieves a level of skill superior to that of Arjuna
, Drona's favorite and most accomplished pupil. Drona eventually comes to know this and demands that Eklavya turn over his right thumb as gurudakshina
. The loyal Ekalavya cripples himself, thereby ruining his abilities as an archer.
Since Vasudeva was the father of Krishna
, Ekalavya was blood related brother to Sri Krishna
and was raised by Hiranyadhanus, the leader (King) of the Nishadha
s, who was a commander in the army of Jarasandha
(the king of Magadha
).
In another version of the epic, Eklavya is son of Kunti and Vasurayshdhfdeva's sister Shrutakirti though extra-marital relations with Hiranyadhanus. This makes him an analogue of Karna
. In a cinematic Telegu depiction, Karan marries Eklavya's sister. She would in turn be Karan's first cousin in the Devashrava version of the epic, paralleling Arjuna's marriage to Subhadra. Shrutakirti 's daughter ultimately married Krishna, making Eklavya and Krishna brother-in-laws. Eklavya would also be a first cousin of the Pandavas in either telling of the story.
Eklavya was a bright boy who lived near the ashrama of Drona
, where Pandavas and Kauravas used to take learn martial arts. He had a great desire to learn the art of archery from Dronacharya, but his mother told him Drona would not accept Eklavya as his disciple, and it was futile to dream of such a privilege. He asked Drona to teach him, but was refused.
.
One day while Ekalavya is practicing, he hears a dog barking. Before the dog can shut up or get out of the way, Ekalavya fires seven arrows in rapid succession to fill the dog's mouth without injuring it. The Pandavas come upon the dog, and wonder who could have accomplished such a feat. Searching the forest, they find a dark skinned young man, dressed in all black with long hair and strong muscles. He introduces himself as Ekalavya, a pupil of Drona.
. Ekalavya complies, but cripples himself and thereby ruins his abilities as an archer.
According to the Mahābhārata, Drona was fulfilling his dharma to protect the fated superiority of Arjuna. He has been criticized by some scholars for demanding something that was not his due. The deterministic suggestion also points out the contradiction that if Arjuna's superiority was truly fated, Ekalavya's mastery of archery would have no consequence on the destiny of the Pandavas.
Others have suggested that Dronacharya suspected Ekalavya learned his skill by secretly observing the training sessions of Arjuna
and his brothers. In this scenario, although Drona could have demanded an even greater punishment for covert martial training under the law of the time, he asked only for Ekalavya's right thumb.
Ekalavya has been lauded by many Indians, including Adivasis, as a paragon of achievement who achieved great heights of accomplishment through his own self-initiative, to which the nobles of the Kuru house could only aspire through formal tutelage. Ultimately, however, the Mahābhārata does not settle these moral ambiguities, and leaves the tale open to speculation and discussion. It has also been suggested in mythology that Ekalavya later learned to shoot again using only four fingers.
. At the time of the Swayamvara
of Rukmini
, he acted as the messenger between Shishupala
and Rukmini's father Bhishmaka
, at the request of King Jarasandha. Ultimately, Bhishmaka decided that Rukmini would marry Shishupala, but instead she eloped with Krishna
. Ekalavya is later killed during a conflict between Krishna and King Jarasandha's army. To be killed by the supreme godhead is considered a mark of exceptional divine favor in Krishnaism
, as in most forms of Vaishnavism
.
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
epic Mahābhārata
Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India and Nepal, the other being the Ramayana. The epic is part of itihasa....
, Ekalavya (Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
: एकलव्य, éklavya) is a young prince of the Nishadha
Nishadha
Nishadha were scattered peoples, according to sources in Hindu mythology. The Nishadha people have been described in Ramayana and Mahabharata.-Description in Ramayana:The main profession of Nishaadas was hunting birds...
tribes, and a member of a low caste, who aspires to study archery in the gurukul
Gurukul
A gurukul is a type of school in India, residential in nature, with shishyas living in proximity to the guru, often within the same house...
of Dronacharya. After being rejected by Drona
Drona
In the epic Mahābhārata, Drona or Dronacharya was the royal guru to Kauravas and Pandavas. He was a master of advanced military arts, including the Devastras. Arjuna was his favorite student. Dronas love for Arjuna was second only to his love for his son Ashwatthama...
due to his low caste, Eklavya embarks upon a program of self-study in the presence of a clay image of Drona. He achieves a level of skill superior to that of Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
, Drona's favorite and most accomplished pupil. Drona eventually comes to know this and demands that Eklavya turn over his right thumb as gurudakshina
Dakshina
Dakshina in the historical Vedic religion is the term for the recompense paid by the sacrificer for the services of a priest, originally consisting of a cow...
. The loyal Ekalavya cripples himself, thereby ruining his abilities as an archer.
Legend
In the Mahabharatha, Ekalavya is introduced as a young prince of the Nishada tribes. Ekalavya was born to Devashrava (brother of Vasudeva) and a Nishadha woman and into a low caste.Since Vasudeva was the father of Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
, Ekalavya was blood related brother to Sri Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
and was raised by Hiranyadhanus, the leader (King) of the Nishadha
Nishadha
Nishadha were scattered peoples, according to sources in Hindu mythology. The Nishadha people have been described in Ramayana and Mahabharata.-Description in Ramayana:The main profession of Nishaadas was hunting birds...
s, who was a commander in the army of Jarasandha
Jarasandha
Jarasandha was a great and legendary king of Magadha. He was the son of a vedic king named Brihadratha. He was also a great devotee of Lord Shiva. But he is generally held in negative light owing to his enmity with the Yadav clan in the Mahābhārata....
(the king of Magadha
Magadha
Magadha formed one of the sixteen Mahājanapadas or kingdoms in ancient India. The core of the kingdom was the area of Bihar south of the Ganga; its first capital was Rajagriha then Pataliputra...
).
In another version of the epic, Eklavya is son of Kunti and Vasurayshdhfdeva's sister Shrutakirti though extra-marital relations with Hiranyadhanus. This makes him an analogue of Karna
Karna
Karna or Radheya is one of the central characters in the epic Mahābhārata, from ancient India. He was the King of Anga...
. In a cinematic Telegu depiction, Karan marries Eklavya's sister. She would in turn be Karan's first cousin in the Devashrava version of the epic, paralleling Arjuna's marriage to Subhadra. Shrutakirti 's daughter ultimately married Krishna, making Eklavya and Krishna brother-in-laws. Eklavya would also be a first cousin of the Pandavas in either telling of the story.
Eklavya was a bright boy who lived near the ashrama of Drona
Drona
In the epic Mahābhārata, Drona or Dronacharya was the royal guru to Kauravas and Pandavas. He was a master of advanced military arts, including the Devastras. Arjuna was his favorite student. Dronas love for Arjuna was second only to his love for his son Ashwatthama...
, where Pandavas and Kauravas used to take learn martial arts. He had a great desire to learn the art of archery from Dronacharya, but his mother told him Drona would not accept Eklavya as his disciple, and it was futile to dream of such a privilege. He asked Drona to teach him, but was refused.
Self-training in the forest
Ekalavya is determined to master archery, and goes into the forest where he fashions a clay statue of Drona. Worshipping the statue as his preceptor, he begins a disciplined program of self-study over many years. Eventually, Ekalavya becomes an archer of exceptional prowess, greater than Drona's best pupil, ArjunaArjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
.
One day while Ekalavya is practicing, he hears a dog barking. Before the dog can shut up or get out of the way, Ekalavya fires seven arrows in rapid succession to fill the dog's mouth without injuring it. The Pandavas come upon the dog, and wonder who could have accomplished such a feat. Searching the forest, they find a dark skinned young man, dressed in all black with long hair and strong muscles. He introduces himself as Ekalavya, a pupil of Drona.
Guru Dakshina
Upon hearing of the incident, Drona is impressed but also angered. When the young man presents himself to Drona, the guru accepts him but demands his right thumb as gurudakshinaDakshina
Dakshina in the historical Vedic religion is the term for the recompense paid by the sacrificer for the services of a priest, originally consisting of a cow...
. Ekalavya complies, but cripples himself and thereby ruins his abilities as an archer.
According to the Mahābhārata, Drona was fulfilling his dharma to protect the fated superiority of Arjuna. He has been criticized by some scholars for demanding something that was not his due. The deterministic suggestion also points out the contradiction that if Arjuna's superiority was truly fated, Ekalavya's mastery of archery would have no consequence on the destiny of the Pandavas.
Others have suggested that Dronacharya suspected Ekalavya learned his skill by secretly observing the training sessions of Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
and his brothers. In this scenario, although Drona could have demanded an even greater punishment for covert martial training under the law of the time, he asked only for Ekalavya's right thumb.
Ekalavya has been lauded by many Indians, including Adivasis, as a paragon of achievement who achieved great heights of accomplishment through his own self-initiative, to which the nobles of the Kuru house could only aspire through formal tutelage. Ultimately, however, the Mahābhārata does not settle these moral ambiguities, and leaves the tale open to speculation and discussion. It has also been suggested in mythology that Ekalavya later learned to shoot again using only four fingers.
Later life and death
Later, Ekalavya worked as a confidant of King JarasandhaJarasandha
Jarasandha was a great and legendary king of Magadha. He was the son of a vedic king named Brihadratha. He was also a great devotee of Lord Shiva. But he is generally held in negative light owing to his enmity with the Yadav clan in the Mahābhārata....
. At the time of the Swayamvara
Swayamvara
Swayamvara , in ancient India, was a practice of choosing a husband, from among a list of suitors, by a girl of marriageable age. Swayam in Sanskrit means self and vara means choice or desire ....
of Rukmini
Rukmini
In Hinduism, Rukmini is the principal wife and queen of Krishna at his city of Dwarka. Krishna heroically kidnaps her from an un-wanted marriage at her request . Of Krishna's 16,108 queens, Rukmini is the first and most prominent...
, he acted as the messenger between Shishupala
Shishupala
Shishupala or Sisupala was son of Damaghosha, king of Chedi, by Srutadeva, sister of Vasudeva. Therefore he was not only cousin of Krishna, but also Krishna's implacable foe, because Krishna had carried off Rukmini, his intended wife...
and Rukmini's father Bhishmaka
Bhishmaka
In Hinduism, Bhishmaka was the king of Vidarbha. He was the father of Rukmini, who married the Hindu deity Krishna....
, at the request of King Jarasandha. Ultimately, Bhishmaka decided that Rukmini would marry Shishupala, but instead she eloped with Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
. Ekalavya is later killed during a conflict between Krishna and King Jarasandha's army. To be killed by the supreme godhead is considered a mark of exceptional divine favor in Krishnaism
Krishnaism
Krishnaism is a group of Hindu denominations within Vaishnavism, centered on devotion to Radha Krishna or other forms of Krishna, identified with Vishnu.The central text of Krishnaism is the Bhagavad Gita....
, as in most forms of Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
.