{"id":4027,"date":"2011-11-23T06:40:29","date_gmt":"2011-11-23T06:40:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/?p=4027"},"modified":"2023-04-12T19:17:03","modified_gmt":"2023-04-12T13:47:03","slug":"ekalavya-and-arjuna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rupanugabhajanashram.com\/writings\/krishna-talk-articles\/srila-bhaktisiddhanta-saraswati-thakura\/ekalavya-and-arjuna\/","title":{"rendered":"Ekalavya and Arjuna"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many people consider Ekalavya\u2019s ‘guru-bhakti’ <\/em>to be ideal, but there is a unique deliberation concerning this topic.<\/p>\n

King Hira\u1e47yadhanu’s son was named Ekalavya. Ekalavya was, by caste, a ni\u1e63adha<\/em> (ca\u1e47\u1e0d\u0101la<\/em>). In order to learn astra-vidy\u0101<\/em>, Prince Ekalavya approached Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya. Because Ekalavya possessed a low class mentality, the \u0101c\u0101rya<\/em> refused to initiate him in the teachings of the Dhanur-Veda<\/em>. However, Ekalavya was determined to learn the martial arts from Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya and went off into the forest. There he constructed an idol of Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya made of clay and by continuously practicing in front of that artificial guru he became very expert in astra-vidy\u0101<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Arjuna was Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya’s most beloved disciple. The \u0101c\u0101rya<\/em> had told Arjuna that none of Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya’s disciples would ever be able to excel Arjuna in skill.<\/p>\n

One day Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya instructed the Kauravas and the P\u0101\u1e47\u1e0davas to leave the royal capital and go to the forest for hunting. As they made their way through the forest, they saw a dog whose mouth had been blocked with seven arrows. Seeing this, they were most astonished. Whoever had shot these arrows was far more expert than the P\u0101\u1e47\u1e0davas. Realising this, they went in search of that person. Gradually they understood that it was Ekalavya, the son of Hira\u1e47yadhanu, who had tested his archery skills on the dog’s mouth.<\/p>\n

The P\u0101\u1e47\u1e0davas returned to the capital and, approaching Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya, submitted this unusual story to him. With a mood of humility, Arjuna told Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya that it seemed that he had another disciple who was more expert in archery than Arjuna. Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya listened to these words and was surprised. He went with Arjuna into the forest and there they saw Ekalavya continuously shooting arrows like rain, fully absorbed in the science of archery.<\/p>\n

Taking the opportunity Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya came forward and approached Ekalavya, and seeing the \u0101c\u0101rya<\/em>, Ekalavya immediately offered his prayers at his feet, and with folded hands he introduced himself as his disciple and remained standing. Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya told Ekalavya, “You must give guru-dak\u1e63i\u1e47\u0101<\/em>.”<\/p>\n

Ekalavya replied, “Please tell me \u2013 whatever it is, I am ready to give it!”<\/p>\n

Then Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya told Ekalavya to cut off his thumb and give him that as his guru-dak\u1e63i\u1e47\u0101<\/em>. Ekalavya executed the order of his Gurudeva. Ekalavya did not protest in any way and unhesitatingly executed his guru’s instruction.<\/p>\n

Initially Ekalavya’s guru rejected him because he considered him to be born of a low caste, yet due to his faith in Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya, he established a clay deity of him and became invincible \u2013\u00a0thus his guru-bhakti<\/em> was established as ideal. On the other hand, Arjuna was envious towards Ekalavya, because by his perseverance, Ekalavya had become expert; therefore Ekalavya was ruined by Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya \u2013\u00a0this is the common opinion.<\/p>\n

But this is not the opinion of the devotees, nor is it a true conception. Everything about Bhagav\u0101n is supremely true, everything about the principles of devotion are supremely true and everything in relation to the devotee is supremely true. These are the three truths \u2013 Bhagav\u0101n, bhakti<\/em> and bhakta<\/em>. Everything a devotee does is good; everything a non-devotee does is not very good. The non-devotee has many bad qualities because he is not engaged in satisfying the senses of Bhagav\u0101n. Those that think that mundane laws are greater than Bhagav\u0101n cannot accommodate those words regarding the supreme truth. Such persons are nirvi\u015be\u1e63av\u0101d\u012bs<\/em> (impersonalists) which is to say that they cannot accept the non-differentiated specialty of Bhagav\u0101n, bhakti<\/em> and bhakta<\/em>.<\/p>\n

What was Ekalavya\u2019s fault? This analysis is essential. He wore the mask of guru-bhakti<\/em>, yet he was actually inimical towards his guru. Whether his guru actually considered Ekalavya to be disqualified by his low-birth, or was simply testing him \u2014 whatever the reason may be, when his Gurudeva did not wish to teach him the science of warfare, it was Ekalavya\u2019s duty to accept his guru’s instruction upon his head; but Ekalavya did not accept that. He had the aspiration to become great.<\/p>\n

Externally, without a guru, his practices would not have been considered lawful, or he would not be in a favourable position to become great without accepting a guru. To this end, Ekalavya concocted a clay form of his ‘guru’. He only did this to attain greatness by learning the Dhanur Veda<\/em>. In this way, his main intention was to satisfy his own senses. He did not offer himself as a sacrifice to his guru’s desire and his own intentions were not sincere. Some may say that ultimately Ekalavya happily accepted the heartless order of his guru without protest, but if we consider this topic deeply and with keen discernment, we can observe that Ekalavya considered mundane morality to be superior to transcendental devotion. When the guru requests something to be given as dak\u1e63i\u1e47\u0101<\/em>, then one must offer it to him \u2013\u00a0it was that sense of morality that inspired him to cut off his thumb. Ekalavya did not offer it with spontaneous devotion. The very nature of bhakti<\/em> is that it is spontaneous and simple.<\/p>\n

If Ekalavya had unmotivated and natural devotion within his heart towards Hari, Guru and Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava, then the guru, Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya, the best of Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas, Arjuna, and Bhagav\u0101n Sri K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a, would not have been displeased with his behaviour. Ekalavya\u2019s attempt to learn the Dhanur-veda<\/em> and his hankering to become great were not accepted by his Gurudeva. Deep within Ekalavya\u2019s heart, he desired to try and become greater than Arjuna, the best of Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas. The aspiration to become greater than the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas is not devotion \u2013\u00a0it is anti-devotional and it is the dharma<\/em> of the ativ\u0101\u1e0d\u012bs<\/em> (1). According to worldly considerations, the desire to become great is regarded as good. But the effort to take a subordinate position behind a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava and the attempt to take shelter of a Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava \u2013\u00a0that is bhakti<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Ekalavya wanted his expertise to be greater than that which could be acquired by learning Vedic sciences directly from a mahant-guru<\/em> \u2013\u00a0Arjuna notified Dro\u1e47\u0101c\u0101rya of this. If Arjuna had not mercifully pointed this out, then the victory of impersonalism would have been proclaimed extensively. People would not have approached a mahant-guru<\/em> to accept any type of knowledge; they would have desired to create their own contradictory, concocted, clay, lifeless gurus in order to learn various sciences or devotional teachings. In this way, atheistic theories would have been established. Therefore, Arjuna had no envy towards Ekalavya; it was actually his causeless compassion towards Ekalavya and the world.<\/p>\n

If Ekalavya had been an honest devotee of his guru, then K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a would not have killed such a guru-bhakta<\/em> \u2013 He always protects His devotees. But finally Ekalavya was killed by the hand of K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a. This is how Ekalavya finally met his end (2).<\/p>\n

Sri Caitanyadeva has said that we cannot judge devotion simply on the basis of external austerities. The asuras<\/em> perform penances that even the demigods cannot perform (3). Against the wishes of his guru, Ekalavya wanted to become greater than the Vai\u1e63\u1e47ava. Therefore he was killed by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and attained impersonal liberation. Asuras<\/em> are always killed by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a and the devotees of the Lord are protected by K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a (4). The proof of this is Hira\u1e47yaka\u015bipu and Prahl\u0101da. Thus we should never attempt to become greater than the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas. If we do not wear a mask of guru-bhakti<\/em>, we will never become impersonalists. This is what the pure devotees have taught in relation to the narrative of Ekalavya. Expertise in performing mundane activities is not guru-bhakti<\/em>. Taking shelter of the Vai\u1e63\u1e47avas is actually true devotion.<\/p>\n


\nFOOTNOTES:<\/strong><\/p>\n

(1) The ativ\u0101\u1e0d\u012bs<\/em> are an apa-samprad\u0101ya<\/em> that originated in Orissa under one Jagann\u0101tha D\u0101sa during the time of Mahaprabhu. The word ‘ativ\u0101\u1e0d\u012b<\/em>‘ means ‘one who thinks he is very intelligent’ (ati<\/em> \u2013 very, v\u0101\u1e0d\u012b<\/em> \u2013 intelligent).<\/p>\n

(2) Ekalavya\u2019s demise is found in Chapter 48 of the Udyoga-parva<\/em> of Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata<\/em> wherein K\u1e5b\u1e63\u1e47a kills him as He battles with Jar\u0101sandha\u2019s army.<\/p>\n

(3) asure o tapa kare, ki haya t\u0101h\u0101ra
\nvine mora \u015bara\u1e47a laile n\u0101hi p\u0101ra<\/em> (Cb. Madhya<\/em> 23.46)<\/p>\n

(4) Madhv\u0101c\u0101rya, in his Mah\u0101bh\u0101rata Tataparya Nir\u1e47aya<\/em> has commented that Ekalavya was the a\u1e41\u015ba<\/em> of the demon Ma\u1e47imanta.<\/p>\n

yuddhv\u0101 cira\u1e41 ra\u1e47a mukhe bhagavat suta\u1e25 asau
\ncakre nir\u0101yudham amu\u1e41 sthiram ekalavyam
\na\u1e41\u015bena yo bhuvam ag\u0101t ma\u1e47im\u0101n iti sma
\nsa krodha tantraka ga\u1e47e\u1e63u adhipo ni\u1e63\u0101da\u1e25
\n<\/em><\/p>\n

“Fighting for a long time with Ekalavya, who was steadfast in battlefield, Pradyumna rendered him weaponless. Previously there was a group of demons known as the Krodha-tantra-ga\u1e47as, amongst whom there was a prominent demon named Ma\u1e47imanta. Ekalavya is the a\u1e41\u015ba<\/em> of that Ma\u1e47imanta.” (MTN<\/em> 14.40)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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