Mythological stories are dear to many cultures. They are considered to be inspired by historical events and, for ages, have influenced children and transported them to a whole new world of values, superpowers, and magic. Generally, children hear mythological stories from their elders. These stories have been passed down through centuries and are still loved today. We’ve all heard of Eklavya, right? Every time someone talks about respecting teachers, aren’t we all reminded of Eklavya? He has set a magnificent example by giving his guru, Dronacharya, something unthinkable as Guru Dakshina. However, most of us just know that he donated his thumb to his guru and are unaware of Eklavya and Dronacharya’s full story. Here’s the story in English for you to share with your child.
Origin And History Of The ‘Eklavya And Dronacharya’ Story
Eklavya and Dronacharya have been featured in the epic Mahabharata. The original book is claimed to have been composed in Sanskrit by Rishi Vyasa. It has, however, been translated into several Indian and other languages.
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Story Type Of ‘Eklavya And Dronacharya’
The story of Eklavya and Dronacharya is a mythological tale, and you can also read it out to your kid as a bedtime story.
Story Characters
The main characters of the story are: Eklavya, Dronacharya, and Arjuna –
- Eklavya: Eklavya was a Shudra by caste and the son of Hiranyadhanus, the chief of Nishada. He had a great interest in archery and wished to learn it from the legendary royal teacher, Dronacharya.
- Dronacharya: Dronacharya, also known as Guru Drona, was a master of advanced military techniques tasked with teaching the same to the princes of the royal houses, the Pandavas and the Kauravas.
- Arjuna: Arjuna, the third Pandava, was a pupil of Dronacharya and was known across the kingdom for his outstanding archery skills.
The Story Of ‘Eklavya And Dronacharya’ For Children
The story dates back to many thousand years ago when in the forests of Hastinapur lived Eklavya, the son of Hiranyadhanus, the chief of the Nishadas.
Eklavya had a keen interest in archery and always wanted to learn archery from the military arts expert – Guru Dronacharya.
One day, he left for Dronacharya’s gurukul.
As soon as he reached there, he saw his idol, Guru Dronacharya, giving archery lessons to Arjuna. He could not control the excitement of seeing his idol before his eyes, and he immediately went and bowed down on his feet.
Dronacharya, along with his disciples, were shocked to see this.
‘Hello, child. I don’t think we have met before. Who are you, and why are you touching my feet?’ asked Dronacharya.
‘Sir’, replied Eklavya. ‘I am Eklavya, son of the Nishad chief. I have idolised you all my life, and it is my dream to learn archery from you. Please allow me to take refuge in your gurukul so that I can learn from you.’
Dronacharya was shocked to hear this. Even before he could say anything, Arjuna spoke, ‘Are you out of your mind? Don’t you know that he is a teacher of royal families and cannot teach others like you?’
After thinking a bit, Dronacharya said, ‘Arjuna is right, little one. I am a royal teacher, and I cannot teach anyone else. So, I won’t be able to teach you.’
Eklavya, shocked by his guru’s words, left the gurukul. However, his determination to learn archery from guru Dronacharya grew stronger after this incident.
The next day, he found a quiet place in the forest. There he sculpted a statue of guru Dronacharya from mud and placed it in a secluded clearing.
Every morning, he would take his guru’s blessings and practice archery in front of his guru’s idol.
Many years passed, and Eklavya mastered the art of archery.
One day, while practising, he heard a dog barking nearby. The dog’s continuous barking was distracting him, and he decided to do something about it.
He shot several arrows toward the dog so that they filled up the dog’s mouth, and he could no longer bark. However, none of the arrows hit the dog even the slightest bit.
The dog, in that condition, started roaming around the forest when he reached Guru Dronacharya’s gurukul. Dronacharya and his students were amazed to see the dog.
‘Who did this?’ exclaimed Dronacharya. ‘Only a skilled archer who has mastered the skill of archery can aim with such perfection.’
Having said this, guru Drona and his disciples went out in search of the skilled archer when they saw Eklavya practising archery at a distance.
‘I see that you are an excellent archer, young boy. Who is your teacher?’ guru Drona asked Eklavya.
Eklavya touched Dronacharya’s feet and said, ‘You, Sir. You are my guru.’
‘How can I be your guru?’ asked a confused Dronacharya. ‘I don’t remember teaching you archery ever.’
‘Guruji, don’t you remember me? I am Eklavya. I went to your gurukul once, but you said you could not teach me’, said Eklavya. ‘Well, since then, I have been practising archery religiously in front of your statue.’
Dronacharya was shocked to hear this. At the same time, he was proud too. He knew that Eklavya had the skills to surpass Arjuna as the best archer easily. However, Eklvya’s excellence would put him in a difficult situation as a royal teacher, as a mere son of a chief cannot surpass a royal prince under his guidance.
‘Well, in that case, you will have to give me my guru Dakshina – my gift for teaching you’, said Dronacharya after a pause.
‘It’ll be my privilege to give you Guru Dakshina, my guru’, said Eklavya with happiness in his eyes. ‘Please tell me; what can I give you?’
‘I want you to give me your right thumb’, said Dronacharya, as he knew that it would make him unable to do archery in the future.
Eklayva, without a second thought, took out a knife and cut his right thumb, then offered it to his guru.
‘My guru, thank you for teaching me all this while. Please accept my Guru Dakshina’, said Eklavya getting down on his knees.
Everyone was shocked to see this.
‘I am proud of you’, guru Dronacharya said with a smile. ‘Even without your thumb, I bless you to be the greatest renowned archer. And you will always be a model of devotion for your guru.’
After that, Eklavya continued archery with his forefinger and middle finger and is still known for his dedication.
Story Summary
Given below is a summary of the story of Eklavya and Dronacharya.
Long ago, in the forests of Hastinapur, there lived a Nishada prince named Eklavya. He had always wanted to learn archery from the renowned royal guru Dronacharya. As soon as he arrived at his gurukul, guru Drona informed him that he would be unable to teach him he was a royal teacher and teaching anyone other than the royal princes was against state law. Eklavya returned to the forest, disappointed. But, his desire to master archery, on the other hand, was stronger than anything.
The next day, he sculpted a mud statue of guru Drona and placed it in a secluded clearing. He would take his blessings and practise archery every morning. He perfected the technique of archery in a few years. One day, while he was practising, a dog started barking nearby. To stay focused, he shot several arrows at the dog and filled his mouth with arrows, making him unable to bark to didn’t hurt him. When guru Dronacharya saw this, he knew it was the work of a skilled archer and set out to find him. He met Eklavya and found that the little boy still considered him his guru and practised archery every day. Guru Drona asked Eklavya’s right thumb as his Guru Dakshina. Eklavya offered the Guru Dakshina without hesitation. Touches by Eklavya’s dedication, Dronacharya blessed him to become the most gifted archer. Eklavya, on the other hand, then mastered archery without his thumb and set an example of an ideal student.
What Lesson Can Your Child Learn From This Story?
This story teaches children the importance of being courteous and respectful to their teachers. We will never be able to repay our teachers for the invaluable knowledge they have given us, but we should always respect them.
In the story, Eklavya immediately presented his right thumb to guru Dronacharya because he knew the knowledge he had given him was priceless and could never be matched by anything else.
How Can Children Apply The Lesson Of The Story In Their Real Life?
This short story of Eklavya’s life teaches children to be respectful of their teachers. With the rise of online classrooms, communicating with teachers has become tougher, and so, the same level of respect is never achieved. We should always encourage our children to respect them. This story will show a sacred guru-shishya (student-teacher) equation and teach them the sanctity of this pious relationship.
This story children to explore their imagination and look into new possibilities. If you wish to read a mythological tale with a valuable lesson to your child, choose this story of Eklavya and Dronacharya.
Also Read:
The Birth Story of Lord Krishna for Children
Lord Ganesh’s Birth Story with Moral for Kids
The Story of Krishna and Kaliya Snake for Children
