Read the following extract carefully and answer the questions that follow :
‘‘Proper’’ Social Roles
Here is a story from the Adi Parvan of the Mahabharata :
Once Drona, a Brahmana who taught archery to the Kuru princes, was approached by Ekalavya, a forest-dwelling nishada (a hunting community). When Drona, who knew the dharma, refused to have him as his pupil, Ekalavya returned to the forest, prepared an image of Drona out of clay, and treating it as his teacher, began to practise on his own. In due course, he acquired great skill in archery. One day, the Kuru princes went hunting and their dog, wandering in the woods, came upon Ekalavya. When the dog smelt the dark nishada wrapped in black deer skin, his body caked with dirt, it began to bark. Annoyed, Ekalavya shot seven arrows into its mouth. When the dog returned to the Pandavas, they were amazed at this superb display of archery. They tracked down Ekalavya, who introduced himself as a pupil of Drona.
Drona had once told his favourite student Arjuna, that he would be unrivalled amongst his pupils. Arjuna now reminded Drona about this. Drona approached Ekalavya, who immediately acknowledged and honoured him as his teacher. When Drona demanded his right thumb as his fee, Ekalavya unhesitatingly cut it off and offered it. But thereafter, when he shot with his remaining fingers, he was no longer as fast as he had been before. Thus, Drona kept his word: no one was better than Arjuna.
(1) Why did Drona refuse to have Ekalavya as his pupil?
(2) How had Drona kept his word given to Arjuna?
(3) Do you think Drona’s behaviour with Ekalavya was justified? If so, give a reason.
(1) Drona was a Brahmin and belonged to an upper caste whereas Eklavya was a forest-dwelling nishada and thus belonged to the hunting community which occupied the lowest place in the social hierarchy. According to Dharma, an upper caste was not allowed to teach the members of lower jati. That is why Drona refused to have Eklavya as his pupil.
(2) Drona once promised Arjun that he would become the best and unrivalled archer amongst his pupils. When Arjun saw the archery skills of Eklavya, he was left amazed. Drona acknowledged and honoured him as his teacher and demanded his right thumb as his fee. Eklavya at once cut it off and offered it. Thus Drona kept his promise.
(3) No, I don’t think that the behaviour of Drona with Eklavya was justified because the fee demanded by Drona was unjust and cruel. In order to fulfil the promise he made to Arjuna, he did not consider the desire and respect of Eklavya towards archery and his Guru Drona. Thus, he was self-centred.
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