How many Ekalavyas, Karnas and an Arjuna…..
Growing up with stories from the Indian epics has an advantage of referring to these stories some of which leave an indelible mark in the mind. One such story that flashes in the mind these days is of Ekalavya..the young archer who severed his thumb to give it to his Guru Drona as Guru Dakshina. Ekalavya always aspired to study under the illustrious Guru Drona of the Epics. However, since Drona was the royal household teacher to the Kurus and the Pandus, he refused Ekalavya as a disciple. Ekalavya, not the one to give up, went back to the forests and practiced archery in front of a clay statue that he had created of Drona. One day while Arjuna was hunting in the forest, he comes across Ekalavya who had without seeing a dog which was barking wild, shot arrows to silence the dog. When Drona found out who Ekalavya was and how he was remotely learning the skill of archery, he asked for his right-hand thumb as Guru Dakshina. Where Arjuna practiced archery and learnt the skills of warfare directly under a guru, interfacing with him every day, Ekalavya learnt archery remotely since Drona could not accept him due to the political and social conditions prevalent then. Where we get to read about the prowess of Arjuna in the battlefield of the famous Kurukshetra war under the guidance of his mentor Krishna, Ekalavya does not have a significant role to play in the Mahabharata. As the story goes, he was ultimately slain by Krishna. The story has it that he grew arrogant, sided with wrongdoers to society and hence Krishna, the Lord, had to slay him. Reinterpreting the story in these times of the pandemic: Ekalavya is a pupil who studied archery in remote instruction, grew arrogant, and ultimately did not contribute much to society for generations to remember him.
Moving onto the other character of the Epic story is the story of Karna, the unsung hero. Karna was abandoned by his mother Kunti and was brought up by a charioteer Adhiratha and his wife. As a little boy he grew fond of archery but was dissuaded from pursuing the skill of archery. However, his pursuance made him go to Drona’s school for education. When rejected by Drona as a teacher, Karna does not hesitate to go to Drona’s teacher, Parashurama. Under disguise that he is a brahmin, Karna starts his education with Parashurama and excels in archery. Trained as an equal to Arjuna by Parashurama, Karna would have been the undisputed hero of the Epic story had it not been for the curse of his Guru. The story goes that one day when Parashurama was resting with his head on Karna’s lap, a bee stung Karna’s thigh. Out of fear that his master’s sleep would be disturbed if he moved, Karna bore the pain like a warrior. When Parashurama woke up and saw the blood flowing out of Karna’s thigh; he deduced that Karna was not a brahmin. In his anger, he cursed Karna that one day he would forget all the knowledge that he had taught him. Reinterpreting the story in these times of the pandemic: Karna is a pupil who pursued his passion for learning albeit under disguise but interfaced with his Guru while learning. However, somewhere along his life, his perseverance for education stops after his training under Parashurama.
When it comes to formal education, it is Arjuna who stands out of the three. Arjuna studies under the tutelage of Drona no doubt as he is a prince of the Kuru family and can afford specialized education. But what is notable is that despite his learning from Drona, he does not stop learning as he continues learning in life from Krishna, travels a lot to learn, learns from Chitrasen, learns from the Gods, learns from Lord Shiva and is enriched in his learning. Be it archery, dance, or any other skill, his passion for learning continues. Arjuna also becomes a teacher to many others and has disciples and great students. Reinterpreting the story of Arjuna during the times of the pandemic: he benefitted a lot from the face to face learning he had from many Gurus, never stopped learning, focussed on his education, made learning a continuous process. He was humble, learned from various people, travelled widely, and even shared knowledge gained with others. The application of his learning is seen in his fight against wrong, his fight with the Kauravas and various other instances in his life, and more than anything, his acceptance of Lord Krishna as a guide and mentor throughout his life.
Thoughts for us during these times: all three of them, Ekalavya, Karna and Arjuna studied well, went through different modes of instruction, their ability to learn varied, they were almost equal, but the one who made a great impression and that impression which remains through generations are that of Arjuna. We talk about remote instruction, online learning, learning without interface with the Guru and virtual learning-teaching……blended, hybrid, online….these are all tools for learning…what counts is that acceptance of a teacher, of learning not only texts but also encountering competition, challenges, conflicts, varied skills, friendship, mischief, simple discourse…all of it which forms your personality and hence the Gurukul grew and took the form of schools and colleges and places for higher learning. Will that basic relationship between the teacher and the disciple lose its essence, lose its very essence of human touch, that voice that supports, guides, admonishes you…yet taps that dormant skill in you? Could we aspire for many more Arjunas in the times to come……
