Mahabharata – 218
by
Sankar Mukherjee
&
Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
  Aadivamsaavatarana Parva
Ekalavya the finest archer

 One day the Kuru and the Pandava princes, with Drona's permission, set out in their chariot on  hunting. A servant, followed the party for the convenience, with the usual instruments and a dog. Having come to the woods, they wandered about, intent on the purpose they had in
view. Meanwhile, the dog also, wandering alone in the woods, came to Ekalavya. And seeing Ekalavya of dark complexion, dirty body with mud, dressed in black and bearing matted locks on head, the dog began to bark aloud. Then Ekalavya, willing to exhibit his lightness of hand,
sent seven arrows into its mouth. The dog, thus pierced with seven arrows, came back to the Pandavas. The Pandavas seeing that sight, were filled with wonder. They were ashamed of their own skill. They began to praise the lightness of hand and accurateness of aim of the unknown archer. And they then began to seek in those woods for the unknown dweller there that had shown such skill. The Pandavas soon found out the object of their search ceaselessly discharging arrows from the bow. They saw that man of gloomy look. He was totally a
stranger to them.They asked --Who are you and whose son?
 Thus questioned, the man replied -- You heroes, I am Ekalavya the son of Hiranyadhanus, king of the Nishadas. Know me also for a pupil of Drona, laboring for the mastery of the art of arms. The Pandavas then, having learnt everything about him, returned to the Hastinapura. They went to Drona, and told him of that wonderful feat of archery which they had witnessed in the woods. Arjuna, in particular, thinking all the while, saw Drona in private and relying upon his preceptor's affection for him said--You had lovingly told me, that no pupil of yours should be equal to me. Why then is there a pupil of yours, who excels me? Ekalavya the mighty son of the
Nishada king, is superior to me. On hearing these words, Drona thought for a moment, and resolving the course of action he should follow, took Arjuna with him and went to Ekalavya. And he saw Ekalavya with dirty body lorn with mud. There were matted locks on his head. He was dressed in black, wielding a bow in hand and ceaselessly shooting arrows. And when Ekalavya saw Drona approaching towards him, he went a few steps forward, and touched his feet and prostrated. And the son of the Nishada king worshipping Drona, duly as his pupil, and with folded hands in reverence stood before him. Then Drona, addressed Ekalavya, saying  --- Oh hero, if you are really my pupil, give me then my tuition fees. On hearing these words, Ekalavya was very much satisfied. He  said -- Oh my illustrious preceptor, what shall I give you? Command me, I can give you whatever you ask for. Oh foremost of all persons conversant with the Vedas, I have nothing that I may not give  you. Drona answered --Oh Ekalavya, if you are really desirous to give my tuition fees. I should like then to have the thumb of your right hand. Hearing these cruel words of Drona, who asked of him his thumb as tuition-fee, Ekalavya, ever devoted to truth and desirous also of keeping his promise, cut off without hesitation
his thumb, and gave it to Drona with a cheerful face and with joyful heart. After this, when he began once more to shoot with the help of his remaining fingers, he found, that he had lost his former lightness of hand. And at this Arjuna became happy. The Ekalavya episode is time and again in its pathos. Ekalavya was refused by Drona because of his lowly birth. But  Ekalavya was not dejected. In his imagination he worshipped Drona with all his heart and pursued his goal of learning archery. And lo! Ekalavya out did all the students who took lessons from Drona directly. Drona could not put up with his defeat in the hands of the young man whom he had refused to teach. He went to Ekalavya and asked for Ekalavya’s thumb as tuition  fee. This is how the elite kill the genius if any of the downtrodden. The practice was there in the days of the Mahabharata. The same  persists in our society today. Think of Ambedkar whom the
elite wanted to destroy in the self same way. Think of Muhammad Ali a descendant of a slave who had to remove a mountain of difficulties set by the social hierarchy to get at the crown of the greatest boxer in the world of his time. It gives us a world view of the workings in the
human society. Those who win laurels in the world are victorious in unequal competition. Let thousand thunders singe the rulers of the world. Story of that of Ekalavya make us nihilists here is no emotion that is worth while under the sun. Even an honest devotion like that of Ekalavya has been denied as if it were a trifle. It puts in our mind a story of Oscar Wilde .A young boy pining for a maiden wanted a red rose. A nightingale could read his heart. And it thrust its breast onto a thorn of a rose plant and sang throughout the moon lit night. At day break the young man saw the dead body of the nightingale lying at the foot of rose plant. And lo! There was a red rose at the crest of the rose plant. The young lover was exceedingly glad. He plucked
the flower and presented the same to his wealthy lady love. But she became enamored of a rich young prince in the meantime. And the flower lay on the road being trampled by the wheels of a Cadillac in which the young lady and prince were having a joy ride.

Mahabharata – 217
by
Sankar Mukherjee
&
Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
  Aadivamsa avatarana Parva
  Drona appointed as a preceptor of Kuru and Pandava princes

The great Bhisma was the disciple of Parashuram. And there was no match of Bhisma as a warrior in the world.No wonder that he could appreciate Drona’s qualities as a master of the art of war. Besides, Drona was seeking employment. Bhisma wanted some good teacher for his
grandchildren. Therefore Bhisma was glad to appoint Drona as theresident teacher of these children. But access to Drona was not meant for the Pandavas and Kauravas only. Any one among the Kshatriya clan could learn with Dronacharya or Drona the teacher.Be that as it may,
while teaching other children Drona also took care of his own son Ashwatthama. Arjuna was so eager to learn that whenever Drona used to give any tip to his own son Arjuna would be present there.  And accordingly the intelligent Arjuna, that foremost of all men possessing a knowledge of weapons, had no inferiority to his preceptor's son in respect of excellence. Arjuna's devotion to the service of his preceptor as also to arms was very great and he soon became the favorite of his preceptor. And Drona, seeing his pupil's devotion to arms, summoned the cook, and told him in secret,
-----Never give Arjuna his food in the dark, nor tell him that I have told you this. A few days after, however, when Arjuna was taking his food, a wind arose, and then the lamp that had been burning went out. But Arjuna, endowed with energy, continued eating in the dark, his
hand, from habit, going to his mouth only. His attention being due to the habit, from then onwards, Arjuna - set his heart upon practicing with his bow in the night. One day Drona, hearing the sound of his bowstring in the night, came to him, and embraced him, and said
--------- Truly  I tell you that I shall do that by which there shall not be an archer equal to you  in this world. Thereafter, Drona began to teach Arjuna the art of fighting on horse-back, on the back of elephants, on chariot, and on the ground. And the mighty Drona also instructed all the Kuru princes the art of fighting with the mace, the sword, the lance, the spear, and the dart. And hearing reports of Drona’s skill, kings and princes, desirous of learning the science of
arms, came to Drona by thousands. Ekalavya Among them was a prince named Ekalavya, who was the son of Hiranyadhanu, king of the Nishadas. Drona, however, being aware about
the rules of the then morality, did not accept  the prince of  Nishada as his pupil in archery. That is, a nishada prince did not have the right to study at the school where ksharityas and brahmins were eligible for study . Consequently Ekalavya, touching Drona's feet bowing down, returned to the forest. There he made a clay-image of Drona, and began to worship it respectfully, as if it was his real preceptor, and practiced weapons before it with the most rigid vow. Left alone Ekalavya took the vow that he would be finest archer in the world by way of worshipping Drona and practicing archery on his own.
In consequence of his exceptional reverence for his preceptor and his devotion to his purpose, all the three processes of fixing arrows on the bowstring, aiming, and letting off, became very easy for him.
This episode is singularly interesting. The critics of ancient India blamed the caste system. Education was not for all in those days just as education is not for all in the world today. Children of the rich have greater opportunities in the field of education even today .If
you are a child of a rich person you can have a test player to teach you cricket. Sidhu was the son of a rich man and no wonder  that it is heard that  he got a test player as his tutor in his boy hood. No wonder that he became a successful test player in times to come. If you are the child of a rich person you can get admitted into the best institutions of the world for studies. The children of the poor are foredoomed to appreciate the performances of the rich as reported in
the media. This is simply ignoble. Just as it is with us the poor do not get the employment that they deserve and the education they deserve so was it with the world of the Mahabharata. But exceptions are there even today. A genius can not be always choked with social physical limitations. Deafness dumbness and the likely other physical limitations could not stand in the way of Helen Keller becoming one of the greatest intellectuals of our time. Stammering
could not stand in the way of Demosthenes the greatest orator of the world. Poverty did not stand in the way of Megnhad  Saha to become one of the greatest scientists of our time. The truly educated is one who is self taught. And Ekalavya is an instance. He is the role model of
those who are socially or politically or economically deprived. They must however follow knowledge like a sinking star. With Ekalavya Dronacharya was the symbol of knowledge ----- animated knowledge as such. If Dronacharya did not teach Ekalavya physically so what?
Ekalavya had the image of his preceptor in his heart. He externalized his preceptor at heart in the shape of an image and worshipped it and pursued his practice of archery and lo! He became the greatest archer of his time. Thus Ekalavya story is the lesson for the downtrodden and
the deprived who must fight out the inequality thrust upon them by our society. It does not necessarily mean that worshipping prince Charles of England will make a boy a duke and a deft pilot of an aircraft. But if he has a definite chief aim and if he follows the laws of success and a role model with devotion, nothing can stand in his way to success. If you place a mountain upon the head of the like of Ekalavya he will shatter the mountain and rise above it.

Mahabharata – 216
by
Sankar Mukherjee
&
Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
 
Aadivamsa avatarana Parva
 
Drona appointed as a preceptor of Kuru and Pandava princes Bhisma’s chance meeting with Drona informed him that Drona was out of employment.Drona’s attainment in the art of war was beyond question.
He learned it from Agnivesa.He also learnt the art of war from the great Parashurama Bhisma himself was a disciple of Parashurama.No wonder that Bhisma took fancy on Dronacharya.
Bhishma said to Dronacharya ------- Unlash your bow, Oh Brahmana! and make the Kuru princes accomplished in arms. Worshipped by the Kurus, enjoy yourself with a glad heart and have every comfort here.You are the absolute lord, Oh Brahmana!, of what ever wealth the Kurus have, share with them their sovereign power  and kingdom! The Kurus will remain under your control.Take it for granted. You are, Oh Brahmana, obtained by us as the result of our great good luck. Indeed, the favour you had conferred upon me by your arrival is great.
Bhishma,accepted him as the preceptor and assured him food and shelter and made all the necessary  arrangements for his livelihood.And taking with him his grandsons, the Pandavas and Kaurava princes, gave them to Dronacharya as pupils. Thus worshipped by Bhishma, Drona, the most intelligent of men, endowed with great energy said to him ---The most well versed in
the Vedas and in the art of weapons the Kripacharya is already here as the teacher of the princes.At this moment if you handover the princes to me as my pupils,he may be offended.It would be  wise if you give me some wealth, and I returned to my ashrama gladly.On hearing Drona the best of the preceptors,Bhisma the chivalrous said to him –Let Kripacharya be here.I shall adore him with due respect and with all the necessary livelihood.But you be my grand sons preceptor as I feel you will be the best for the purpose.  Bhisma arranged his quarters in the abode of the Kurus After he had rested a while,Bhisma bestowed upon him many precious gifts.
And the mighty Bhishma also joyfully gave to Dronacharya a house that was tidy and neat and brimming with paddy and every kind of wealth. And that first of archers, Drona, then joyfully, accepted the sons of Pandu and Dhritarashtra, as his pupils. And having accepted them all
as his pupils, one day Drona called them in a lonely place and said --- I have in my heart a particular purpose. Promise me truly, you sinless ones, that when you have become skilled in arms, you will accomplish it. Hearing these words, the Kuru princes remained silent. But Arjuna, the oppressor of foes vowed to accomplish be  whatever it may. Drona then out of love took the fragrances of Arjuna’s head repeatedly shedding tears of joy all the while. And addressing
Aswatthama he said to him --- From today Arjuna will be your friend.You accept him as your friend.Then Arjuna said Bravo! Bravo!
And he embraced Aswatthama out of respect and said --- Oh best of the brahmanas! from today I am under you as per the dictates of virtue.I am your pupil I shall live with your blessings.And Arjuna worshipped Aswatthama’s  feet. Then Drona endowed with great prowess
taught the sons of Pandu the use of many weapons both celestial and human. Then Duryodhana and other princes took the shelter of Drona for learning the art of weapons. Many other princes also gathered to that best of brahmanas for instruction in arms. The Vrishnis and the Andhakas, and princes from various lands, Karna of Suta caste, all became pupils of Drona. The most cruel Karna, from jealousy, frequently challenged  Arjuna.He was supported by Duryodhana.He used to disregard the Pandavas.Karna used to come to Drona for learning the
art of archery. Arjuna, however, from devotion to the science of arms, always stayed ahead of all the Kuru princes. In skill, strength of arms, and endurance he excelled all his fellows. Indeed, although the instruction the preceptor gave, was the same in the case of all, yet in lightness and skill Arjuna became the foremost of all his fellow-pupils. And Drona was convinced that none of his pupils would be able to be equal to Arjuna.
Thus Drona continued giving lessons to the princes in the science of weapons. And while he gave to every one of his pupils a jug for fetching water. He gave to his own son Aswatthama a vessel. Aswatthama would return before other children.When no one had turned up except
Aswatthama Dronacharya would teach his own child certain tricks of using weapons. Arjuna saw into it. There after Arjuna used varunanastra a curious weapon   to fill his jug quickly. So  henceforth Arjuna also returned to his preceptor at the very time when Aswatthama reached his father. So Arjuna learnt whatever Dronacharya taught Aswatthama.Arjuna
thus became at par with Aswatthama.

Mahabharata – 215
by
Sankar Mukherjee
&
Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
                         

Aadivamsaavatarana Parva
Dronacharya V


Drona met Bhisma and narrated to him how he was dogged after by poverty. Finally he resolved to visit  his boyhood friend Drupada for an honorable  livelihood. Drupada was Drona’s boyhood friend and he had become the monarch of Panchala. Drona  told Bhisma ---
Thus resolved, Oh best of the men! I went, for the sake of former friendship, to Drupada. Drupada had already become a king. So I felt blessed. Joyfully I went to my dear friend, remembering my former friendship with him and also his former assurance. He told me that he
would share his kingdom and wealth with me once he became the king. Approaching Drupada, I said --Oh best among the men! know me as your friend!--Saying this, I approached him confidently as a friend should and I was about to embrace him. But Drupada, laughing in
disrespect threw me off as if I were a vulgar fellow.
Drupada in response told me --- Oh Brahmana! your intelligence is scarcely of a high order. Therefore you are not aware of the culture of the society. You called me a friend. Listen. Time weakens everything in its course, and destroys friendship also. In the past we were studying together and we were friends. But times have changed. One non brahmin cannot be a friend of a brahmin. One who is not a chariot-warrior can never be a friend to one who is a chariot-warrior.
There may be friendship between persons equally placed in life. In this world, friendship never continues for ever in any heart. Time erodes it off and anger destroys it too. We had friendship for some reason during our childhood days. But do not stick, therefore, to that notion .Our friendship of yore is worn off . The friendship I had with you, was for a particular purpose. Truly friendship can never be maintained between a poor man and a rich man, between an educated man and an uneducated man. Between a hero and a coward. Why do you desire the continuation of our former friendship? Oh you foolish one! A poor and  unfortunate one can not be a friend of a mighty king. He who is not a king cannot be a friend of a king. I do not remember ever having promised you regarding my kingdom .Presently  what do you ask
for on the ground of our earlier friendship? But, Oh Brahmana, I can now give you the food and shelter for one night. Thus told by him, I left the place quickly with my wife, vowing to do
that which I will certainly do soon . Thus insulted by Drupada, Oh Bhishma!, I have been filled with anger, I have come to the Kurus, desirous of obtaining intelligent and obedient pupils. I have come to Hastinapura to follow your wishes. Oh ! Tell me what I am to do for
you?.
Friendship is the theme of Drona – Drupada episode here. The story is very realistic. Children are not aware of social status commonly. Rich and poor children could play together without being aware of each others social status unless we elders teach them the difference. Be
that as it may life is large. In course of time while one of them becomes a king another of them could beg from house to house. Even in ancient India brahmins were not always privileged. Drona the son of a brahmin and a true brahmin in his way of life could not make both ends
meet. So he went to his boyhood friend Drupada who had been a king in the mean time. And Drupada frankly told Drona that friendship takes place between equals. There can not be any friend ship between a prince and a pauper. In the past might be they were friends but
vicissitudes of fortune have separated them from one another. They are now far from each other. Hence the lost friendship between them could not be revived. In fact Drupada was very candid and true in his speech. When the powerful raise some one from lowly status to the
level of a friend the latter often is apt to betray is benefactor. Brutus who was raised in status by Julius Caesar betrayed Caesar and stabbed him. The dying statement of Caesar was ---- et tu brute.That rings in our heart.

Thus  Drupada seems to have been right. But at the same time the poet of the Mahabharata has described the grief's of Drona with great power and force. We humans are blessed with human values like friendship, love, and motherly affection and so on. The Mahabharata is a curious poem that appreciates the beauties of such human values. In the same breath the Mahabharata fingers at their hollowness .In the contingent world nothing is permanent. No value is perennial. Friends of today might be sworn enemies to each other tomorrow. And the sorrow mickle  that raged in the heart of Drona might turned him into a sworn enemy of Drupada. Many freedom fighters such as Count Cavour, Netaji  Sbhas Chandra Bose ,Ho Chi Minh went abroad to ask for help from foreign powers to fight the enemy at home.
And Drona being refused by Drupada has come to Hastinapura with a design which is not yet disclosed. Surely those who pin their faith on social hierarchy and the difference between the rich and the poor areenemies of man.
Here  it should be noted that princes in earlier days had to live in the ashrama for education, There they  were taught to lead a very ordinary life likening that of the spade and the scythe. Markandaya Purana tells us this how kings and princes are declassed. consequently
when they wield scepter and crown they have empathy for the weak and the downtrodden. But in the case of Drupada this has not come true despite the fact that he was sent to an ashrama for education in childhood.

Mahabharata – 214
by
Sankar Mukherjee
&
Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
 Aadivamsaavatarana Parva
 Dronacharya IV
Then Bhishma, that foremost of all wielders of arms, adroitly asked him the cause of his arrival at Hastinapura. Asked by him, Drona started narrating to Bhisma everything that had happened to him. Oh you truthful one! In the past I went to the great rishi Agnivesa for learning the science of arms. Devoted to the service of my preceptor, I lived with him for many years as a Brahmachari, with matted locks on my head. At that time, with the same motive, the
prince of Panchala, the mighty Drupada, also lived in the same ashrama. He became my friend, always looking after my welfare. I liked him much. Indeed, we lived together for many, many years for learning the science of arms. Devavrata! From our earliest years of friendship
we studied together and, indeed, he was my friend from boyhood, always speaking and doing what was agreeable to me. For satisfying me, he used to tell me --- Oh Drona!, I am the dearest child of my father. When the king installs me as king of the Panchalas, the kingdom, wealth  and happiness all would be under your control. Oh friend!, this is indeed, my sincere promise. Having finished his studies, he went back to his country. I offered him my regards at the
time, and, indeed, I remembered his words ever afterwards. Sometime after, in obedience to the instructions of my father and tempted by the desire of offspring, I married a lady of short hair. She is gifted with great intelligence, she observes many rigid vows, and has been
ever engaged in the Agnihotra and other sacrifices and rigid austerities. In the race of  Gautam, in time, she gave birth to a son named Aswatthama of great prowess and equal in splendor to that of the Sun himself. Indeed, I was pleased on having obtained Aswatthama as much as my father was happy begetting me. And it so happened that one day the child Aswatthama observing some rich men's sons drink milk, began to cry. At this I was so puzzled that I lost my common sense. A virtuous  brahmana living in a family cannot put up with  loss of virtue. Remembering  the rules of virtue I roamed each and every corner of the country. Thus I was desirous of obtaining a cow in a virtuous way  I wandered throughout the country. But my wanderings proved unsuccessful, for I failed to obtain a milking cow. I came back unsuccessful. Some of my son's playmates gave him water mixed with powdered rice. Drinking this, the poor boy, was deceived into the belief that he had taken milk, and began to dance in joy, saying, Oh!
I have taken milk. I have taken milk! Seeing him dance with joy his playmates smiling at his simplicity, surrounded him. They used to tease him.  I was exceedingly touched ----The boys cried ------ Alas!  The penniless Drona, cannot make much effort  to earn wealth .And his son
drinking water mixed with powdered rice mistakes it for milk and
dances with joy,
I was quite upset at this. I was reproaching myself. I opted for studies meant for the warriors or the  kshtriyas. So the brahmins avoided me. The reproached me as well and I felt that they were right. But I decided that I will not serve anybody with a view to earning wealth.
And  I resolved that I would  go to Drupada my boy hood chum for help.I set out for Drupada with my son and wife.Those who imagine that ancient India was over flowing with milk and
honey had better notice this episode of Drona’s life. Firstly even a brahmin highly learned in the military arts could hardly earn his bread for himself and for his family. Now a day some Indians are crazy to protect cows. But even during the Mahabharata days there was shortage of cows in India. And a little child of a learned Brahmin could not get a cupful  of milk. And the child had to take fake milk. Curiously enough our children also do not get pure cow milk. Dronacharya set out for meeting Drupada his boyhood friend to escape from this want of milk. Where should Indians go in quest of milk today? If the learned Drona could not leap away the wolf from
the door why blame India where millions of educated people go unemployed and starve. And one can not but argue that the common people who were uneducated and unskilled in ancient India had to starve as they do even today. The anguish of a father’s heart at the sight of his child deprived of milk has been brought home to the readers with great power and force. It reminds one of the realism of Chekhov. Besides one must not think that every brahmin was privileged in ancient India. Drona was a brahmin in the right sense of the term. But since he pursued the of the kshatriyas he was ostracized. It is a pity.

Mahabharata – 213
by
Sankar Mukherjee
&
Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya

Aadivamsaavatarana Parva
Dronacharya III
Drona’s mighty son Aswatthama at intervals of Kripa's teaching, used to give the sons of Kunti lessons in the use of arms. But as yet none knew  about Aswatthama. Drona thus lived in cognito for some time in the house of Kripacharya. One day the princes, together came out of
Hastinapura. They began to play with a ball and roamed about in gladness of heart. And it so happened that the ball with which they were playing fell into a well. And then the princes tried their best to recover it from the well. But all their efforts failed. They then began to eye one another nervously, not knowing how to recover it.Their anxiety became great. Just at this time they saw a Brahmana near by, of darkish complexion, aged and lean. He was  performing  the
fire sacrifice. And seeing that Brahmana, the princes who had lost their heart surrounded him immediately. Drona, saw the princes unsuccessful, and dejected.Their play was not yet complete. Conscious of his own skill, the brahmana smiled a little, and addressing them
said --- Shame on your Kshatriya might, and shame also on your skill in arms! You have been born in the race of Bharata! How is it that you cannot recover the ball? If you promise me a dinner today, I will, with these blades of grass, bring up the ball that  you have
lost and  this ring also. Saying this Drona took off his ring and threw it down into the well. Then Yudhishthira, addressing Drona, said  --- Oh Brahmana with Kripa's permission, you obtain food
every day. Thus addressed, Drona with smiles replied to the boys, saying  --- Look at this  handful of long grass I will infuse them, by my mantras.See these blades possess powers that other weapons, do not have. I will, with one of these blades, pierce the ball, and then pierce that blade with another, and that another with a third, and thus shall I, by a chain, bring up the ball.
Then Drona did exactly what he had said. And the princes were all amazed and their eyes expanded with delight. And regarding what they witnessed to be very extraordinary, they said, ----Oh great Brahmana! Do you bring up the ring also without loss of time? Then the illustrious Drona, taking a bow with an arrow, pierced the ring with that arrow and brought it up at once. And taking the ring thus brought up from the well he coolly gave it to the astonished
princes. Then the princes, seeing the ring thus recovered, said --- We bow to you, Oh Brahmana! None else have such skill. We are keen  to know who you are and whose son you are. What can we do for you?
Thus addressed, Drona replied to the princes, saying – You narrate to Bhishma every details. The mighty one will recognize me. The princes then said  -- So be it.On returning to the palace
they narrated  to Bhishma what had happened to them during their play and told him  the essence of that Brahmana's speech. They related everything about his extraordinary accomplishment. Hearing everything  from the princes, Bhishma at once understood that the Brahmana was none else than Drona. Thinking that he would be the best preceptor for
the princes, went in person to him and welcoming him respectfully, brought him over to the palace.

Mahabharata – 212
by
Sankar Mukherjee
&
Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
 Aadivamsaavatarana Parva

Dronacharya II
Drona was proficient in the art of war.He went to the great world conqueror Parashuram.Parashuram blessed him and bestowed on him numerous weapons that were beyond the ken of the mortals.Here a note on the weapons of the Mahabharata will not be  out of place. Unlike today there were no gun factories or atomic research institutes. Arms
and weapons were basically created by the mind although they were no mere dream figments. They had devastating effects on the material world and the phenomenal world.That is why such weapons could be attained through austerities and penance.And this is why Bhisma wanted an
illustrious teacher aglow with the glory of penance. Now strengthened with the blessings of  Parashuram Drona felt like meeting his boyhood friend Drupada.After the demise of his royal father Drupada had become the king of Panchala and Drona looked forward to a warm reception from Drupada now a king.   Then mighty Drona presented himself before king Drupada, and addressing the king,said ------ Know me as your friend. Thus addressed with a joyous heart by his friend, Drona, the king of the Panchala was not happy.
Hearing this, the king, Drupada intoxicated with the pride of wealth, and power, contracted his brows in anger, and with reddened eyes he said to Drona -- Oh Brahmana! your intelligence is scarcely of a high order. You called me a friend.Oh Bramahana ! your unimaginative, understanding compelled you to say like this. Note that, great kings can never be friends with such luckless and indigent character like you! It is true that there was friendship between you
and me before. Because we were then both on equal  terms . But Time that weakens everything in its course, destroyed friendship also. In this world, friendship never continues for ever in any heart. Time erodes it off and anger destroys it too. Do not stick, therefore, to that worn-off friendship. Think not of it any longer. The friendship I had with you, was for a particular purpose. Friendship can never be maintained between a poor man and a rich man, between an educated man and an uneducated man and between a hero and a coward. Why do you
desire the continuation of our former friendship? There may be friendship or hostility between persons equally situated as to wealth or might. The indigent and the affluent can neither be friends nor can quarrel with each other. One who is borne in an unnatural way can never be a friend of one of pure and natural birth.One who is not a car-warrior can never be a friend to one who is so, and one who is not a king can never have a king for his friend. Therefore, why do you desire the continuation of our former friendship?
Thus addressed by Drupada, the intelligent Drona became filled with anger. He meditated for a moment.He made up his mind as to his course of action regarding Drupada. Seeing the bad manners of the Panchala king, he was angry.But he restrained his emotions. Speedily he left
the Panchala capital. Drona now made up his mind to visit Hastinapura the capital of the Kurus.He reached Hastinapura in due course and took refuge in the house of Kripacharya his  brother in law.

Mahabharata – 211
by
Sankar Mukherjee
&
Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
                       

Aadivamsaavatarana Parva

Kripacharya

Dhitrarastra had hundred and one children.His younger brother Pandu had five children.Lest these children became rowdy the elders of the Kuru family appointed Kripacharya as their preceptor. Janamejaya was listening to the story of the Kuru  family. He was
curious to  know about the birth story of Kripacharya.It is said that Kripa was born amidst a cluster of reeds. How come that it was possible? In response to it Vaisampanya observed that there was a great sage named Gautama. He had a son named Saradwan. Saradwan
exhibited great skill in archery. It is said that he was born with arrows .The son of Gautama exhibited great skill in the study of the technology  of weapons. But he had no aptitude for the Vedas. Saradwan acquired all his weapons by those austerities by which Brahmanas in student life acquire the knowledge of Vedas. Saradwan by his skill for the arms and by his penance made Indra himself greatly afraid of him. Then the  chief of the gods summoned a celestial lady named Janapadi. He sent her to Saradwan by telling her ---Do your best to disturb the austerities of Saradwan. Consequently the celestial dame showed up at the charming ashram of Saradwan. She saw Saradwan armed with bow and arrows.She   tempted him. Seeing that Apsara, of peerless beauty on earth, clothed in a single piece of cloth, alone in the ashram
Saradwan's eyes expanded with delight. At the sight of the lady, his bow and arrows slipped from his hand and his body shook all over with emotion. But being a great  ascetic and having great strength of the soul, the sage had the sufficient patience to overcome the temptation.
But due to sudden mental agitation, an unconscious emission of his  vital fluid took place. Then leaving his bow and arrows and deer-skin behind, he went away, with the Apsara. His vital fluid, however, having fallen upon a clump of reeds, was divided into two parts, and there sprang two children that were twins. And it happened by god’s grace that an attending soldier of king Santanu who was ahunting in the woods saw the twins. And seeing the bow and arrows and deer-skin on the ground, he thought they might be the offspring of some Brahmana
skillful in the science of arms.
Thinking a while, he took up the children along with the bow and arrows, and brought the incident to the notice of the king. Seeing them the king was moved with pity. He said --------, Let these become my children. And they were brought to the kings palace. Then Santanu, the son of Pratipa having brought Saradwan's twins into his house, performed the usual rites of religion. And he began to bring them up and called them Kripa and Kripi, in consideration of the fact that he brought them up out of pity. Saradwan by his spiritual insight learnt that his son and daughter were in the palace of Santanu. He then went to the king and narrated everything about his lineage to Kripa. As  Kripa was engaged in learning the science of arms.Saradwan taught Kripa the four branches of the science of arms, and various other branches of knowledge, exploring all their mysteries and details. In a short time Kripa became an eminent professor of the science of arms. And the hundred sons of Dhritarashtra, and the Pandavas along with the Yadavas, and the Vrishnis, and many other princes from various lands,
began to receive lessons from him in that science.