(Sambhava Parva continued)
"Vaisampayana said, 'Thus worshipped by Bhishma, Drona, that first of men,
endued with great energy, took up his quarters in the abode of the Kurus
and continued to live there, receiving their adorations. After he had
rested a while, Bhishma, taking with him his grandsons, the Kaurava
princes, gave them unto him as pupils, making at the same time many
valuable presents. And the mighty one (Bhishma) also joyfully gave unto
the son of Bharadwaja a house that was tidy and neat and well-filled with
paddy and every kind of wealth. And that first of archers, Drona,
thereupon joyfully accepted the Kauravas, viz., the sons of Pandu and
Dhritarashtra, as his pupils. And having accepted them all as his pupils,
one day Drona called them apart and making them touch his feet, said to
them with a swelling heart, "I have in my heart a particular purpose.
Promise me truly, ye sinless ones, that when ye have become skilled in
arms, ye will accomplish it."'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words, the Kuru princes remained
silent. But Arjuna, O king, vowed to accomplish it whatever it was. Drona
then cheerfully clasped Arjuna to his bosom and took the scent of his head
repeatedly, shedding tears of joy all the while. Then Drona endued with
great prowess taught the sons of Pandu (the use of) many weapons both
celestial and human. And, O bull of the Bharata race, many other princes
also flocked to that best of Brahmanas for instruction in arms. The
Vrishnis and the Andhakas, and princes from various lands, and the
(adopted) son of Radha of the Suta caste, (Karna), all became pupils of
Drona. But of them all, the Suta child Karna, from jealousy, frequently
defied Arjuna, and supported by Duryodhana, used to disregard the Pandavas.
Arjuna, however, from devotion to the science of arms, always stayed by
the side of his preceptor, and in skill, strength of arms, and
perseverance, excelled all (his class-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 (at any time) be
able to be equal to that son of Indra.
"'Thus Drona continued giving lessons to the princes in the science of
weapons. And while he gave unto every one of his pupils a narrow-mouthed
vessel (for fetching water) in order that much time may be spent in
filling them, he gave unto his own son Aswatthaman a broad-mouthed vessel,
so that, filling it quickly, he might return soon enough. And in the
intervals so gained, Drona used to instruct his own son in several
superior methods (of using weapons). Jishnu (Arjuna) came to know of this,
and thereupon filling his narrow-mouthed vessel with water by means of the
Varuna weapon he used to come unto his preceptor at the same time with his
preceptor's son. And accordingly the intelligent son of Pritha, 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 favourite of his preceptor. And Drona, beholding 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 thee this." A few days
after, however, when Arjuna was taking his food, a wind arose, and
thereupon the lamp that had been burning went out. But Arjuna, endued with
energy, continued eating in the dark, his hand, from habit, going to his
mouth. His attention being thus called to the force of habit, the strong-
armed son of Pandu set his heart upon practising with his bow in the night.
And, O Bharata, Drona, hearing the twang of his bowstring in the night,
came to him, and clasping him, said, "Truly do I tell thee that I shall do
that unto thee by which there shall not be an archer equal to thee in this
world."'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Thereafter Drona began to teach Arjuna the art
of fighting on horse-back, on the back of elephants, on car, and on the
ground. And the mighty Drona also instructed Arjuna in fighting with the
mace, the sword, the lance, the spear, and the dart. And he also
instructed him in using many weapons and fighting with many men at the
same time. And hearing reports of his skill, kings and princes, desirous
of learning the science of arms, flocked to Drona by thousands. Amongst
those that came there, O monarch, was a prince named Ekalavya, who was the
son of Hiranyadhanus, king of the Nishadas (the lowest of the mixed
orders). Drona, however, cognisant of all rules of morality, accepted not
the prince as his pupil in archery, seeing that he was a Nishada who might
(in time) excel all his high-born pupils. But, O oppressor of all enemies,
the Nishada prince, touching Drona's feet with bent head, wended his way
into the forest, and there he made a clay-image of Drona, and began to
worship it respectfully, as if it was his real preceptor, and practised
weapons before it with the most rigid regularity. 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.
"'And one day, O grinder of foes, the Kuru and the Pandava princes, with
Drona's leave, set out in their cars on a hunting excursion. A servant, O
king, followed the party at leisure, with the usual implements and a dog.
Having come to the woods, they wandered about, intent on the purpose they
had in view. Meanwhile, the dog also, in wandering alone in the woods,
came upon the Nishada prince (Ekalavya). And beholding the Nishada of dark
hue, of body besmeared with filth, dressed in black and bearing matted
locks on head, the dog began to bark aloud.
"'Thereupon the Nishada prince, desirous of exhibiting his lightness of
hand, sent seven arrows into its mouth (before it could shut it). The dog,
thus pierced with seven arrows, came back to the Pandavas. Those heroes,
who beheld that sight, were filled with wonder, and, ashamed of their own
skill, began to praise the lightness of hand and precision of aim by
auricular precision (exhibited by the unknown archer). And they thereupon
began to seek in those woods for the unknown dweller therein that had
shown such skill. And, O king, the Pandavas soon found out the object of
their search ceaselessly discharging arrows from the bow. And beholding
that man of grim visage, who was totally a stranger to them, they asked,
"Who art thou and whose son?" Thus questioned, the man replied, "Ye heroes,
I am the son of Hiranyadhanus, king of the Nishadas. Know me also for a
pupil of Drona, labouring for the mastery of the art of arms."'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'The Pandavas then, having made themselves
acquainted with everything connected with him, returned (to the city), and
going unto Drona, told him of that wonderful feat of archery which they
had witnessed in the woods. Arjuna, in particular, thinking all the while,
O king, "Ekalavya," saw Drona in private and relying upon his preceptor's
affection for him, said, "Thou hadst lovingly told me, clasping me, to thy
bosom, that no pupil of thine should be equal to me. Why then is there a
pupil of thine, the mighty son of the Nishada king, superior to me?"'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'On hearing these words, Drona reflected for a
moment, and resolving upon the course of action he should follow, took
Arjuna with him and went unto the Nishada prince. And he beheld Ekalavya
with body besmeared with filth, matted locks (on head), clad in rags,
bearing a bow in hand and ceaselessly shooting arrows therefrom. And when
Ekalavya saw Drona approaching towards him, he went a few steps forward,
and touched his feet and prostrated himself on the ground. And the son of
the Nishada king worshipping Drona, duly represented himself as his pupil,
and clasping his hands in reverence stood before him (awaiting his
commands). Then Drona, O king, addressed Ekalavya, saying, "If, O hero,
thou art really my pupil, give me then my fees." On hearing these words,
Ekalavya was very much gratified, and said in reply, "O illustrious
preceptor, what shall I give? Command me; for there is nothing, O foremost
of all persons conversant with the Vedas, that I may not give unto my
preceptor." Drona answered, "O Ekalavya, if thou art really intent on
making me a gift, I should like then to have the thumb of thy right hand."'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these cruel words of Drona, who had
asked of him his thumb as tuition-fee, Ekalavya, ever devoted to truth and
desirous also of keeping his promise, with a cheerful face and an
unafflicted heart cut off without ado his thumb, and gave it unto Drona.
After this, when the Nishada prince began once more to shoot with the help
of his remaining fingers, he found, O king, that he had lost his former
lightness of hand. And at this Arjuna became happy, the fever (of
jealousy) having left him.
"'Two of Drona's pupils became very much accomplished in the use of mace.
These were Duryodhana and Bhima, who were, however, always jealous of each
other. Aswatthaman excelled everyone (in the mysteries of the science of
arms). The twins (Nakula and Sahadeva) excelled everybody in handling the
sword. Yudhishthira surpassed everybody as a car-warrior; but Arjuna,
however, outdistanced everyone in every respect--in intelligence,
resourcefulness, strength and perseverance. Accomplished in all weapons,
Arjuna became the foremost of even the foremost of car-warriors; and his
fame spread all over the earth to the verge of the sea. And although the
instruction was the same, the mighty Arjuna excelled all (the princes in
lightness of hand). Indeed, in weapons as in devotion to his preceptor, he
became the foremost of them all. And amongst all the princes, Arjuna alone
became an Atiratha (a car-warrior capable of fighting at one time with
sixty thousand foes). And the wicked sons of Dhritarashtra, beholding
Bhimasena endued with great strength and Arjuna accomplished in all arms,
became very jealous of them.
"'O bull among men, one day Drona desirous of testing the comparative
excellence of all his pupils in the use of arms, collected them all
together after their education had been completed. And before assembling
them together, he had caused an artificial bird, as the would be aim, to
be placed on the top of a neighbouring tree. And when they were all
together, Drona said unto them, "Take up your bows quickly and stand here
aiming at that bird on the tree, with arrows fixed on your bowstrings;
shoot and cut off the bird's head, as soon as I give the order. I shall
give each of you a turn, one by one, my children."'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Then Drona, that foremost of all Angira's sons
first addressed Yudhishthira saying, "O irrepressible one, aim with thy
arrow and shoot as soon as I give the order." Yudhishthira took up the bow
first, as desired, O king, by his preceptor, and stood aiming at the bird.
But, O bull of Bharata's race, Drona in an instant, addressing the Kuru
prince standing with bow in hand, said, "Behold, O prince, that bird on
top of the tree." Yudhishthira replied unto his preceptor, saying, "I do."
But the next instant Drona again asked him, "What dost thou see now, O
prince? Seest thou the tree, myself or thy brothers?" Yudhishthira
answered, "I see the tree, myself, my brothers, and the bird." Drona
repeated his question, but was answered as often in the same words. Drona
then, vexed with Yudhishthira, reproachingly said, "Stand thou apart. It
is not for thee to strike the aim." Then Drona repeated the experiment
with Duryodhana and the other sons of Dhritarashtra, one after another, as
also with his other pupils, Bhima and the rest, including the princes that
had come unto him from other lands. But the answer in every case was the
same as Yudhishthira's viz., "We behold the tree, thyself, our fellow-
pupils, and the bird." And reproached by their preceptor, they were all
ordered, one after another, to stand apart.'"