Listen to the Story
This is the story of how a student was willing to learn archery against all odds.
A Secret Student
Long ago in India, there was a young boy named Eklavya who lived in the forest. He dreamed of becoming the world’s greatest archer. He went to a famous teacher named Dronacharya, but Dronacharya only taught royal princes and told Eklavya he couldn't help him. Instead of giving up or feeling sad, Eklavya went back into the woods. He made a statue of Dronacharya out of mud and treated it like his real teacher, practicing with his bow and arrow every single day until he became incredibly fast and skilled.
The Amazing Archer
One day, Dronacharya and the princes were walking through the forest when they saw something amazing. They found a dog that was barking, but its mouth had been filled with seven arrows so perfectly that the dog wasn't even hurt—it just couldn't bark anymore! Dronacharya was shocked because even his best student, Arjuna, couldn't do that. When they followed the trail, they found Eklavya practicing. Eklavya bowed to Dronacharya and explained that he had learned everything just by practicing in front of the mud statue.
A Brave Sacrifice
Drona was amazed, but he had promised that Arjuna would be the best archer in the world. He asked Eklavya for a Guru Dakshina, which is a special gift for a teacher. He asked for Eklavya’s right thumb. Without a thumb, most people would never be able to use a bow again. Because he respected his teacher so much, Eklavya smiled and cut off his thumb right then and there. Drona felt guilty. He blessed Eklavya that because of his sacrifice and his hard work, people would remember Eklavya’s name forever.
What We Learn
If you have the willpower to learn, you can overcome all odds.
