Putting Ekalavya in context

Everyone knows Ekalavya as a dedicated student who practiced archery on his own but credited his success to Guru Drona who had rejected him. Yet Drona asked for his thumb. Only this part of the story appears in Vyasa MB so we think of Ekalavya as a tragic hero, a child eager to learn but rejected by the guru. 

If we go back and trace Ekalavya's roots, we see a different story taking shape. We can also see a different perspective on why Drona might have rejected him and why he took his thumb. 

Ekalavya's back story appears in the Harivamsha and it goes like this.

Devashrava- 3rd brother of Vasudeva (Krishna's father) was rumoured to have another son, Ekalavya, who had been brought up by tribal people. In some texts, we have the father mentioned as Shrutadeva, another brother of Vasudeva. To avoid confusion, we infer that a brother of Vasudeva fathered this child named Ekalavya.

Excerpt from: http://mahabharata-resources.org/harivamsa/

Why was the child abandoned? Nothing is mentioned. Maybe the child was not abandoned deliberately but because of extenuating circumstances? We are not told. The strange thing is that not one person in the Yadav clan later mentions his name later.

We get a glimpse of #Ekalavya's predilection for unsavouriness when he appears in the Mahabharatha for the first time. He shoots arrows at a dog because it was barking near his practice space. Would it not have sufficed to shoo it off? Note that the 'without causing any pain' part is nowhere mentioned here. 

Excerpt from: https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01135.htm

"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."

Ekalavya clearly had serious enmity with Krishna too, which made him side with Jarasandha and march against Mathura post Kamsa's death.

Excerpt from BORI Harivamsha Vishnu parvaa (Chap 80):

Jarasandha preparing for the first attack on Mathura: “Like Brihaspati, Jarasandha spoke these extensive words. This army of kings will swiftly advance. Groups of men will surround the city from every side. Arrange catapults for hurling boulders and iron clubs. Hold up bows, spikes and javelins. Quickly break down the city with large numbers of spades and shovels. Kings who are well versed in techniques of fighting will be stationed a short distance away.”

…“Uluka, Kaitaveya, the brave son of Amshuman, Ekalavya, Brihatkshatra, Kshatradharma, Jayadratha, Uttamouja, Shalya, Kourava, the king of Kekaya, the king of Vidisha, Vamadeva and Saketa, the lord of Sini, will take their battle formations to the city’s eastern gate. They will swiftly attack, like clouds aided by the wind. I, Darada and the king of Chedi will armour ourselves and take care of the city’s southern gate. In this way, the city will quickly be attacked from all directions. It will be struck by great fear, as if it has been struck by a bolt of lightning.”

We do not see a detailed description of all 17 attacks but it is reasonable to assume Ekalavya’s clan was with Jarasandha because much later we see his son aiding Jarasandha again. This also tells us that he was considerably OLDER than Krishna clearly. Ekalavya’s SON is part of the kings arrayed against Krishna by Jarasandha during the Rukmini marriage episode. Rukmini being Krishna’s eldest/ first wife, it is clear that Ekalavya was old enough to have sons who were battle age when Krishna reached marriageable age. It seems possible Ekalavya’s son was an age peer of Krishna rather than Ekalavya. Or that Ekalavya was old enough to father sons who were Krishna’s age peers.

“At this time, the powerful Jarasandha wished to do what would be agreeable to the king of Chedi and urged all the kings that Rukmini, the daughter of Bhishmaka, should be bedecked in golden ornaments and be married to King Shishupala…..the brave Sudeva, who alone was the lord of an entire akshouhini; the brave and powerful son of Ekalavya; the son of the king of Pandya…..”

Excerpt: pg 327, BORI Harivamsha

Since Krishna- Arjuna are just 6 months apart in age (Same day born as per Bhagavad Puran), Ekalavya was considerably older than regular students too when he approached Drona in the story we all know.

Now, why would Drona reject him when he willingly taught Vrishnis, Andhakas, Karna etc. who were not Hastinapur’s princes? He even tutored Dhristadyumna who was destined to kill him.

Drona’s response should be seen in this context.

• He was an employee in Hastinapur's pay so he would naturally assess why this Nishada prince was coming to him to learn, that too when he is much older than the average student. 

• Since we know Ekalavya has already been battling with Krishna, we also know he was not there merely to get trained. He was already a trained warrior. So, was Ekalavya's motive mere education? Was he here to learn from the best because he had not succeeded against the Yadavas so far?

• Since Drona’s school also had Vrishnis, Andhakas etc, if he welcomed Ekalavya, a known enemy, into school, would he not be letting the wolf in among lambs?

• Jarasandha was no friend of Hastinapur either. But Yadavas were allies to Hastinapur by marriage (via Kunti). So Ekalavya was a known enemy to both Hastinapur’s future rulers and Yadava clan’s future leaders who were at Drona gurukul at that point

• Drona was aware of Ekalavya's enmity with Krishna/ Yadavas because they (Drona- Ekalavya) originally came from the same parts (Harivamsha briefly mentions the location part).

  “Not very far away, there was a mountain by the name of Raivataka. It dazzled in every direction and was like Mount Mandara. This was where Ekalavya resided and also the place where Drona lived for a long time. There were many men and all kinds of jewels. An excellent spot was created for the king’s pleasure.” (Pg: 316 Harivamsha purna, BORI)
  

Few questions that come to mind now:

1) Ekalavya was an experienced warrior. Why did he want to 'learn' from Drona?

2) After Drona rejected him, why did Ekalavya stay on in the forest adjoining the gurukul where the young princes roamed?

3) Was it not possible for Ekalavya also to learn to shoot with his other hand/ arm like Arjuna did to become Savyasachi?

In short, to think of Ekalavya as a little tragic child who was a wronged hero might be inaccurate. It WAS unfair of Drona to ask for his thumb but then, would Drona not think of the political fall out of handing Ekalavya higher weapons and elite class training that cud be used against his employer? 

Ekalavya later died in battle with Krishna and much later, during Ashwamedha, Arjuna faced his son, who was then the king of Nishadas, and defeated him. So, despite the unfair loss of the thumb Ekalavya did remain a warrior and he did not forget his enmity with Krishna.  

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