Tale of modern-day Ekalavyas

Nilratan Halder | Published: January 26, 2018 20:03:47

A preceptoral parable in Mahabharata, one of the two Indian epics, concerns the offering of the right hand thumb by Ekalavya, a tribal boy, as his gurudakshina (honorarium) to Dronacharya or Drona, spiritual guru of the boy. As the story relates, Drona, the royal preceptor to the Pandavas and Kauravas, was once heading through the forest with his students including Arjuna, his most accomplished student. They had a dog accompanying them. It was barking. But suddenly, it could not bark much as it tried. What went wrong with the dog. All were concerned.
Later on it was revealed that Ekalavya used his archery skill to make the dog stop barking. All including the master was puzzled. Neither the teacher nor his best student had any clue to the mastery of this art. Then arrived the momentous event. When Drona asked who his teacher was, the boy unhesitatingly answered it was Drona himself. Arjuna felt umbrage at this. The maestro has taught Ekalavya something he has no idea about! Drona read his best student's mind well. He then asked Ekalavya, if he was his war teacher, where is his gurudakshina?
The boy showed no sign of nervousness and offered anything within his capability Drona would ask from him. To make the long story short, Drona asked for the boy's right hand thumb and the boy duly obliged by slashing it off.
Now Ekalavya represents the epitome of student's devotion to teacher. But clearly, here the guru has done something awfully wrong. He wanted to appease Arjuna and therefore wanted that the boy henceforth could not practice shooting. The story though is that Ekalavya mastered archery with his four fingers and became a king. He taught his children that no one should be deprived of education. In the meantime, Dronacharya suffered from a guilty conscience for the unusual overture he demanded from Ekalavya.
How this story's parable can take a completely bizarre form in teacher-student relations in modern Bangladesh is illustrated by a lawmaker's recent monumental feat of shoving his childhood teacher by the neck. Unprovoked, the member of parliament (MP) hailing from Cox's Bazaar, a neighbourhood constituency of his more illustrious peer from Teknaf, had been fuming against the teacher's son over some matters. He had a score to settle with the teacher's son because he felt he was not given the importance he deserved. So, when the MP happened to meet him on way to somewhere, reportedly he verbally insulted the teacher first; then went for the physical insult and assault. The teacher lamented that it was better for him to die rather than suffer the humiliation at his own student's hands.
Incidentally, the lawmaker denied he had acted so roguishly. One wonders if a teacher worth his name would fabricate a story of this order particularly when he has nothing to gain from this. Modern day's Ekalavyas are proliferating but not following the principles of their epical hero. They are mastering the many arts that bring them all the material benefits. They would not stop at anything -no matter if it means physical assaults of their teachers - to get their way cleared. It is a world where respect for the elder, scholars, talents, art and creativity is fast dwindling. Money talks and anyone who can make money -ways notwithstanding -rules the roost.
Materialistic consideration has a limit to push civilisation. Beyond which there is a black hole. People live not for physical survivability like animals. They value love and respect, spirituality, artistic endeavour, healthy entertainment, sports and leisure. Without such passions and devotions, man's life would have turned more like that of animals. The danger of this is not lurking very far away. Human relations stand on value systems. Upsetting this means gradual decline and annihilation of the species.