Q.Which of the following is a correct statement regarding Eklavya ? (A) Eklavya was the favourite student of Drona. (B) Eklavya belonged to Kuru lineage. (C) Eklavya offered his right thumb to Drona as Guru Dakshina. (D) Eklavya was a co-student and friend of Arjuna.

Concept: The Mahabharata narrative of Eklavya and Dronacharya

Eklavya was a tribal prince (Nishada) who wished to learn archery from Drona but was refused because he was not a Kshatriya. Undeterred, he made a clay statue of Drona and practiced archery before it, considering Drona his guru in spirit.

When Drona discovered that Eklavya had surpassed even Arjuna in skill, he asked for guru dakshina to protect his promise that Arjuna would be the greatest archer. Eklavya, bound by the guru-shishya tradition, cut off his right thumb and offered it to Drona, thereby losing his exceptional archery ability. …

The story of Eklavya is one of the most poignant episodes in the Mahabharata, illustrating themes of devotion, caste discrimination, and the cost of excellence. To answer this question, we need to recall the narrative accurately and test each statement against what actually happened.

Eklavya was a young prince of the Nishada tribe (a forest-dwelling community considered outside the varna system). He approached Drona, the royal preceptor of the Kuru princes, seeking training in archery. Drona refused to teach him, reserving his instruction for kshatriyas—specifically the Kuru princes. Undeterred, Eklavya fashioned a clay statue of Drona, installed it in the forest, and practiced archery before it with the same devotion he would have shown a living guru. Through sheer dedication, he became extraordinarily skilled.

One day, the Pandavas were hunting in the forest when a dog's barking disturbed them. An arrow suddenly sealed the dog's mouth without harming it—a feat of incredible precision. When they traced the archer, they found Eklavya, who identified himself as Drona's student. Arjuna was disturbed; Drona had promised him he would be the greatest archer. When Drona learned of Eklavya's skill, he visited the forest. Eklavya received him with reverence as his guru. Drona then asked for guru dakshina: Eklavya's right thumb. Without hesitation, Eklavya cut off his thumb and offered it, crippling his archery forever.

Now let's examine each option:

1. (A) Eklavya was the favourite student of Drona.

   This is false. Drona never formally accepted Eklavya as a student. In fact, Drona refused to teach him and only acknowledged the "guru-student" relationship when it served to neutralize a threat to Arjuna's supremacy. Arjuna was Drona's favorite.

2. (B) Eklavya belonged to Kuru lineage. …