Eklavya-The Obedient Student

Eklavya-The Obedient Student

Eklavya was a tribal boy who wanted to learn to be a good archer. Acharya Drona, the royal teacher refused to teach him. Eklavya made a clay statue of Guru Drona. Every day he practiced in front of the statue and soon became a good archer.

One day, when Eklavya was practicing, a dog started barking. He shot many arrows in its mouth. But he did it in such a manner that not a drop of blood came out. Guru Drona, who was nearby, saw this and was impressed. He was sure that only a great archer could do that. He started searching for the archer and found Eklavya practicing nearby.

Drone went up to him and asked him, "Who is your teacher?" Eklavya answered "You are my teacher," and showed him the statue. Guru Drona said , "Give me your right thumb as my fees." Eklavya knew that without his right thumb he could not shoot, but he cut off his right thumb and gave it to his teacher.

The Pandavas Get Half the Kingdom

The Pandavas Get Half the Kingdom

After the marriage of the Pandavas, Vidura went to Pancala and told them, Bhisma Pitamaha, Guru Drona, King Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari, all want them to return to Hastinapur." But the Pandavas were not sure if they would be safe near Duryodhana. Lord Krishna advised Vidura to divide Hastinapur between the Kauravas and Pandavas to ensure peace. The Pandavas went to Hastinapur and were given a warm welcome. King Dhritarashtra told Yudhisthira, "The throne of Hastinapur belongs to you. But when your father Pandu died, you were very young so I was made king. Due to this, Duryodhana wants to be king. So everybody has decided to give you half the kingdom." Yudhisthira agreed and became the ruler of half the kingdom with its capital in Indraprastha.

The Royal Competition

The Royal Competition

One day, Drona decided to hold a competition in which the Kauravas and the Pandavas could display their skills. The princes' demonstrated their expertise in using weapons like bow and 

arrow, sword, spear, and mace. There was a fierce mace fight between Bhima and Duryodhana. Arjuna impressed everyone by shooting blindfolded, creating fire and rain with arrows. Pleased, Drona declared that no one could match Arjuna. At this, a young man named Karna came forward and repeated everything that Arjuna had done. He challanged Arjuna. Drona said that an ordinary man could not compete with a prince. Duryodhana who was jealous of Arjuna immediately declared Karna the king of Angadesha. But the fight could not take place as the sun had set. Karna was actually a son of Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas .

Guru Drona The Great Teacher

Guru Drona The Great Teacher

One day the princes' of Hastinapur were playing together and their ball fell into a well. Then a ring, too, fell into the well The princes peered into the well but didn't know how to get them out.

Acharya Drona, who was standing nearby saw all this and said , " It is a shame that princes like you are not able to do such a small thing ." He picked up a blade of grass and shot it at the ball in the well. The blade got stuck to the ball. Then he shot another blade, which stuck to the end of the first blade. In this way, he made a chain of grass blades, which reached the top of the well.

He then pulled out the ball with it. Then he shot an arrow at the ring in the well. The arrow sprung back, and brought the ring with it. The princes' were very happy .

Bhishma Pitamaha felt that Acharya Drona was skilled enough to teach the princes archery and warfare and later made him the princes' teacher.

The fall of Guru Drona

The fall of Guru Drona

The fourteenth day of the battle of Kurukshetra was drawing to a close. Guru Drona was unhappy because neither could he capture Yudhisthira nor could he save Jaidratha. So he attacked the Pandava soldiers with more force than ever. Lord sri Krishna told the Pandavas that Guru Drona could be killed by a trick. Lord Sri Krishna asked the Pandavas to spread the false news that Guru Drona's son, Ashwatthama, had been killed. Bhima killed an elephant named Ashvattama and shouted, "I have killed Ashvatthama." When Guru Drona heard this, he was full of sorrow. He asked Yudhisthira whether it was true; he knew that Yudhsthira would never lie. Yudhisthira replied, "Yes, Ashvatthama is dead, but the elephant not your son." But Lord sri Krishna asked the drummers to beat the drums when Yudhisthira spoke the last part of the sentences, so Guru  Drone couldn't hear it. He sat mourning his son's death and Dhrishtadyumna who had been born to kill Guru Drona, cut his head off .

Abhimanyu The Broken Code of War

Abhimanyu The Broken Code of War

During the battle, Guru Drona had been ordered to capture Yudhisthira alive, so Arjuna always protected him. Once Arjuna had gone after the Kaurava warriors and Yudhisthira with his soldiers unprotected. Guru Drona approached Yudhisthira with his soldiers arranged in the circular formation known as chakravyuh. Arjun's son, Abhimanyu, had learnt from his father how to enter the chakravyuh but did not know how to come out of it. Only Arjuna knew how to break the Chakravyuh. But abhimanyu decided to enter the formation. 

King Jaidhratha, the king of Sindhudesha, had obtained a boon from Lord Shiva that he would be able to stop the Pandavas for one day. He stopped them from entering the chakravyuh to help Abhimanyu. Six warriors including Guru Drona, Duryodhana, and King Karna together attacked Abhimanyu. He lost all his weapons. Finally, the Kaurava warriors broke the code of war they attacked the unnamed Abhimanyu and killed him.