एकलव्य की कथा

Eklavya ki katha Mahabharata ke Aadiparva mein varnit hai. Yah katha gurubhakti aur samarpan ka sabse utkrisht udaaharan maani jaati hai, saath hi yah us yug ki samajik visangatiyon par bhi prakaash daalti hai.

Eklavya Nishadraj Hiranyadhanu ka putra tha. Nishad ek vanvaasi janjati thi. Eklavya bachpan se hi dhanurvidya ka deewana tha. Usne suna ki Hastinapur mein Acharya Drona sansaar ke sarvashreshth dhanurvidya ke guru hain aur ve Kuru rajkumaaron ko shiksha de rahe hain. Eklavya ne nishchay kiya ki woh Dronacharya se hi dhanurvidya seekhega.

Eklavya Hastinapur pahuncha aur Dronacharya ke paas jaakar unse shishya ke roop mein sweekar karne ki prarthana ki. Parantu Dronacharya ne use asweekar kar diya. Unka kehna tha ki ve keval Kshatriya rajkumaaron ko shiksha dene ke liye pratibaddh hain aur ek Nishad baalak ko shishya nahi bana sakte. Iske peechhe ek kaaran yah bhi tha ki Dronacharya ne Arjun ko vachan diya tha ki ve use sansaar ka sarvashreshth dhanurdhar banayenge.

Eklavya nirash hokar lauta, parantu uski lagan aur gurubhakti samapt nahi hui. Van mein lautkar usne mitti se Guru Dronacharya ki ek moorti banayi aur use apna guru maankar uske samaksh pratidin abhyaas karne laga. Praatahkaal se sandhya tak woh us moorti ke saamne baithkar dhanush-baan ka abhyaas karta. Uski ekagrata aur samarpan itna agaadh tha ki kuchh hi varshon mein woh dhanurvidya mein atyant nipun ho gaya.

Ek din Kuru rajkumar apne guru Dronacharya ke saath van mein aakhet (shikaar) ke liye gaye. Unke saath ek shikari kutta bhi tha. Woh kutta bhatakte hue us sthan par pahunch gaya jahan Eklavya abhyaas kar raha tha. Kutte ne Eklavya ko dekhkar bhaunkna aarambh kiya.

Eklavya ne bina kutte ko haani pahunchaye uske munh mein is prakaar baan bhar diye ki kutta bhaunk nahi saka, parantu use koi chot bhi nahi lagi. Yah atyant durlabh kaushal tha — baanon se munh bharna bina rakt ki ek boond bahaye. Jab kutta lautkar aaya, to Arjun aur Dronacharya yah dekhkar vismit rah gaye.

Dronacharya ne us baan chalane wale ki khoj ki aur Eklavya tak pahunche. Eklavya ne unhe pranaam kar kaha ki woh unhi ka shishya hai aur unki moorti ke saamne abhyaas karke usne yah vidya arjit ki hai. Arjun ko chinta hui ki koi usse shreshth dhanurdhar hai, aur Dronacharya ne apne Arjun ko diye vachan ka smaran kiya.

Dronacharya ne Eklavya se gurudakshina maangi. Eklavya ne kaha — "Gurudev, aap jo bhi maangein, main dene ko taiyaar hun." Tab Dronacharya ne kaha — "Mujhe tumhare dahine haath ka angutha chahiye." Eklavya ne bina kisi sankoch ya vilamb ke apne dahine haath ka angutha kaatkar guru ke charanon mein rakh diya. Anguthe ke bina dhanush par baan chadhaana asambhav tha — Eklavya ne apni saari vidya gurudakshina mein samarpit kar di.

Parantu kaha jaata hai ki Eklavya ne haar nahi maani. Usne anguthe ke bina, apni shesh ungliyon se dhanurvidya ka abhyaas jaari rakha aur ek nayi shaili viksit ki. Uski yah adamya bhaavna use sachche yoddha aur gurubhakt ki shreni mein amar karti hai.

Eklavya ki katha aaj bhi humein sikhaati hai ki sachchi shiksha guru ke prati samarpan aur atoot lagan se prapt hoti hai. Jahan dridh sankalp ho, wahan koi bhi baadha shiksha ke marg mein nahi aa sakti.