AFAIK, the Dharma-Sukshma (Subtle Dharma) behind this episode. Please do not mortify me for unintended racismbrihaspati wrote:Regarding "astra/sastra" - two quick questions:
(a) I have always wondred about the Mhabharatam story about the Nishad "prince" Ekalavya's guru-dakshina of the "thumb". But my experience of tribal hunts and my own exposure to archery tells me that we do not use the thumb. So is there another story behind this? Was the thumb used in the days of the Mahabharata, and used by the "elite"? Was archery banned for the "ataviks"? So they began to use a different technique? Or was someone's thumb really cut off as punishment for defying the ban and they in protest or alternatively took up the current technique?
Background: Ekalavya approached Dronacharya to learn Dhanurvidya. Dronacharya has a vrata (pre-condition ... Even Parasurama had similar condition w.r.t Karna) that he would teach Dhanurvidya only to Sat-Brahmana and Sat-Kshatriyas, because he not only knows Sastra vidya, but also Astra vidya. Hiding something like Astra vidya from an able student would undermine his Guru Dharma. So instead Dronacharya decided not to teach Dhanurvidya to non-brahmins/kshatriyas.
Ekalavya respected Dronacharya's explanation and left the gurukula. But his interest in Dhanurvidya is so great that he used an image of Dronacharya as guru and learned Sastra vidya.
Context: One day Dronacharya and his students (Pandavas and Kauravas) went to forest for hunting (and practicing). They took hunting dogs along with them. When the dogs were barking, suddenly quite a few (5-6) arrows came from nowhere and stuck in a dogs mouth (that means the guy who put the arrows in dogs mouth could release that many arrows in the time a dog can close its mouth when hit (milli seconds?)).
Dharma-Sukshma:
- Ekalavya possessed amazing Sastra skills. Under an able teacher or thru penance he can easily gain Astra vidya (available in those days).
- Unfortunately he lacked the patience required by such a great power. He got easily disturbed and couldn't control his irritation when a dog barked (its natural tendency) near his practice area. And he applied such a great skill against a dog (an innocent animal) not for controlling (he could have done something else to chase the dog away) but for punishing just because he could do it.
- When explained Ekalavya understood his mistake and happily gave his gurudakshina. He honored that-days guru-sishya dharma. Remember, he can anytime could have argued against Dronacharya's request and Dronacharya would have to resort to visible punishment to achieve what he wanted.
Analysis
- While it was explained as an Adharmic attempt by Dronacharya to protect Arjuna's primacy, Arjuna already demonstrated his "savyasachi" (ambidexterity) in Sastra vidya. Moreover he got some Astra vidya from Dronacharya. Added with Brahmastra (applied against Aswatthama's Brahmastra) and Pasupatastra, he would easily win against Ekalavya.
- After this incident, Ekalavya practiced Dhanurvidya with four fingers only and achieved great skill and fought on the side of Kauravas in Kurukshetra.
It could be a vocal tradition that as descendents of Ekalavya, certain tribes practice using four fingers, without thumb. However, without thumb, AFAIK the Astra vidya will not yield.
) the English longbow wielding army used the index and the middle finger (which is the case in Olympics and other archery competitions unless you opt for a clip to draw the arrow). The use of the thumb has been documented as used by the turks,chinese and Indian civilizations.
