110 - Do not be angry

The first lesson given by the guru to Yudhisthira and his brothers was 'Do not be angry.' All of them read, "Do not be angry." The same lesson was dictated and corrected. After it the guru commanded, "Now you may go. Come tomorrow and I will put you to test on this lesson."

The next day when all the brothers arrived at the guru's ashram, he asked them if they had learnt the lesson. All the brothers - Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva repeated the lesson but Yudhishtira did not do it.

At this the guru commanded, "Yudhisthira! Have you not learnt the lesson?" "Not as yet, gurudev," replied Yudhisthira politely.

The guru reprimanded him saying that he was the eldest of the brothers and was still the slowest to learn. He demanded of him to learn the lesson the next day. In response Yudhisthira promised to do his best.

The next day Yudhisthira again submitted that he could not learn the lesson. Hearing this the guru's tone became harsh and he said, "Are you a human being or a donkey? You have not been able to learn a three - lettered lesson !" He took a step ahead and slapped Yudhisthira on his face. Yudhisthira assuaging his cheek again promised to do his best the next day.

On the third day the first thing the guru did was to ask Yudhisthira if he was prepared with his lesson. "Not as yet," was Yudhisthira's submissive response. At this the guru gave him a few slaps and rebuked him saying, "You have made no effort to learn it, being negligent. Tomorrow if you don't learn it I will be very cruel to you." Yudhisthira bowed his head and again promised to try his best.

That day after taking leave from his guru he directly headed for Duryodhana and his ilk to test his own temper. He felt their sarcasms, taunts and innuendos still made him somewhat angry, still upset him.

It was the fourth day. On being asked if he was by now prepared with this lesson, Yudhisthira bowed his head, folded his hands and meekly muttered, "Gurudev! I am as yet not fully thorough with it."

Hearing this the guru delivered a volley of slaps on his face until he felt exhausted. But what surprised the guru was that Yudhisthira was cool and smiling. The guru said, "Why are you smiling?" At this Yudhisthira answered, "You have given this lesson. Now I can say that I have learnt the lesson."

Hearing this the guru held him in an affectionate embrace saying, "Now I understand. You knew the three - lettered - lesson but you wanted to assimilate the true import of the lesson, which took you time. You have passed the test, it is I who has failed."

source: Stories from Here and There, Ekalavya Education Foundation - By: Sunil Handa - http://www.eklavya.org/storyhere.html

019 - Arjun or Eklavya

If you are asked whether it is better to be Arjun with a teacher like Dronacharya or to be Eklavya without a teacher, it is very likely that you will choose to be Arjun. Possibly this is right choice but for a moment consider looking it from another point of view.

Imagine a situation where Arjun is taking aim at the target, shoots, misses the target of bull's eye by 2-inch on the left side. Arjun goes to his teacher Drona who looks at the situation, asks Arjun to hit it again, the same thing happens again. Drona tells Arjun that he is putting more weight on the left foot and asks him to shift a little bit of weight on the right side by 1 inch, again takes aim after re-balancing his weight, shoots and hits the target!

Now consider the same situation for Eklavya. He misses the target by 2 - inch on the left side. He has nobody to turn to, no Guru to ask and get "ready made" solutions. He is worried, he thinks, he shoots again and keeps trying. At night he cannot sleep, and tosses and turns on his hard bed. Next day some more practice but similar results. Next night again no sleep. Possibly on the third day ( like a flash of lightning ) he discovers the role played by the way he balances the weight on each foot. He tries now to lean on his right foot and sooner or later shoots and hits the target!

The question arises: which situation is preferable? While Arjun was getting ready-made answers he could not develop his own ability of struggling and solving the problems which came to him. So every time the problems come, he needs to lookup to someone to guide him. He does this at the battlefield also ( which in a way, in retrospect, is good because mankind got a fantastic thing called the Gita because of this. Of course Lord Krishna would have figured out some other ways of giving us the Gita considering this thing had not happened, is a counter-argument.)

On the other hand, Eklavya had taught himself archery, had a feeling of achievement far, far, fuller and deeper than that of Arjun's and had also learnt the ability of squarely facing the problems which came to him in life by analyzing them, struggling through them and finally winning!

So dear friends, we ask again, is it better to be Arjun with a teacher like Dronacharya or Eklavya who has to find his own answers without a teacher?

source: Stories from Here and There, Ekalavya Education Foundation - By: Sunil Handa - http://www.eklavya.org/storyhere.html