Can Drona be considered as a casteist person in rejecting Ekalavya?

 

According to my study, the episode of rejection of Ekalavya’s submission by Drona (Adi Parva of Mahabharata), to take him as his student, might be an interpolated story, which has no connection with the main story.

Still, as it is a controversial issue, unnecessarily implicating Drona as a casteist person, I thought of sharing my ideas, though it is an interpolated story.

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a) Bhishma employed Drona as the teacher to impart training to Pandavas and Kauravas in all types of martial arts. So, Drona was bounded by the duty, and he had to concentrate on Pandavas on Kauravas only.

This small episode of Ekalavya was inserted later by someone, between (i) the narration of Drona’s imparting various types martial arts, viz., fighting with mace, sword, javelin, etc, and (ii) the narration of Duryodhana and Bhima becoming experts in mace fighting. ( after 29th shloka of 131st chapter of Adiparva and before 61st shloka of 131st chapter of Adiparva of Gita Press).

Similar type of insertion (interpolated version) can be found in the KMG Version also ( after 8th shloka of 40th shloka of 123rd chapter of Adiparva and before 61st shloka of of 123rd chapter of Adiparva)

गदायुद्धेऽसिचर्यायां तोमरप्रासशक्तिषु ।

द्रोणः सङ्कीर्णयुद्धेषु शिक्षयामास पाण्डवम् ॥ 29

And he also instructed him in using many weapons and fighting with many men at the same time.

द्रोणस्य तु तदा शिष्यौ गदायोग्यां विशेषतः ।

दुर्योधनश्च भीमश्च कुरूणामभ्यगच्छताम् ॥61

Two of Drona's pupils became very much accomplished in the use of mace. These were Druvodhana and Bhima, who were, however, always jealous of each other.

The break in the continuity of the story is clearly visible and thus, Ekalavya’s episode is an interpolation.

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b) In the interpolated version, while the training under Drona is going on, Ekalavya was first mentioned in the Adi Parva, as having approached Drona in order to join his school for learning archery.

तस्य तत्कौशलं दृष्ट्वा धनुर्वेदजिघृक्षवः । राजानो राजपुत्राश्च समाजग्मुः सहस्रशः ॥

ततो निषादराजस्य हिरण्यधनुषः सुतः ।एकलव्यो महाराज द्रोणमभ्याजगाम ह ॥

न स तं प्रतिजग्राह नैषादिरिति चिन्तयन् । शिष्यं धनुषि धर्मज्ञस्तेषामेवान्ववेक्षया ॥

And hearing reports of his skill, kings and princes, desirous of learning the science of arms, flocked to Drona by thousands. Amongst those that came there, O monarch, was a prince named Ekalavya, who was the son of Hiranyadhanus, king of the Nishadas.

Drona, however, cognisant of all rules of righteousness/morality, did not accept the prince as his pupil in archery, as he was a Nishada.

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Thus, it can be observed that Drona did not reject Ekalavya, as belongs to low caste, but due to the fact that he had been morally bound to teach Kauravas and Pandavas, but not to everyone.

Further, we should not understand the word Nishada as a tribal community or a low caste, keeping present day social set up in view.

We should also remember that Jaya Samhita, the original version of Mahabharata was composed thousands of years ago (approx. 3100 BC). We do not know the correct social set up existing at that point of time.

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c) Finally, if Ekalavya was a low caste person, why would he be invited to Rajasuya Yagna performed by Yudhisthira (Sabha Parva)?

After Rajasuya Yagna, Duryodhana narrates what transpired in Indraprastha. He narrates as various kings serving Yudhisthira, one among them was Ekalavya. (53rd Chapter of Sabha Parva - Gita Press).

मत्स्यस्त्वक्षानवाबध्नादेकलव्य उपानहौ ।

आवन्त्यस्त्वभिषेकार्थमापो बहुविधास्तथा ॥

The king of Matsya, stood ready with the side-fittings of the chariot, all encased in gold; king Ekalavya, with the shoes.

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So, the episode of Ekalavya approaching Drona, and the latter demanding thumb of Ekalavya, as Guru Dakshina, is an interpolated story.

Further, any guru asks his guru dakshina only after completing the training. Here, Drona asked guru dakshina, when Ekalavya was still practising.

It defies the laid down norms and the logic.