Thumbs up!! The Return of Eklavya...

I am looking above now...I am looking down the very next moment...I see that I rule..But I am made to realise, that my place is in the ashes..If I try to be a Phoenix, my wings will be cut...

I am Eklavya! And I am just about to make fame for myself. I am invincible with my bow and arrow..yet I failed to pierce some apathy from the heart of my Guru Dronacharya..My never-ending devotion to the Art of Archery is now facing a humiliated vindication in the hands of my beloved Guru.

I am asked to pay Gurudakhshina for nothing; I was refused by Guru Dronacharya when I pleaded him to train me in the Art of DHANURVIDYA...a reason which will remain elusive to me..but my devotion for his Great Art still remained within me...I sculptured his statue in the ground I practiced...I looked at his statue and got inspiration...I am a self-made Dhanurdhar...but I pay my all homage to Guru Dronacharya..that if I had not known him, I would not have even think of learning this art of Archery...

I know I am incomplete...I could not learn the sophistication with which Dronacharya's favorite disciple Arjun would hold the bow and shoot an arrow; I did not learn the secret of BRAHMASHTRA....I failed to understand CHAKRABYIUHU and I would never be able to break it....I could not afford a GANDIVA....

But....my beloved Guru has an unspoken fear of me...that I will defeat his most ardent Pupil Arjun in battle...that if I stand up, Arjun would never be crowned with the title of undisputed Lord of Archery...

I failed to comprehend, why can't I be his best disciple? I don't have any aspiration to become a prince of the Kingdom; I don't crave for Wealth and Power; I don't want to demonstrate any supremacy over anyone; All I wanted is to learn the Art of Archery and use it as a self defense...I can vow for NOT to use these weapons of Mass Destruction if required....

My beloved Guru Dronacharya is asking me for Gurudakhshina...that I never use my talents against anyone...no!! he is not contended with this...He wants me to slain my thumb!! Oh my Guru...why do you want me to this? so that it is warranted that I could never shoot an arrow...so that I remain a HERO paralyzed to watch the game being played which I ruled once!!

Now I have to tell him, that do I agree to pay the Guru Dakhshina....I went upto him...Put my eye on his eye..and said, " I am not ready to pay for something I did not learn..." Dronacharya was stunned to a deadly shaking and I continued, " But, as my devotion to you is still intact..I will try to pacify something"...I paused and again looked into his eyes as I continued, " If Arjun can defeat me in a battle of Archery, I will part with my Thumb"...Dronacharya grimaced..Unnerved and humiliated...Agony must be ripping his heart apart; but I wanted to give a complete jolt to his pride and I added, " But if I defeat Arjun, Arjun will have to part with his Thumb"...

Dronacharya fell on the ground..as I have shattered his ego with my arrows...I waited for him to come to his senses.........I shoot an arrow to denounce my guru..(To be continued...)