Guru Dakshina

For a teacher every student is same. It is left to the student how he make use of that knowledge. Sage Dronacharaya was the teacher of kauravas and Pandvas in childhood.One day a child named Eklavya came to Drone and requested him to be his Guru for archery. But Sage Dronacharya turned down the request as he used to taught only kshatriyas. Disappointed the young child came back to the forest. He bore no ill-will towards Drone in his mind. Back in the forest he made a statue of Dronacharya He called him his Guru. Daily he would worship his image of Guru and practice archery. Within a short time he became master in archery. One day Kaurav and Paandav went on a picnic in a forest. They took a dog along with them. The dog entered the forest. While wandering the dog saw Eklavya and started barking at him.Eklavya sealed his mouth with his seven arrows. Now the dog could not open his mouth. The dog ran away to the place from where he came.So Dronacharya and children saw a dog coming with his mouth full of arrows. Arjuna was in a state of shock because he always thought himself to be the best archer. They all went in the direction from where he came. Dronacharya found a boy practicing archery. On asking , the boy revealed his identity as Ekalvya.Sage Dronacharya got surprised to hear this because he never taught him. Ekalavya took them where he had established his Guru's statue (Dronacharya's statue). Drone had another surprise. Eklavya said that he had learnt the art by regarding that idol as Guru. Also he stood hiding while Sage Dronacharya taught others in ashram.But Sage Dronacharya loved Arjun very much and he wanted him to be the best archer in the world. He saw another future better archer in Eklavya. At this point he asked for Guru Dakshina. Because without paying it the education is incomplete.Ekalvya agreed.Sage Dronacharya asked for the right thumb of Ekalvya as Guru Dakshina. All children stood stunned hearing such Guru Dakshinaa, but Eklavya immediately picked up a knife and cut his right hand thumb and offered it to Guru's feet without any hesitation. Even now the people from that tribe do not use their right hand thumb while using their bow and arrow.