Raj: Hey Diya, have you heard the story of Eklavya?
Diya: Yes, but I want to know more.
Raj: Well, Eklavya was a young boy who wanted to learn archery from a famous teacher named Dronacharya. But Dronacharya refused to teach him because he was from a lower caste and didn't belong to the same class as the princes and warriors that he taught.
Diya: That's terrible. What did Eklavya do then?
Raj: Eklavya didn't give up. Instead, he built a statue of Dronacharya and practiced archery in front of it, considering Dronacharya to be his guru from afar. Over time, he became an excellent archer and was even able to best Arjuna, one of the princes whom Dronacharya taught.
Diya: Wow, that's impressive. So did Dronacharya finally teach him?
Raj: Unfortunately, no. When Dronacharya found out about Eklavya's skills, he demanded that Eklavya give him his right thumb as gurudakshina, which is a traditional offering to a guru in return for their teachings. Eklavya, being a dutiful disciple, cut off his own thumb and offered it to Dronacharya.
Diya: That's terrible. Why would Dronacharya do something like that?
Raj: It's a complicated story, but ultimately, it highlights the harmful effects of caste-based discrimination and the unfairness of a system that privileges certain groups of people over others.
Diya: That's a powerful story. So what can we learn from it?
Raj: Well, I think it teaches us to always strive for excellence, to challenge unjust systems, and to be aware of the motivations and actions of those in positions of power over us. We should never let our background or circumstances hold us back, and we should always be dutiful to our teachers or mentors.
Diya: That's a great lesson, Raj. Thanks for sharing the story of Eklavya with me.
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