Mahabharata Group

Question:

ayushi
ayushi
Student
High School - 9th Grade

Who defeated Arjuna in an archery contest in the "Mahabharata"?

Rate question:

Posted by ayushi on Wednesday August 27, 2008 at 5:42 PM and tagged with archery contest, arjuna, characters, mahabharata.

Answers:

  1. lit24
    lit24 Teacher
    Doctorate

    eNotes Editor

    EKLAVYA, the son of a tribal chief defeated Arjuna in an archery contest.

     Drona, the guru of the Pandava princes refused to teach archery to Eklavya  because Eklavya a was tribal. Eklavya, however was very resourceful. After he returned to the jungle he made a statue of Drona and with single minded concentration and determination practised archery daily in the presence of this statue.  Soon he became a very skilful archer.  Once, Drona and Arjuna alongwith the other Pandava princes went hunting and they chanced upon Eklavya honing his archery skills. Drona was very impressed with Eklavya especially when he learnt how Eklavya had taught himself archery. However, the Pandava princes especially Arjuna became very jealous. An archery contest in which Eklavya had to compete with the Pandava princes was held. Eklavya emerged the victor, even defeating Arjuna the expert archer and Drona's best student.

    Drona, was naturally upset because Eklavya had defeated his favourite student Arjuna. So, Drona in the guise of demanding "guru dakshin" ( a student's free will offering to his master after completion of his training by the guru)  demanded the thumb of Eklavya's right hand.  Eklavya, the humble and obedient student immediately chopped off the thumb of his right hand and offered it to Drona. Consequently, Eklavya could never again shoot an arrow and Arjuna continued to be the best archer.

    Rate answer:

    Posted by lit24 on Wednesday August 27, 2008 at 7:38 PM

  2. vijayshriyan
    vijayshriyan

    Eklavya

    Rate answer:

    Posted by vijayshriyan on Saturday September 6, 2008 at 10:59 PM