EKALAVYA

KNOW YOUR KRISHNA ​- J.K. SIVAN

                      EKALAVYA 

In Mahabharatha, we find countless characters of great skills and bravery.

Eklavya, the skilled archer was the son of Devsharavu who was Vasudev's brother (Vasudev was Krishna's father).
He was very talented and matched Arjuna's skills and training if not more. He learnt them by worshipping Dronacharya in the form of a clay doll he made before whom he practiced his archery.

After Dronacharya makes Eklavya cut off his right thumb, Lord Krishna grants him a boon to be reincarnated so as to seek revenge on him. Eklavya is reincarnated as Dhrishtadyumna who stepped out of the yajna fire, created for the sole purpose of killing Dronacharya.

It is also said that Lord Krishna killed Eklavya. His father, Devsharavu was the adopted son of the king of hunters, Nishada Vyatraja Hiranyadhanus. After Eklavya sacrificed his right thumb, his thirst to prove himself as the greatest archer grew and he taught himself to be ambidexterous. He started straying from the path of righteousness. Nishada Vyatraja Hiranyadhanus were long standing allies of Jarasandha, who was Krishna's enemy and when Krishna was carrying away Rukmini, Eklavya joined forces with Shishupala and
Jarasandha to stop him. When Eklavya challenged him, Krishna hurled a rock at Eklavya killing him. According to legend, Eklavya's death was imminent as he would later have been a force to reckon with and would have wreaked havoc in Hastinapur.