Mahadebate : Arjun or Eklavya, who was a better student? VIDEO!

I would say Eklavya i mena come on that was a big sacrifice

TFS😛

Copy paste from another post😳

There is one thing that I always wonder.. Are there authentic instances/Slokas in MB that prove the fact that Arjun was indeed jealous of Eklavya.

I know that it is the accepted perception but I do not think that it is completely true. I have tried looking for actual verses that support the theory of Arjun's jealousy and can find none. 😊

So that means that the only reason why Arjun's 'jealousy' is brought into the picture is because he is the one who informs Drona of Eklavya. But then, there is no doubt that Arjun would have done so. Arjun wanted to become the greatest Archer in the world. He saw someone with an extraordinary skill with the bows and hence informed his Guru about the same..

It is mere coincidence that Eklavya wanted Drona to be his Guru too.. And had gone ahead and practiced Archery even after he had been rejected as a disciple.

The facts to be considered are these.

1. If Eklavya was that wonderful of a student who would so selflessly give away his thumb, why did he not show the same behavior of accepting his Guru's words when Drona told him that he would not be able to teach him or be his Guru?

2. Why go against your Guru's wishes and words at first to gain something that is forbidden and then do an act that would showcase to the world that the sacrifice was of the greatest order?🤔

One has to remember that in those times, the lines of who can learn what was drawn pretty taut.. If Drona said No to Eklavya, there were certain reasons and compulsions behind it. Eklavya, if he was a true student and an honest one would have accepted this and moved on.
But like Karna who lied to Parashuram, Eklavya chose a path wherein he was stubborn to have Drona as his Guru, whatever the consequences. And for this, he did pay, pay with his thumb.

Now does this make Arjun any less of an Archer? I do not think so. Arjun was a great archer in his own rights. He was not the lesser skilled person just because he was privileged enough to get his shiksha from Drona.. Something that Eklavya was not destined to have.

So no.. I do not think that Eklavya was better than Arjun. I have doubts about Arjun actually being jealous of Eklavya and as much as I find it shocking that Drona would go to the extent of asking for Eklavya's thumb (I would have preferred if he had asked Eklavya never to use his skills again if at all he wanted Eklavya not to use his skills wrongly instead of asking for the thumb), I think Eklavya was also at fault for flaunting his imagined and self proclaimed Guru and letting him down.

The relationship between a student and a Guru is that of great trust. Lies and disobeying orders form no part of it. It required that the student submit himself totally to his Guru to gain knowledge. I do not think Eklavya did that.