Originally posted by: Mahisa22
You're repeatedly saying things which I'm not questioning. You saying everything EXCEPT what I'm asking. 😆
Underlined: No that isn't a fact. Fact is, he was CLAIMING to be a student of Dronacharya to others. You're repeatedly glossing over this fact.
Yes, its better to stop when you don't have the answer ready.
Sigh
https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01135.htm
And one day, O grinder of foes, the Kuru and the Pandava princes, with Drona's leave, set out in their cars on a hunting excursion. A servant, O king, followed the party at leisure, with the usual implements and a dog. Having come to the woods, they wandered about, intent on the purpose they had in view. Meanwhile, the dog also, in wandering alone in the woods, came upon the Nishada prince (Ekalavya). And beholding the Nishada of dark hue, of body besmeared with filth, dressed in black and bearing matted locks on head, the dog began to bark aloud.
"Thereupon the Nishada prince, desirous of exhibiting his lightness of
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hand, sent seven arrows into its mouth (before it could shut it). The dog, thus pierced with seven arrows, came back to the Pandavas. Those heroes, who beheld that sight, were filled with wonder, and, ashamed of their own skill, began to praise the lightness of hand and precision of aim by auricular precision (exhibited by the unknown archer). And they thereupon began to seek in those woods for the unknown dweller therein that had shown such skill. And, O king, the Pandavas soon found out the object of their search ceaselessly discharging arrows from the bow. And beholding that man of grim visage, who was totally a stranger to them, they asked, 'Who art thou and whose son?' Thus questioned, the man replied, 'Ye heroes, I am the son of Hiranyadhanus, king of the Nishadas. Know me also for a pupil of Drona, labouring for the mastery of the art of arms.'
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You're claim is that because Eklavya was a bit of a show-off, he didn't commit any crime?😆
That he was unjustly punished? Stealing military secrets (art of arms) is still espionage whether Eklavya was fool enough to brag or not.
That he was punished because he was lower caste /outcast (which he was not acc to his own statement)?
Being foolish doesn't change what he did. He went to an enemy kingdom and stole info. That is fact, stated in above text. He received lighter punishment than most people who did what he did. Jarasandha, the king Eklavya was allied with, imprisoned kings who opposed him and was preparing a human sacrifice.
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You've somehow managed to bring around the argument to whether what Eklavya did qualified as espionage instead of your original statement what happened to him was a caste crime.
Eklavya was neither low caste, nor underprivileged. He was first cousin to both Krishna and Pandavas, a prince of a kingdom allied with the emperor.
Eklavya was an enemy to Hastinapuri, period.
He stole secrets.
He got punished.
Unless you have citations to refute these which are actually stated in text, I fail to see how the incident was a caste crime.
Edited by HearMeRoar - 4 years ago