A deep philosophical analysis of the differences between Arjuna's submissive bhakti and Ekalavya's speculative, self-centered guru-bhakti.
Ekalavya's Archery Mastery & Earthen Deity
Hiraṇyadhanura, the king of the outcastes (chaṇḍālās), had a son named Ekalavya. Desiring to study archery, the outcaste prince presented himself before Droṇācārya, who declined to initiate him due to his status.
Ekalavya vowed to learn only from Droṇācārya. He sculpted an idol of the teacher out of earth and began practicing in the presence of his imagined guru. Through this, he became an extraordinary archer, even shooting seven arrows into a dog's mouth simultaneously.
When Droṇācārya discovered this, he asked Ekalavya for guru-dākṣina. Droṇācārya requested Ekalavya to sever his right thumb, which Ekalavya did without objection. Many view this as the ultimate example of guru-bhakti.
Ekalavya vowed to learn only from Droṇācārya. He sculpted an idol of the teacher out of earth and began practicing in the presence of his imagined guru. Through this, he became an extraordinary archer, even shooting seven arrows into a dog's mouth simultaneously.
When Droṇācārya discovered this, he asked Ekalavya for guru-dākṣina. Droṇācārya requested Ekalavya to sever his right thumb, which Ekalavya did without objection. Many view this as the ultimate example of guru-bhakti.
The Subtle Mistake in Ekalavya's Bhakti
What mistake was there in Ekalavya's behavior? Ekalavya wore the mask of guru-bhakti, but he was actually acting antagonistically toward his guru. When Droṇācārya did not want to teach him, Ekalavya should have taken that order on his head. Instead, he persisted, driven by the desire to become great.
His earthen statue of Droṇācārya was a tool for sense-gratification and self-aggrandizement. He wanted to be greater than Arjuna, who is the greatest of Vaishnavas. The desire to be greater than a Vaishnav is abhakti — a display of mundane bravado.
His earthen statue of Droṇācārya was a tool for sense-gratification and self-aggrandizement. He wanted to be greater than Arjuna, who is the greatest of Vaishnavas. The desire to be greater than a Vaishnav is abhakti — a display of mundane bravado.
Bhavado vs. Subordination to the Vaishnavas
Ekalavya valued mundane ethics (that one must give whatever the guru asks) rather than transcendental devotion. Sincere bhakti is natural and subordinate. By bringing Ekalavya's actions to Droṇācārya's attention, Arjuna prevented the triumph of impersonalism.
Without Arjuna's action, an atheistic doctrine would have been established: that one can achieve perfection without a real guru, simply by practicing near an imaginary murti. Because Ekalavya lacked genuine bhakti, he was slain by Krishna's own hand and attained an impersonal destination.
By Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda
Without Arjuna's action, an atheistic doctrine would have been established: that one can achieve perfection without a real guru, simply by practicing near an imaginary murti. Because Ekalavya lacked genuine bhakti, he was slain by Krishna's own hand and attained an impersonal destination.
By Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura Prabhupāda