Tales Of Devotion And Sacrifice

Dec 30, 2009, 12.00am IST
Parur S Ganesan.


Indic protocol bestows the teacher with high rank. The teacher is regarded as Brahma,Vishu and Maheswara combined in one. The ancient gurukul system was residential and the students lived with the teacher as part of his family, carrying out household chores, listening and learning, observing.


The guru developed the pupils potential according to his vasanas temperament and aptitude, over a period of time that was left to the discretion of the guru.

The teachers’ position in the community was a sublime one. And no one questioned his authority. No fee was demanded or paid forcibly. The guru dakshina in appreciation of his teaching -- was given either as per the teachers’ suggestion or the parents’ wishes. The story goes that Krishna and Balarama, on conclusion of their studies with Sage Sandipani, asked him what he would like to have as guru dakshina. The sage wondered if they could bring back alive his only son who had drowned in the sea. The brothers dived into the ocean and their long search took them to the abode of the Lord of Death. They convinced him to hand over the gurus son and they came back with him, duty fulfilled.

In the Mahabharata, the Pandava princes learnt lessons on archery from the family guru, Dronacharya. A boy of low caste, who had been watching the classes desired to learn the art, but was denied admission. So the boy made a clay image of the guru, prostrated before it daily and picked up the nuances of the art of archery while in hiding, without anyones knowledge.

One day Drona became aware of the boys skills that surpassed that of the princes who had been receiving his personal attention. Dronacharya was pleased, but he had cheated on two counts. He had learnt what was the privilege of the kshatriyas and that too, in hiding, without his knowledge.

Even so, Dronacharya was entitled to a guru dakshina. He demanded the boys thumb, thus compromising his skills as an archer. The boy was Ekalavya. And he did not hesitate a moment to do his gurus bidding.

Upamanyu, at the instance of his guru, took a vow that he shall not consume any food -- rice, grains, fruits and milk -- and that he would pass them all in favour of his guru. One day driven by extreme hunger, he ate the poisonous leaves of a tree while wandering in the forest. He suddenly became blind as a result and even as he wandered without any direction, he fell into an abandoned well. Since he did not return even after sunset the guru set out in search of him. Finding him and learning of his travails to keep his vow in tact, the guru felt happy as did the celestials. To restore to him his lost vision the celestials gave him some rice pudding, but Upamanyu refused to accept the same as that would tantamount to his breaking the promise. He preferred to remain blind than breaking the solemn vow given to the teacher, even if it would mean regaining his sight. When the celestials offered a similar bowl of pudding to the teacher, Upamanyu agreed to eat but only after getting a nod from the teacher. His vision was restored.