This thread is about Ekalavya, his involvement with Jarasandha and his subsequent death.

We all know the story of Ekalavya how he wanted to learn Bilvidya (archery) and approached Dronacharya and got rejected because
Rajaguru Dronacharya was supposed to teach Bilvidya only to the Rajkumars (princes).

Without losing confidence Ekalavya made a idol of Dronacharya and started learning and became very skilled at bilvidya. Once when Dronacharya was teaching Shabdhavedi vidya to Arjun he asks him to use the vidya on the dog barking at a distance.

Arjun does the task and both of them go to find the dog to their surprise there were two arrows which had hit the dog. When they were searching for the other person, Ekalavya comes running to Drona bows down and introduces himself again and tells him that Dronacharya himself is

is his teacher. Arjun is infuriated listening to this and questions Dronacharya about him being a teacher to a person who isn't a prince. When Dronacharya questions Ekalavya in return he says about the idol he made. Though Dronacharya was proud about the skills of Ekalavya

he remembered the promise of making Arjun the worlds greatest archer and realises Ekalavya is a threat. So Dronacharya hatches a plan and asks Ekalavya's right thumb (vital for archery) as his gurudakshina. Ekalavya obliges and then Dronacharya blesses him.

Most of them know the story of Ekalavya so far, but what happened later ?

Without losing confidence Ekalavya starts practising Bilvidya with his remaining fingers.

As the time passed he became very skilled, so much that he was undefeatable by anyone other than the Rajkumars. On the other hand the tension between Pandavas and Kauravas started increasing.

Duryodhana befriended Jarasandha(Kamsa's FIL who hated Krishna) and Shishupala ( Krishna's cousin who hated him). Ekalavya's father who was Jarasandha's soldier had died in a war. Then Ekalavya took charge of Jarasandha's army.

He went on to win several wars. But after Krishna beheaded Shishupala and after Bheema killed Jarasandha, Ekalavya was furious with the Yadavas. He recklessly starting killing the Yadus. He was undefeatable.

Duryodhana was impressed by this skilled and courageous warrior and wanted him on his side. Shri Krishna the one who knows all didn't want this to happen.

If Ekalavya went on to fight from Duryodhana's side it would be a big blow to the Pandavas and would be an obstruction for Dharma sthapana thus Shri Krishna himself killed Ekalavya in a battle in Dwarka.

Ekalavya's skill and gurubhakti is applaudable but he didn't use it for the right cause. Instead of standing for what is right he blindly followed his father's path and fought for Adharmi Jarasandha and Shishupala.

However virtuous a person maybe he have to be careful while choosing the path he walks on.

Hare Krishna

There might spelling and grammatical mistakes, apologies.