Moon Song

Eklavya is one of the most beautiful characters in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. His story is little know outside India but ironically, the current state of this country's educational system needs more Eklavya's to save the future of this country (This is self reliance sans that ubiquitous Lake Wobegon Effect).

I was fortunate enough to hear these stories from my Grandma when I was kid. Memories linger around or come back out of blue to shape who we become. I never forgot Eklavya's story and it obviously nudged me never to miss an opportunity to keep learning until the last breathe.

"In the Hindu epic Mahābhārata, Ekalavya is a young prince of the Nishadha tribes, and a member of a low caste, who nevertheless aspires to study archery in the gurukul of Dronacharya. After being rejected by Drona, Ekalavya embarks upon a program of self-study in the presence of a clay image of Drona. He achieves a level of skill superior to that of Arjuna, Drona's favorite and most accomplished pupil. Drona eventually comes to know the same and goes to Ekalavya and demands that Ekalavya turn over his right thumb as a teacher's fee. The loyal Ekalavya cripples himself, and thereby ruins his prospects as an archer, by severing his thumb and giving it to Drona.

Ekalavya goes off into the forest where he fashions a clay statue of Drona. Worshipping the statue as his preceptor, he begins a disciplined program of self-study. As a result, Ekalavya becomes an archer of exceptional prowess, comparable to even to Drona's best pupil, Arjuna. One day while Ekalavya is practicing, he hears a dog barking. Before the dog can shut up or get out of the way, Ekalavya fires seven arrows in rapid succession to fill the dog's mouth without injuring it. The Pandava princes come upon the "stuffed" dog, and wonder who could have pulled off such a feat of archery. Searching the forest, they find a fair-skinned man dressed all in black, his body well built and his hair were long. It is Ekalavya, who introduces himself to them as a pupil of Drona."

Chanda Re (Moon Song), Eklavya - Hindi song - Vidya Balan, Saif Ali @ Yahoo! Video