thousands. Amongst
those that came there, O monarch, was a prince named Ekalavya, who was
the son of Hiranyadhanus, king of the Nishadas (the lowest of the mixed
orders). Drona, however, cognisant of all rules of morality, accepted not
the prince as his pupil in archery, seeing that he was a Nishada who
might (in time) excel all his high-born pupils. But, O oppressor of all
enemies, the Nishada prince, touching Drona's feet with bent head, wended
his way into the forest, and there he made a clay-image of Drona, and
began to worship it respectfully, as if it was his real preceptor, and
practised weapons before it with the most rigid regularity. In
consequence of his exceptional reverence for his preceptor and his
devotion to his purpose, all the three processes of fixing arrows on the
bowstring, aiming, and letting off became very easy for him.

"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
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.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'The Pandavas then, having made themselves
acquainted with everything connected with h