Ekalavya: Beyond Immortality

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"Finally, yes...!!" Ekalavya leaped up and down with delight, hiding behind a thick tree.

"I was starting to believe that my life would be full of mediocrity since I clearly lack the talent for archery!" Ekalavya muttered as memories of first picking up a bow and arrow two years ago flooded back.

After a month of practice and no improvement, he realized that he simply didn't possess the original Ekalavya talent.

That's why Ekalavya had turned to Acharya Vyasa to learn about other things.

Even today, he was arguing with Acharya Vyasa, complaining about being taught so little.

"What does this ability actually do?" Ekalavya wondered, picking up a dry tree branch and a small knife made from a sharp bone of wild boar.

"What...whoa...amazing...!" In just moments, he carved a tiny wooden sculpture of Lord Shiva, hardly bigger than his palm.

"Hehehe! This is so much fun! Let's try something else!" Ekalavya whispered as he began to carve more pieces of sculptures.

"Oops! I made too many." After a little while, he realized he had ended up with a lot of sculptures.

"Hmm, this sculpture of Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati looks much better!" He chose one with precise details.

He also had other sculptures like one of Lord Rudradev and another of Acharya Vyasa, as well as sculptures of his friends.

Though they were all palm-sized, even then he couldn't carry them all.

"Oh, let's place it here!" He decided to carve a small space into the thick tree trunk and put the sculptures of Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati along with Rudradev's sculpture there.

He carried his friends' and Acharya Vyasa's sculptures with him on his clothes as he left from there, heading towards the practice field.

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"Chief, we're running low on arrows for this season!" A tribesman approached Chief Hiranyadhanus with a concerned expression.

"What happened to Old Veer Kumar?" Chief Hiranyadhanus inquired, recalling that Old Veer Kumar was in charge of arrow-making and was previously fine.

"Actually, he can't work anymore due to an injury in his hands from last year. It left him unable to exert much force," a tribesman replied, sympathy evident in his tone.

"Oh, I see. We need to find a replacement for Old Veer Kumar's work," Chief Hiranyadhanus realized, having forgotten about the incident.

Just then, Ekalavya entered, with Chief Hiranyadhanus noticing he had something concealed in his clothes.

"Ekalavya!" His father's voice reached him, and he turned to see.

"What's all this?" Ekalavya's father asked as he saw the sculptures Ekalavya was holding.

"Just something I've been working on during my practice sessions!" Ekalavya showed his father the sculptures.

"What are they?" His father and the other tribesmen gathered around, curious about the new things in Ekalavya's hands.

"These are little sculptures, like tiny carvings that look like real people!" Ekalavya tried to explain in simple terms, hoping they would understand. 

The Nishad tribe didn't have much exposure to art, and their interests were mainly centered around hunting and daily life.

Among the reasons why the Nishad tribe saw Ekalavya as a guiding light was because he constantly tried to make their lives better, even if his ideas weren't immediately clear to them. 

Over time, they began to comprehend the value of his efforts through their own experiences.

"Hey there, Kunwar! Don't those little figures resemble Kavi, Vikram, Mira, and Aanya?" One tribesman pointed out the sculptures of Ekalavya's friends.

"Ohh, and that one looks like Acharya Vyasa!" Another tribesman chimed in.

"Yeah, you're right. By the way, Dad, what were you guys talking about?" Ekalavya nodded with a smile, turning to his father, Hiranyadhanus, to ask about the topic of conversation.

His father explained, and Ekalavya understood. It was mostly his fault that old Veer Kumar got hurt while protecting him from a wild lion.

"You know what, I can help if you want!" Ekalavya offered. He moved past them, picked up the materials, and started making arrows.

"Wow, hahahaha! Our Kunwar is amazing!" The tribesmen watching Ekalavya craft arrows of much better quality and sharpness were surprised, and they cheered in delight.

"Hahaha! Son, you always keep impressing us, don't you!" Hiranyadhanus said, smiling happily.

"No, Father, it's just that I've recently learned sculpture, so making arrows isn't difficult for me," Ekalavya replied humbly, aware of his skill.

With his master craftsman ability, arrow-making became straightforward for him.

But he desired to enhance this skill further, hoping to create even more remarkable items in the future.

With Ekalavya's assistance, the arrow issue was successfully resolved.

Upon his return to Acharya Vyasa Ashram the next day, he received the heartening news he had been longing for.

"Guru Vyasa, why shouldn't I accompany you? If you need the help of a strong young person like me, I'd be glad to assist," Ekalavya concocted an excuse to join Acharya Vyasa.

He referred to Acharya Vyasa as Guru Vyasa because Ekalavya considered him his birth Guru, who had not only given him his name but also taught him to speak and understand their language.

He also got to know that Acharya Vyasa's full name is Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa. He had learned quite a few things about his strict Guru from others in the Ashram. 

"You! I'm not traveling to Hastinapur just for sightseeing," Acharya Vyasa replied, seeing through Ekalavya's pretext. 

"Oh, come on, Guru Vyasa, I won't complicate things for you!" Ekalavya playfully replied. 

"Ha, why do you even want to go there?" Acharya Vyasa sighed, seeing Ekalavya's expression and knowing he wouldn't stop bothering him. 

"Well, for starters, I haven't really seen a proper kingdom or had the chance to interact with people beyond our tribe," Ekalavya responded, his eyes shining with curiosity about the kingdom of Hastinapur and its people. 

He really wanted to leave this small tribe to witness the interesting things he could see in Hastinapur. 

That was a legendary kingdom, after all. For him, it was a dream come true from his previous life. 

"Alright, I'll take you along, but just promise not to cause any trouble," Acharya Vyasa reluctantly agreed to his request. 

"Yeah, thank you, Guru Vyasa!" Ekalavya exclaimed with excitement, a huge smile on his face as he thanked Acharya Vyasa. 

'Oh, right, I need something shiny and beautiful, like an ornament, so I can exchange it for some money in Hastinapur. Otherwise, how can I buy tools for my practice?' Ekalavya thought, and he hurriedly went back to one of the huts in the Ashram. 

He gathered some materials, along with his trusty sharp knife, packed them in a small cloth, and got ready to leave with Acharya Vyasa. 

"Alright, we are prepared now!" Acharya Vyasa glanced at the enthusiastic Ekalavya and bid farewell to the others in the Ashram.

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