A prince of the Nishadas and a skilled archer who practiced archery before a clay image of Drona and gave his thumb to Drona as a tutorial fee.
एकलव्य (ekalavya) [Printed book page 285-1] Ekalavya, a Niṣāda prince. § 130 (Aṃśāvat.): I,
67,
2699 (among the incarnations from the Krodhavaśagaṇa).—
§ 204: Among the kings and princes who flocked to Droṇa
by thousands to learn the Dhanurveda was E., the son of the
Niṣāda king Hiraṇyadhanus. Not admitted, because he was
a Naiṣādi, he in the forest practised weapons before a clay
image of Droṇa and became very skilled in shooting. One
day when the sporting dog of the princes came upon him he
shot seven arrows into its mouth, and thus pierced the dog
came back to the Pāṇḍavas, who highly admired the precision
of the archer. In order that he might not surpass Arjuna,
Droṇa took from E. the thumb of his right hand as his
tutorial fee: I, 132, 5241 (Niṣādarājasya Hiraṇdhanuṣaḥ
sutaḥ), (5255), 5257, 5261, 5262, 5264, 5265, (5265), 5266.—
§ 289 (Arghāharaṇap.): II, 37, 1351.—§ 296 (Dyūtap.):
II, 53, 1915 (among the kings who waited upon Yudhi-
ṣṭhira at the rājasūya).—§ 554 (Sainyodyogap.): V, 4γ, 80
(among the kings to whom the Pāṇḍavas ought to send
messengers).—§ 561c (Kṛṣṇa Vāsudeva): V, 48, 1884
(ayaṃ sma yuddhe manyate 'nyair ajeyaṃ tam Ekalavyaṃ nāma
Niṣādarājaṃ | vegeneva (B. °naiva) śailam abhihatya Jambhaḥ
śete sa Kṛṣṇena hataḥ parāsuḥ. The text is not clear, but
seems to indicate that E. has been slain by Kṛṣṇa).—§ 600
(Ghaṭotkacavadhap.): VII, 180, †8210 (Niṣādaḥ, had been
slain [by Kṛṣṇa?]); 181δδ, 8231 (all. to § 204; E°ṃ hi
sāṅguṣṭham aśaktā deva-Danavāḥ | sa-Rākṣasoragāḥ, Pārtha,
vijetuṃ yudhi karhicit).—§ 785 (Anugītāp.): XIV, 83, 2472
(Niṣādarājño viṣayaṃ).—§ 793 (Mausalap.): XVI, 6κ, 159
(Naiṣādiṃ, had been slain by Kṛṣṇa). Cf. Naiṣādi,
Niṣāda, Niṣādarāja.
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