Multiple choice general knowledge

A low caste tribal boy, he practised archery for years keeping the statue of Guru Dronacharya who only taught the royal family before him. Realising that the boy was a better archer than Arjun, his favourite and known to be the best student, Guru Dronacharya asked him to cut of his thumb as 'guru dakshina' (a tradition in which a disciple gives an offering to his master for the learning he has achieved). Who was this young boy?

  1. Abhimanyu

  2. Ekalavya

  3. Ashwathama

  4. Karna

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Ekalavya, a Nishadha tribal boy, learned archery by practicing before a clay statue of Dronacharya after being refused admission to his gurukul. When Dronacharya saw Ekalavya's superior skills, he demanded his thumb as 'guru dakshina' to ensure Arjun remained unrivaled, a controversial act seen as injustice toward lower castes.

AI explanation

To answer this question, you need to be familiar with the characters and events from the Indian epic, Mahabharata.

The young boy in question is Ekalavya.

Option A) Abhimanyu - This option is incorrect. Abhimanyu was the son of Arjuna and Subhadra, and he was known for his skills in warfare, particularly in the art of war chariots.

Option B) Ekalavya - This option is correct. Ekalavya was a low caste tribal boy who practiced archery in the forest. He considered Guru Dronacharya as his guru, even though he was not formally trained by him. When Guru Dronacharya realized that Ekalavya had become a better archer than his own favorite student, Arjuna, he asked Ekalavya to cut off his thumb as "guru dakshina" or an offering to his master.

Option C) Ashwathama - This option is incorrect. Ashwathama was the son of Dronacharya and played a significant role in the Mahabharata, but he was not the young boy in question.

Option D) Karna - This option is incorrect. Karna was a character in the Mahabharata and was known for his archery skills. However, he did not go through the specific incident described in the question.

The correct answer is B) Ekalavya.