force of habit, the strong-armed son of Pandu set his heart upon practising with his bow in the night. And, O Bharata, Drona, hearing the twang of his bow-string in the night, came to him, and clasping him, said, 'Truly do I tell thee that I shall do that unto thee by which there shall not be a bowman equal to thee in the world.'"
Vaisampayana continued, "Thereafter Drona began to teach Arjuna the art of fighting on horse-back, on the back of elephants, on chariots, and on the ground. And the mighty Drona also instructed Arjuna in fighting with the mace, the sword, the tomara, the prasa, and the sakti. And he also instructed him in using many weapons and fighting with many men at the same time. And hearing reports of his skill, kings and princes, desirous of learning the science of arms, flocked to Drona by thousands. And amongst those that came, there, O monarch, was a prince named Ekalavya, who was the son of Hiranya-dhanu, 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) excell all his high-born pupils. But, O thou oppressor of all enemies, the Nishada prince, touching Drona's feet with bent head, wended into the forest. And there making a clay image of Drona began to worship it respectfully, as if it were his real preceptor, and practise weapons before it with the most rigid regularity. In consequence of his exceptional reverence for his preceptor, and of his devotion also to his purpose, all the three processes of fixing arrows on the bow-string, aiming, and letting off shafts became very easy to him.
"And one day, O thou grinder of all foes, the Kuru and the Pandava princes, with Drona's leave, set out on their chariots on a hunting excursion. A servant, O king, followed the party at liesure, with the usual implements and a dog. Having arrived at the woods, they wandered about intent on the purpose they had in view. Meanwhile, the dog also, in wandering alone about the woods, came upon the Nishada prince (Ekalavya). And beholding the Nishada of dark hue, of body
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