The Stranger - What Do You See?

This is part of my ongoing series on the Mahabharat, an epic poem of ancient India. For links to all previous Mahabharat posts go here. Or you can simply click on the Mahabharat page link above.


Last week we saw that the young Pandava and Kaurava princes met the man who was to become their guru, Dronacharya. Click here to read last week's installment.

Drona was unknown but almost immediately was a favourite. This is what happened next:


Dronacharya became the new royal teacher, giving Kripacharya more time to spend in advising the king.

The princes learned that Drona and Kripa were actually brothers-in-law, since Drona was married to Kripa's twin sister, Kripi. The two gurus respected each other immensely so the transition in the school was smooth, especially when Kripi arrived with her son Ashwathama.

The boys were fascinated with their new teacher. Everything Drona did or said, they ate it up.

Especially when Drona instructed them on weaponry. He would speak quietly, pointing out the various technicalities of becoming proficient with different weapons. But Drona himself wasn't just 'proficient'. In demonstrations he stunned the princes over and over again until they were sweating and bleeding in their efforts to match him.

One day Drona took the boys on a field trip into the forest. They were excited because he'd ordered them to bring their bows and arrows and they thought this meant they would be attempting some challenging feat.

Instead, Drona led them on a long walk into the heart of the forest to an old tree. He told all the boys to sit on the ground and look up at it.

"On one of those branches I have placed the model of a bird," Drona told them. "Can you see it?"

The boys squinted and peered and eventually, one by one, they all nodded.

Drona selected Yudhistira and told him to come to the front. "Take aim but don't shoot."

Yudhistira kneeled at the roots of the tree and set his arrow on his bow, then took aim.

"What do you see?" Drona asked.

"I see the bird, the branches, the leaves, the sky, the clouds-"

"Stop," Drona said. "Go back to your place. Duryodhan, come forward and take aim but don't shoot."

Duryodhan went to where Yudhistira had kneeled.

"What do you see?" Drona asked.

"I see the branches and in the middle of the highest branch I see a parrot."

"What else?"

"I see that the parrot has a red beak and a green body."

Drona was silent for a moment.

"Shall I shoot?" Duryodhan asked.

"No."

One by one, Drona had all the princes take aim and each time he asked them the same question. "What do you see?" He didn't permit anyone to shoot.

Then it was Arjuna's turn. He kneeled amidst the tree's roots and took aim.

"What do you see?"

"I see the tree leaves and within them I see the green parrot," Arjuna said.

"Hmm... Now what do you see?"

"I see the parrot's head."

"And now?"

"I see only it's eyes."

Drona nodded. "And now?"

"Gurudev, now I see only it's left eye."

Drona was silent. Then: "Shoot."

Arjuna released his arrow and it whizzed through the air. The model parrot fell to the ground. Arjuna's arrow was embedded in it's left eye.

Drona lifted it up to show his students. "A true archer sees only his target," he told them. "In war and life there are many distractions. Your ability to focus is your deadliest weapon. When you are a true archer nothing will stop you."

Drona gave the parrot to Arjuna. "Class dismissed."


This is a life lesson for us all. This world has many distractions. Whether it's a job, bills, a spouse, kids, parents, friends, crime, the economy, personal insecurities, politics, sex - they will all get in the way to distract you from your true purpose.

Don't let this happen.

Fix your mind on your target. Your ability to focus is your deadliest weapon. Become a true archer and nothing will stop you.

The only question is this: What is your goal?

Or perhaps Drona said it better: "What do you see?"


To be continued...

Click here for last week's post entitled The Stranger.

Click here for the next post in this series entitled The Stranger - Crocodile in the Water.