The Stranger - Crocodile in the Water

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.


This is the third part of The Stranger series. To read the first part go here and to read the second go here.


Every morning Drona took his disciples to the riverbank. First Drona would bathe and offer prayers, then he would allow the students to enter the river and swim, supervised by him.

One day, as Drona was standing in the river with his eyes closed and his hands folded in prayer, a crocodile drifted up the current towards him. The boys cried out from the riverbank. But it was too late.

The crocodile lunged and seized Drona's leg.

Drona screamed. He struggled to get away but the crocodile had him fast. Blood was everywhere.

Duryodhan and his brothers bolted back through the forest. The Pandavas rushed to the water's edge but were helpless to stop the creature from devouring their guru.

"I'll get help," Yudhistira cried and ran to find someone. His younger brothers ran after him.

But Arjuna didn't bolt, nor did he rush to get help. He ran to where he'd left his bow and arrows. Quickly, he took aim, shooting three times into the crocodile's head.

The creature stopped moving. Drona stopped struggling. He shook the crocodile off his leg and smiled at Arjuna.

"Gurudev," Arjuna shouted, rushing to help him from the water, "how badly are you hurt?"

Drona showed his limb to Arjuna. There was red all over his white cotton dhoti but he stood tall and at ease. "I'm not hurt."

"But the crocodile-"

"Was a test," Drona said.

Arjuna blinked. "A test?"

Drona gestured to the crocodile that hung limp in the water. Closer, Arjuna was able to see that it was a model. In it's fake teeth were the remains of crushed red berries that had stained Guru Drona's clothes to make it look as if he was being eaten.

"A test," Drona said. "I wanted to see how you would all behave in a crisis."

Arjuna's mouth was open as he grasped his guru's words.

"In this world danger can come at any moment, from any direction," Drona said. "You are princes. Future rulers. The fate of your nation stands upon your ability to be calm and practical in any situation. Fear is not an option for you."

At that moment, Yudhistira and the other Pandavas rushed up with two sentries they'd grabbed from patrol. The soldiers were brandishing their swords and ready to kill.

"Gurudev!" Yudhistira huffed, out of breath. "We got help!" Then he took a moment to glance around. He saw the 'crocodile' dawdling in the water with Arjuna's arrows sticking out of it's head. He also saw Drona's ease of posture and how his garments were already being washed of the berry juice. Yudhistira's gaze sharpened. "You are unhurt?"

"Correct, Yudhistira," Drona said. "Excellent work in bringing help. You did the right thing."

But Yudhistira understood what had happened. He went round to Arjuna and embraced him. "Well done."

At that moment Duryodhan ran up, with only Dushasana behind him. Neither of them looked hurried.

"We went to get help, Gurudev," Duryodhan said. "But we couldn't find anyone. Then I thought we'd come back and fight the crocodile ourselves to free you."

Arjuna looked at his teacher to see if Drona would believe that nonsense.

"As you can see, Prince Duryodhan," Drona said gently, "I've already been rescued by Arjuna, and after that by Yudhistira. But I thank you for your efforts."

The Pandavas ducked their heads to hide their smiles. Bhima openly sniggered.

Duryodhan glared at his cousins.


A teacher's job is not only about filling his student's head with theories and equations and memorised dates. A teacher's job is to prepare his student for the world outside. For danger, crises, unexpected events. A teacher's job is to make the student practical and intelligent and fearless no matter what the situation.

Much of our problems today stem from the fact that no one taught us to be prepared for a crisis. We don't calmly take grasp of a situation and decide the best way to deal with it. Instead, we react with fear. And the fact is that whenever a person does something based on fear it will be wrong.

Even worse is that we are actually taught to fear. To regard anyone not like us as the enemy. To see any system not like our own as threatening. To see ourselves as always under attack. And we're taught this because a person who is afraid is easy to manipulate. Easy to control.

So whenever someone tells you to be afraid, understand that they're trying to control you.

Drona didn't want to control his students. He wanted them prepared and able to handle any crisis. He wanted them to make the right decisions and take the right actions for their world. Thus he taught them to be prepared and to conquer their fears.


To be continued...

Go here to read the last Mahabharat post entitled The Stranger - What Do You See?

Go here for the next post in this series entitled The Stranger - Excellence.