Eklavya :The Archer's Vow

In the kingdom of Hastinapur,

Lived a young boy with a heart so pure,

Eklavya was his name, an archer without peer,

Whose aim was always true, his skill so clear.

But fate dealt a cruel hand,

And Eklavya's dream was about to disband,

For the prince who ruled the land,

Had forbidden him to learn and stand.

The boy with no teacher, no master to guide,

Taught himself to shoot with unerring pride,

With a wooden idol as his sole mentor,

He trained hard each day, his spirit never to falter.

He made a statue of the prince, his idol,

And practised with diligence, his skill so vital,

Eklavya's oath was not to the prince,

But to his skill, his passion, his defence.

One day, a great archer came to town,

And asked Eklavya to put his skills down,

But the boy had already pledged,

To his idol, his loyalty, his heart never to hedge.

The great archer demanded a price,

A finger from Eklavya's hand, as sacrifice,

The boy agreed, for he valued his vow,

To his idol, his only master, his mentor somehow.

He gave his finger with a stoic calm,

For he knew his pledge would never be harmed,

Though his skill would now be diminished,

His spirit would remain undiminished.

Eklavya's vow was to himself,

To master his skill and excel,

To honour his passion and his art,

With unrelenting dedication in his heart.

Thus, Eklavya's name lives on,

As a symbol of dedication and passion,

An archer who forged his own path,

With his vow as his guide, his spirit never to be quashed.