Mb011. Drona, The Teacher Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

MAHABHARATA

A golden ball fell
Deep into a well,
Once when the Kauravas
Played with the Pandavas.

Thro' the crystal water,
It was visible clear,
But none could lift it
Though they tried it.

Yudhisthira's ring down it fell.
To join the ball inside the well.
The ring and ball made of gold
Inside the water they rolled.

A Brahmin Drona by name,
On his way there he came,
He offered to pull it up
With his arrow's help.

The arrow one he shot,
That went to the spot.
Up it knocked the ball.
It sprang out of the well.

A blade of grass next he took,
Chanted some mantras to hook,
And the ring from the deep well
Straight it jumped up and fell.

A wonder of this kind,
Till then they didn't find.
His greatness they saw,
With surprise and awe.

His respects to them he paid,
And to their invitation he said,
"Tell Bhisma of this incident,
To know about my precedent."

When Bhisma came to know,
He was sure behind this show
It was Drona the teacher,
A famous warrior and archer.

Bhisma rushed to his place,
And brought him to the palace.
He kept Drona as their teacher,
In the interest of their future.

An archer how he became?
To Bhisma why he came?
Behind this there's a story,
About his past life weary.

The Panchala prince Drupada,
And his Brahmin friend Drona,
In the Bharadvaja's hermitage,
Both studied in their young age

When Drupada became a king,
The poor Drona had nothing.
When for help Drona went,
Out from the palace he was sent.

To Parasurama then he went,
The art of archery well he learnt.
To take revenge was in his mind
On Drupada, his unfaithful friend.

Later, his life became bright,
When he came to the place right.
As an archer he earned a name,
His prime student Arjuna became.