Ekalavya was the son of Hiranyadhanu, king of the Niṣāda (Nishada; a hunting community). In Vāyupurāṇa (Vayupurana) it is said that he was born of the womb of Aśmakī, and sired by Vasudeva. Later he was brought up among the Niṣāda people, as it is said in Brahmāṇḍapurāṇa (Brahmandapurana) and Vāyupurāṇa.

The fame of Droṇa’s teachinf spread across several kingdoms. Princes from the neighbouring states of Hastināpura (Hastinapura)came to become his disciples. Ekalavya also came to Droṇa for learning archery. But since he was the son of a Niṣāda, Droṇa did not agree to accept him as his disciple. Thus refused by Droṇa, Ekalavya paid his regards, bowing his head, and went away. But he did not give up. He made an idol of Droṇa with clay, and started practicing the techniques of weaponry, all by himself. In a short time, he attained expertise in those techniques. One day, with permission from Droṇa, the Pāṇḍva(s) and Kauravas went to mṛgaya (hunting). A follower went along with them, with equipments and a hunting dog. The dig, roaming hither and thither, went to the place where Ekalavya was practicing archery with full concentration. Seeing him, clad in the skin of a black deer, with matted locks, the dog started barking. Immediately, Ekalvya sealed the mouth of the dog with seven arrows at a time. In this condition, the dog went back to the Pāṇḍava(s) and Kaurava(s). Seeing the proficiency and skill of this unknown archer, they were both in surprise and full of praise.

Searching inside the forest, they found that a young man, clad in a black deerskin was practicing archery. They wanted to know his identity. Ekalavya answered that he wasthe son of Hiranyadhanu, the Niṣāda-king, and a disciple of Droṇacārya’s. The Pāṇḍava(s) went back to Hastināpura. Arjuna said to his Guru, with a bit of despair, )”O master, you promised me that nobody will be equal to me in the skill of archery. Then how is it possible, that one of your disciples has been better than all other students, and even myself”?

Droṇa decided what to do. He went to that place, along with Arjuna, and found that the youth was still practicing archery with rapt attention. Seeing Droṇa, Ekalavya bowed his head.

Droṇa said to him, “If you consider yourself to be a disciple of mine, give me gurudakṣiṇā (gurudakshina, any kind of gift as honorarium to be given to the teacher). Ekalavya said, “There is nothing that I can’t give to my guru. Command me — what to do.” Droṇa said, “I would like to accept as dakṣinā the big finger of your right hand.” Hearing this cruel order of Droṇa, Ekalavya immediate cut off the big finger of his right hand. After that, he could not cast arrows with the same agility as before. Arjuna was also pleased at this; it could be understood what had been his mental condition, when he came to know that Ekalavya was a better archer than himself.
“No warrior will be able to defeat Arjuna” — this utterance of Droṇācārya also came to be true.

In the ‘Khila’ part — Harivaṃś Purāṇa, it is said that Pauṇḍraka Vāsudeva was a close friend of Jarāsandha, the king of Magadha. And Ekalavya, the Niṣāda king was an ally of Pauṇḍraka. When Pauṇḍraka Vāsudeva (Paundraka Vasudeva), in order to avenge the death of Jarāsandha, launched an attack on Mathurā (Mathura), Ekalavya was also one of the chief-generals in the army. When the battle commenced between the Yadu-Vṛṣṇi-Andhaka and Pauṇḍraka’s army, Ekalavya encountered Valarāma (Valarama), the elder brother of Kṛṣṇa (Krishna). Hundreds of Niṣāda warriors started casting arrows upon Valarāma. Though in the single combat with Ekalavya, Valarāma showed his prominence, Ekalavya also put up a tough challenge in front of him. After Pauṇḍraka got killed by Kṛṣṇa, after having a mace-fight with Valarāma for some time, Ekalavya left the battlefield and started fleeing. Valarāma pursued him. Whereever he went, he found Valarāma after him. Finally, he took refuge in a solitary island and thus saved his life. Perhaps he never came out of this solitary refuge in that island.

In Udyogaparva of Mahābhārata, it is mentioned that Ekalavya got slain by Kṛṣṇa.
In Droṇaparva, too, it is said that Kṛṣṇa killed Naiṣāi Ekalavya. Kṛṣṇa told Arjuna that it was for his benefit that Droṇa asked for Ekalavya’s big finger as dakṣiṇā. And Kṛṣṇa himself killed him, for the sake of Arjuna only.

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