Major curses found in Hindu mythological texts
Description of many boons and curse are found in Hindu mythological texts. As far as curses are concerned, each one has a story and reason behind it. Curses control future events more than the boons control the events. Today we will tell you about such major curses which are discussed a lot and due to which a series of events was created in history mythological texts
Narad’s curse on Lord Vishnu
According to Shivpuran, once Devrishi Narad also reached Sri Lakshmi’s Swayamvavar because he was fascinated by Sri Lakshmi. Lord Vishnu also reached the same Swayamvar, but he made Devrishi Narad’s face like a monkey with his illusion.
Leaving Narad, Sri Lakshmi took the name of Lord Vishnu. When Narada Muni came to know about this, he became very angry with Lord Vishnu and cursed Lord Vishnu that the way you have troubled me for a woman. In the same way, you will also suffer the pain of separation from your wife. Due to his curse, Lord Vishnu had to take the form of Rama and he fulfilled this curse. But he got a curse even in Ramavatar.
Shriram got cursed
Shriram who is considered to be the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu was cursed by an Apsara. She was the wife of Apsara Wali Vanar. It was then that Sugriva the monkey who was a dear friend of Shri Rama sought help from Lord Rama which led to a fight between Sugriva and Vali in which Vali was killed by Lord Rama’s arrow.
Knowing that Vali was killed by deceit, his wife Tara cursed Shri Ram and gave him a curse. According to the curse Lord Rama will lose his wife Sita soon after getting it. She also said that she would be killed by her husband (Vali) at the next birth. In the next birth, Lord Vishnu was born as Shri Krishna, and his incarnation was ended by a hunter (who was also a form of Vali).
Gandhari’s curse to Shri Krishna
After the war of Mahabharata, when Lord Shri Krishna came to console Gandhari, Gandhari cursed Shri Krishna after seeing the destruction of her sons that just as Pandavas and Kauravas were destroyed due to mutual disunity, in the same way, your Brothers and relatives will also be destroyed. From today in the thirty-sixth year, you will be killed like an orphan for a simple reason when your relatives and sons are destroyed.
Another curse is famous in this story. According to the Mausal festival of Mahabharata, once Maharishi Vishwamitra, Kanva, etc. sages went to Dwarka. Then to make fun of those sages, Saran Adi took Krishna’s son Samba to them in the dress of a woman and asked what would be born from the womb of this woman. Enraged, the sages cursed that this son of Shri Krishna would produce a fierce iron pestle to destroy the Vrishni and Andhakvanshi men, by which the entire Krishna clan would be destroyed.
King Yayati cursed by Shukracharya
According to an incident in the Mahabharata, King Yayati was married to Shukracharya’s daughter Devayani. Devayani had a maidservant named Sharmistha. Once when Yayati and Devayani were roaming in the garden, she came to know that the father of Sharmistha’s sons was also King Yayati, so she went to her father Shukracharya in anger and told him the whole thing.
Then the demon Guru Shukracharya cursed Yayati to become old immediately. When the fear of death started troubling him in his old age, he asked his sons for their age. Except for Yadu, everyone gave some of their age to their father. He was cursed by Yadu for not giving.
Kadru’s curse to his sons
According to Mahabharata, sage Kashyap had two wives named Kadru and Vinata. Kadru was the mother of snakes and Vinta was of Garuda. Once Kadru and Vinta saw a white horse and made a bet. Vinata said that this horse is completely white and Kadru said that the horse is white, but its tail is black.
To prove his point, Kadru told his snake sons that all of you go in subtle form and stick to the horse’s tail so that its tail appears black and I win the bet. Some snakes did not listen to Kadru. Then Kadru cursed his sons that all of them will be burnt to ashes in Janamajeya’s snake sacrifice.
Nandi’s curse to Ravana
According to Valmiki Ramayana, once Ravana went to Kailash to meet Lord Shankar. There he laughed at Nandiji’s appearance and called him the one with a monkey’s face. Then Nandiji cursed Ravana that they will be annihilated because of the monkeys.
Tulsi’s curse to Lord Vishnu
According to Shivpuran, there was a demon named Shankhchud. His wife’s name was Tulsi. Tulsi was chaste, due to which even the gods were unable to kill Shankhchud. For the salvation of the deities, Lord Vishnu broke Tulsi’s modesty by taking the form of a conch shell.
Then Lord Shankar killed Shankhchud. When Tulsi came to know about this, she cursed Lord Vishnu to turn it into stone. Because of this curse, Lord Vishnu is worshiped in the form of Shaligram Shila.
Shringi Rishi curses Parikshit
After the ascension of Pandavas, Abhimanyu’s son Parikshit ruled. Everyone was happy and prosperous in his kingdom. Once King Parikshit went far away while hunting. Then he saw a sage named Shamik there in a silent state. King Parikshit wanted to speak to him, but being silent and in meditation, the sage did not respond.
Seeing this, Parikshit became very angry and picked up a dead snake and put it around the sage’s neck. When Shringi, the son of Rishi Shamik, came to know about this, he cursed that for seven days from today, Takshak snake king Parikshit would be bitten, due to which he would die.
Curse of Vasus by Maharishi Vashishtha
According to Mahabharata, Bhishma Pitamah was one of the eight Vasus in his previous birth. Once these eight Vasus forcibly abducted the cow of sage Vashishtha. When the sage came to know about this, he cursed the eight vasus that you eight vasus would have to be born in human form in the world of death, and the eighth vasu would not get the pleasures of kingship, women, etc. This eighth Vasu was Bhishma Pitamah.
Curse of a Brahmin couple to King Dasaratha
According to Valmiki Ramayana, once King Dasaratha went to the forest for hunting, by mistake he killed Shravan Kumar, a mere devotee of his father. The parents of that Shravan Kumar were blind. When he got the news of his son’s death, he cursed King Dasaratha that just as we are sacrificing our lives in separation from our son, similarly you will also die due to separation from your son.
Sri Krishna’s curse to Ashwatthama
At the end of the Mahabharata war, when Ashwatthama killed the Pandava sons by deceit, the Pandavas followed Ashwatthama along with Lord Krishna and reached the hermitage of Maharishi Vedvyas. Then Ashwatthama attacked the Pandavas with Brahmastra. Seeing this, Arjun also left his Brahmastra.
Maharishi Vyas stopped both the weapons from colliding and asked Ashwatthama and Arjuna to take back their respective Brahmastras. Then Arjuna took back his Brahmastra, but Ashwatthama did not know this knowledge. So he changed the direction of his weapon towards the womb of Abhimanyu’s wife Uttara.
Seeing this, Lord Krishna cursed Ashwatthama that you would wander on this earth for three thousand years and you would not be able to talk to any man, anywhere. Your body will smell of pee and blood. That’s why you will not be able to live among humans. You will remain lying in the remote forest.
