The Biggest Curses in Hindu Mythology

Curses Form Part Of Every Culture

A curse is a warning and a wish to inflict adversity upon an enemy, using supernatural powers like a mantra, a prayer or a magic spell as in Harry Potter. It forms part of many cultures around the world, from Greek and Roman curses to Celtic curses, African American voodoo to the Mediterranean evil eye curse, from German hexing to the Indian shraap. While Hindu religion is not unique in its repertoire of curses, there are enough meritorious instances that deserve recall and mention. Here are some of the most famous curses in Hinduism...

1. Sage Durvasa's Curse on Shakuntala

In the childhood stories recounted by my grandmother, Durvasa Muni assumed a larger than life persona, thanks to his anger and the curses he heaped on the unsuspecting. According to Abhingyana ShakuntalamThe most famous of his curses was the one he inflicted on Shakuntala, because, lost in her daydreams about her lover King Dushyanth, she forgot to receive the muni with the respect due to a guest. The sage cursed her that because of her inhospitality, the person in her dreams would forget her. When a distraught Shakuntala pleaded with him, the sage reduced the intensity of the curse by suggesting that her lover would remember her once she showed him his ring. What follows in the intervening period is the legend of Shakuntala, such is the life-changing power of a mere curse.

2. Bhrigu Acharya's Curse on Vishnu

The Matsya Purana tell a story about the perpetual wars between devas and asuras. The devas would always end up beating the asuras. Humiliated, Shukra Acharya, guru of the asuras, decided to approach Shiva to obtain the mritasanjeevani stotra, or mantra to make asuras invincible. He, meanwhile, asked the asuras to take refuge at the ashram of his father Bhrigu. The devas found the absence of Shukra Acharya a most opportune time to attack the asuras once again. However, Bhrigu himself being away, the asuras sought his wife's help. Using her powers, she rendered Indra immobile. Indra, in turn, appealed to Lord Vishnu to get rid of her. Vishnu obliged by severing her head with his sudarshana chakra. When Sage Bhrigu saw what had happened to his wife, he cursed that Vishnu be born on earth several times and suffer the pains of worldly life. Hence, Vishnu took birth on Earth in the form of avatars.

3. The Curse On Jaya and Vijaya

According to the Bhagavata Purana, Jaya and Vijaya, gatekeepers at Vaikuntha, abode of Vishnu, one day saw four Kumaras - Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanatkumara - had come to meet Vishnu. Thinking of them to be mere children, not manasaputras of Brahma as they actually were, Jaya and Vijaya stopped them at the door. Enraged, the Kumaras cursed the two that they would have to leave Vaikunta and be born as mere mortals on earth. Jaya and Vijaya appealed to Vishnu but he said the curse of the Kumaras could not be reversed. Instead, he gave Jaya and Vijaya two options: either take seven births on earth as a devotee of Vishnu, or take three births on earth as his enemy. Unable to be away from Vishnu for seven births, Jaya and Vijaya chose to be born as his enemy. Indeed, they were born as Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha; Ravana and Kumbhakarna; and Dantavakra and Shishupala.

4. Valmiki's Curse

Sage Valmiki is walking on the banks of river Tamasa, ponderign how to start writing the epic Ramayana, when he observes two cranes in love. Even as he is moved by the tranquility of the moment, a wild arrow from a hunter's bow comes rushing through the air and strikes at the heart of the male bird. Even as the bird dies in agony, the female bird, filled with sorrow, dies of shock. Valmiki is taken back by this sudden turn of events. Consumed by passion and rage, Valmiki curses the hunter. But he surprised himself by delivering the curse in lyrical prose: मां निषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः। यत्क्रौंचमिथुनादेकम् अवधीः काममोहितम्॥' which means "May you live restless for eternity, for you killed an unsuspecting bird in love"... That was the genesis of the Hindu epic Ramayana.

5. Yudhisthira Curses Kunti

After the battle of Kurukshetra, Yudhisthira performs the funeral rites for all loved ones, including Karna. But he is deeply hurt that Kunti did not reveal to him earlier that Karna was his brother. The depressed prince, in turn, cursed that no woman, henceforth, would be able to keep any secrets. A sexist curse, but true...

6. The Curse of Parashurama

Karna half brother to pandavas and son of Surya, was raised by a low caste charioteer. He came to Parashurama after being rejected by Drona due to his perceived caste. Karna lied that he was a Brahmin, so that Parashurama would accept him as a student and give him knowledge of the powerful Brahmastra weapon. One day, Parashurama was sleeping with his head resting on the lap of Karna when a honeybee bit Karna. In spite of the pain of the insect bite, Karna neither flinched nor cried so his guru's sleep would not be disturbed. When Parashurama learnt of it, he was convinced that only a kshatriya could have borne such pain in silence, and thus realised the lie of Karna. He, therefore, cursed his student that his knowledge of Brahmastra would fail him when he would need it the most. Indeed, it failed him, and he died at the hands of Arjuna, so that dharma would prevail.

7. Urvashi's Curse on Arjuna

Krishna sent Arjuna to Indra for training in warfare. In devlok, the famous apsara Urvashi fell in love with Arjuna. However, he refused her advances. This apsara was aware that Arjuna would have to face agyatwas (lead an anonymous life for a year), so faking false anger at being rejected, she cursed him to become a eunuch for a year. In fact, that way, she helped him maintain his anonymity.

8. Gandhari's Curse on Krishna

Another famous curse from the Mahabharata is the curse cast upon Krishna. After the battle of Kurukshetra, when Krishna goes to console a distraught Gandhari, mother of the 100 Kauravas, she flinches in pain. She curses Krishna that the way in which he schemed to kill her sons and end her bloodline, his bloodline too will never last. Krishna not only died an untimely death, his family members too killed each other in infighting.

9. Indra Cursed By A Rishi

Indra once assaults a rishi's wife. Enraged, the rishi curses Indra that since he is so obsessed with a woman's body, he can have his body decorated with a 1000 vaginas. However, the devas come to beg the sage to lift this curse, since Indra is their chief. The rishi refuses to lift the curse, but agrees that Indra can have a thousand eyes instead.

10. Ravana, A Cursed Man

For those of you who have wondered why Ravana was fearful of Sita, it was because of a curse. He was cursed by his daughter-in-law Rambha for raping her that if he ever tried to touch a woman without her consent, all his ten heads would explode instantly. Poor guy, don't you think?

11. Pandu's Curse

Pandu, who was an excellent archer, was once hunting in a forest. He disturbs Rishi Kindama and his wife in their intimate moment by imagining them to be deer and shoots them down with his arrows. Pandu rushes to the spot to survey his kill when he realizes his folly. The sage, who is breathing his last, curses Pandu, saying, that if he ever approaches a woman with the thought of sex, he shall die then and there". The Mahabharat tells us this is actually how Pandu meets his end, when he approaches his second wife.

12. Yagna and Curses

Once the rishis were conducting a yagna. The question arose as to who among the Holy Trinity was the most superior. Sage Bhrigu went to Brahma and deliberately insulted him, to test him. However, Brahma gor seriously annoyed and vowed to take revenge. Bhrigu, in turn, cursed him, saying no one in Kali Yuga would worship Brahma. Then he went o Shiva's abode. However, Nandi bull stiopped tha sage from entering, saying the divine couple were in their private chambers. An enraged Brigu cursed them that Shiva and Parvati would be henceforth be worshipped in their sexual form (the linga). When the sage visited Vishnu's abode, he was met with humility and courtesy. He then declared Vishnu to be the most superior in the Holy Trinity. 

13. Lakshmi Curses Bhrigu

Now, in the above story, Vishnu was courteous to Sage Bhrigu even though he had tried to provoke Vishnu by kicking him. While Vishnu easily forgave him, his consort Lakshmi could not do so. She cursed that henceforth, she would desert all brahmins. Even today, it is believed that a brahmin cannot become rich. However, all is not lost. Lakshmi provided a papa vimochana or cure for sin by saying that she will not desert those brahmins who worship her husband sincerely.

14. Curse That Killed Mahishasura

Mahishasura had pleased Brahma by his worship. Brahma gave him two boons: He cannot be killed by any man, god or asura. And he can transform into any living form. So one day, Mahishasura took the form of a girl and entered the ashram of Sage Katyani when he was meditating. He went and drank the khir meant to be offered to the gods. When sage Katyani asked the girl why she did that, the girl turned into Mahishasura. Sage Katyani cursed him that since he had duped him in the form of a girl, he would also die at the hands of a girl. Mahishasura laughed it off, saying, "When no man, god or asura can kill me, what harm can a lady do?" However, all the Gods assimilated all their powers to give rise to Maa Durga in the ashrama of Sage Katyani, who, indeed, went on to kill Mahishasura, That's why the sixth form of Navadurga is called Katyani (the daughter of Sage Katyani).
By Radhika Ravi Rajan