Famous curses of Mahabharata: Which changed the direction of history, amazing stories from destruction to salvation

All the people of Mahabharata know who changed the story: Mahabharata is not just a war saga, but a vast book of curses, boons, deeds and consequences. There are many curses given in this epic, which changed not only the lives of the characters but also the course of the entire dynasty and era. Let us know the story of some of the most famous and influential curses of Mahabharata, which still astonish people.

Curse of Vasu Dyu and birth of Bhishma

When Vasu Deyu stole Kamadhenu from Rishi Vashishtha, the sage cursed the eight Vasus to take human birth. The other Vasus were soon freed, but Dyu had to suffer for the rest of his life. The same Dayu later became Bhishma. Born from the womb of Ganga, Bhishma laid the foundation of Mahabharata with his sacrifice and vow.

Amba’s curse and Bhishma’s death

The insult and rejection of Kashiraj’s daughter Amba became the biggest pain of his life. She cursed Bhishma that she would become the cause of his death in the next life. The same Amba later became Shikhandi and became the reason for Bhishma’s fall in the war.

Pandu got a deadly curse from the sage

After killing the sage in the form of a deer, Pandu was cursed that he would die as soon as he had sexual intercourse. For this reason, Pandavas were born by Niyoga. Ultimately the curse came to fruition and Pandu died, leaving the Pandavas’ lives filled with struggles.

Karna got the curse of Parashuram

Karna claimed to be a Brahmin and learned knowledge from Parashurama. When the truth was revealed, Parashurama cursed “When you will need this knowledge most, you will forget it.” This curse became the reason for Karna’s downfall in the war.

Urvashi’s curse on Arjun

Arjun was cursed to remain impotent for a year after rejecting Urvashi’s love proposal. Later Indra said, “Urvashi’s curse will prove to be a boon for you.” This curse worked for Arjun in his exile.

Curse of destruction of Shri Krishna dynasty

Gandhari, in mourning, cursed Shri Krishna that her dynasty would also be destroyed. Later, due to the curse of the sages and mutual conflict between the Yadavas, the Yadu dynasty was destroyed and Dwarka was immersed in the sea.

Ashwatthama was cursed with immortal pain.

Enraged by the use of Brahmastra, Shri Krishna cursed Ashwatthama “You will wander with disease and pain for 3,000 years.” This curse is still a subject of mystery and folklore today.

Curses of Duryodhana, Ghatotkacha and King Parikshit

Duryodhana was cursed by Maharishi Maitreya that his thigh would be broken. Ghatotkacha had a short life due to the curse of Draupadi. King Parikshit was cursed by the bite of Takshak snake, which started the story of Bhagwat Purana.

These curses from the Mahabharata show that arrogance, adharma and intemperance end in destruction, while dharma, renunciation and restraint ultimately pave the way to salvation.