What Does It Mean To Be Cursed

“Those who are envious and mischievous, who are the lowest among men, are cast by Me into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 16.19)

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तान् अहं द्विषतः क्रूरान्
संसारेषु नराधमान्
क्षिपाम्य् अजस्रम् अशुभान्
आसुरीष्व् एव योनिषु

tān ahaṁ dviṣataḥ krūrān
saṁsāreṣu narādhamān
kṣipāmy ajasram aśubhān
āsurīṣv eva yoniṣu

“The following is a generic story that I present to illustrate a principle, with a follow-up question necessary to clear confusion. You have a saintly person. It could be your classic image of a renounced monk, with white hair, white beard, and all. They travel from place to place. They are not encumbered by a job, by a boss, by a corporation, by the changing whims of the average consumer. They do not get yelled at by a spouse. They are not constantly bothered by ungrateful children, who only want more and more.

“This saintly person comes across different people. Some are nice. Some are not so nice. In the case of an egregious breach of etiquette, in leading to an offense against the saintly person, there is anger in return. Like fighting fire with fire, the saintly person decides to curse the offender. The offender is sad, as a result. They look for ways out, and if the saintly person feels compassionate enough, they might add an extra benediction. The curse will end through a meeting with someone important, for instance.

“I bring this up because the basic framework for such a story repeats across the annals of scriptural texts of the Vedic tradition. There are too many curses to mention, in fact. Sometimes the offense is entirely accidental. For instance, King Dasharatha mistakenly kills a young man while hunting for deer. This man was the lone support of his aged parents. Those parents then curse Dasharatha to suffer the same fate, to leave this world out of the pain of separation from his beloved son.

“Many times, the curse is to take a future birth as a Rakshasa or an asura. The translation we use in English is ‘demon’, but that doesn’t tell the full story. The question I have is that many times these Rakshasas are quite powerful. The asuras can rise to the stature of king of the world. There is the potential to wield authority at the highest level conceived by the mind.

“How exactly are these curses, then? Why is it a curse to become powerful, to roam the night undetected, to consume endless amounts of animal flesh, to constantly be intoxicated, and the like? You tell that to someone on the street today, they would accept the deal in a heartbeat. They would not understand the curse aspect to it. They would not see the negatives.”

The curse becomes clear when we understand the handicapping system applied to the different kinds of birth. Consider the following questions: Would we rather be a dog or a human being? Would we rather be an insect or a dog? Would we rather be the lion or the animal chased down and devoured by the lion?

अहस्तानि सहस्तानाम्
अपदानि चतुष्-पदाम्
फल्गूनि तत्र महतां
जीवो जीवस्य जीवनम्

ahastāni sahastānām
apadāni catuṣ-padām
phalgūni tatra mahatāṁ
jīvo jīvasya jīvanam

“Those who are devoid of hands are prey for those who have hands; those devoid of legs are prey for the four-legged. The weak are the subsistence of the strong, and the general rule holds that one living being is food for another.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.13.47)

There are variations within the human species. Just consider the different kinds of birth. Think of the different circumstances that people are born into. It appears that they have no say in the matter. One person grows up with their greatest concern of remodeling their guesthouse, while another person is always desperate to find food to eat. The disparity can be striking, if we think about it. At the surface, the two people are the same. One is not inherently better than the other.

Within the human species, the handicapping system applies to the chances of success at ending the cycle of birth and death. Those with a better chance have a “higher” birth, while those with more obstacles in front of them have a “lower” birth. Since the individual is spirit soul, Divinity is always close by. The obstacles can be overcome, and the assets can be misappropriated for unprofitable ventures, anartha.

मां हि पार्थ व्यपाश्रित्य
ये ऽपि स्युः पाप-योनयः
स्त्रियो वैश्यास् तथा शूद्रास्
ते ऽपि यान्ति परां गतिम्

māṁ hi pārtha vyapāśritya
ye ‘pi syuḥ pāpa-yonayaḥ
striyo vaiśyās tathā śūdrās
te ‘pi yānti parāṁ gatim

“O son of Pritha, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth – women, vaishyas [merchants], as well as shudras [workers]— can approach the supreme destination.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 9.32)

The chances for success in liberation increase based on an understanding of the difference between matter and spirit. The more a person realizes their identity as Brahman, which is imperishable, everlasting, and with endurance, the more likely they are to make this birth the last one. The final spin of the wheel of suffering, so to speak.

ब्रह्म-भूतः प्रसन्नात्मा
न शोचति न काङ्क्षति
समः सर्वेषु भूतेषु
मद्-भक्तिं लभते पराम्

brahma-bhūtaḥ prasannātmā
na śocati na kāṅkṣati
samaḥ sarveṣu bhūteṣu
mad-bhaktiṁ labhate parām

“One who is thus transcendentally situated at once realizes the Supreme Brahman. He never laments nor desires to have anything; he is equally disposed to every living entity. In that state he attains pure devotional service unto Me.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 18.54)

Devouring food like an animal, completely removing control over the senses, stealing property that belongs to others, killing indiscriminately, terrorizing the innocent, frantic in the hope to remove dharma from the world – these are not auspicious conditions. It is indeed a curse to live this way. If looking for an obvious negative, one that stands out and that can be identified without a deep philosophical discussion, the curse into a lower species brings the condition known as ajitendriyah.

स इत्थं निर्जितककुबेकराड् विषयान् प्रियान्
यथोपजोषं भुञ्जानो नातृप्यदजितेन्द्रिय:

sa itthaṁ nirjita-kakub
eka-rāḍ viṣayān priyān
yathopajoṣaṁ bhuñjāno
nātṛpyad ajitendriyaḥ

“In spite of achieving the power to control in all directions and in spite of enjoying all types of dear sense gratification as much as possible, Hiranyakashipu was dissatisfied because instead of controlling his senses he remained their servant.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 7.4.19)

This was the case with the Daitya leader named Hiranyakashipu. He had everything going for him, but he was still miserable. Sita Devi applied the same description to the Rakshasa leader named Ravana. Because of that lack of control over the senses, because the indriya was dominating over the otherwise sober and rational human being, the destiny is destruction. The people following the ajitendriyah leader would also have to suffer; they would be like collateral damage in a great war.

If it is a curse to become an asura, to be dominated by the senses, to always be in agitation due to lack of satisfaction and fulfillment in life, then it is easy to imagine what a real benediction is. To be blessed by a saintly person is to always be connected to Divinity, to have control over the senses, and to come closer to ending the cycle of birth and death. This blessing is already available in so many ways, notably through sacred literature passed along, distributed, and continuously explained by those who are in the line of Prahlada Maharaja, the devoted son of the aforementioned Hiranyakashipu.

In Closing:

A curse how to presume?
When endless to consume.

Food, pleasure, and drink to replenish,
Never a thought to diminish.

But truth in the senses to see,
How always agitated to be.

While peaceful on the other side,
Blessing in model of Prahlada to reside.