The self-controlled person, moving among objects, with his senses free from attachment and malevolence and brought under his own control, attains tranquility.
~ Bhagavad Gita II.64
The law of cause and effect forms an integral part of Hindu philosophy. This law is termed as ‘karma’, which means to ‘act’.
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English defines it as the “sum of person’s actions in one of his successive states of existence, viewed as deciding his fate for the next”.
In Sanskrit karma means “volitional action that is undertaken deliberately or knowingly”. This also dovetails self-determination and a strong will power to abstain from inactivity. Karma is the differentia that characterizes human beings and distinguishes him from other creatures of the world.
Karma of a person can directly or indirectly harm well being of other living entity and on the other hand it can prove to be beneficial too. In both the cases, the anchor point is the will or intention with which the Karma or deed was done and it is the degree of self-realization and perseverance which enables a doer to judge his intentions or wishes to be a nobler or wretched ones.
Many examples from ancient scriptures and examples cites clear reference that Gods, Demi-Gods and other celestial beings who are infinitesimal much more superior to human personification, thoughts and deeds in terms of nobility, righteousness and dignity; were not spared by the Karma-Chakra harsh outcomes and were forced or punished or penalised to lead a life or certain period of life in ultimate hell-like penance and solitude.
Few of such stories are as follows~
“ The Curse of Bhrigu “
Curses have often changed the course of history in Hindu scriptures.
According to the Matsya Purana, the story of the curse in set in the backdrop of war between Devatas (demi gods) and Asuras (demons). Demi gods were led by God Indra and it was an uphill task for the demons to defeat them in many subsequent battles. Having lost several times, the leader of the demons, Shukuracharya (son of the sage Bhrigu) decided to approach Lord Shiva for help to defeat Devatas. He also requested Lord Shiva for Mrita Sanjivani, using which Shiva could bring back the dead. He would also pray to Lord Shiva, to grant Shukracharya, Mritasanjeevani Stotram, a mantra that would make the Asuras invincible.
Meanwhile, he asked the Asuras to take refuge at the ashram of his father, Bhrigu. The Devtas used this opportunity to attack unarmed Asuras. Moreover, if Shukuracharya had been granted the mantra of invincibility, it would have become difficult for them to defeat the Asuras.
In the absence of the sage, the Asuras fled to Bhrigu’s wife for shelter. To protect them, she used her powers to immobilize Indra.
Lord Vishnu used his Sudarshana Chakra to save Devatas.
Unnerved by the immobilization of Indra, the Devas decided to take refuge at the feet of Lord Vishnu. Vishnu decided to enter the body of Indra to save the Devas. Enraged by this, Bhrigu’s wife warned to burn them down to ashes if they did so. Indra instigated to annihilate Bhrigu’s wife, and abiding by Indra’s words, Vishnu used the Sudarshana Chakra to serve her head.
Devastated sage Bhrigu seeing his wife’s condition, cursed lord Vishnu to be born on earth, and suffer the pain of birth and death several times. Because of this curse Vishnu had to take countless avatars on earth and endure all the worldly pain as a price.
Although later Bhrigu revived his wife by sprinkling holy water from his Kamandalu, he was so deeply infuriated and full of vengeance, he decided not to spare Lord Vishnu.
Bhrigu’s curse demanded that Lord Vishnu be born on earth in several avatars, and one of them was that of Krishna. Without Krishna, there would have been no Mahabharat and no Bhagwat Gita.
The curse also made Vishnu feel human emotions such as love, hatred, betrayal and pain of separation.
Hence, the preserver part of the Supreme Trinity was also unable to evade the invincible strokes of Karma-Chakra.
” Curse of Sage Narada “
Narada was one of the greatest Bhaktas of Lord Vishnu. His penance and meditation was so strong that nothing perturbed his mind. But even he wasn’t above making blunders and falling prey to pride. He took great pride of the fact that he was above temptation and he had conquered Kamadeva with respect to any kind of worldly desire. At one such instance of boasting, Lord Shiva warned him to keep it to himself and not to go around boasting about it.
Narada took it for jealousy and boasted about his victory over his Kama to Lord Vishnu. Vishnu wanted to humble his pride. On his way back from the Vaikunta, Lord Narada stumbles upon this beautiful city he was never seen before in his travels.
He pays a visit to the city and learns that the kingdom was ruled by a king named Sheelnidhi and that the king was planning to hold a swayamwara for his daughter, who was an ardent devotee of the Lord.
Narada is captivated by the beauty of the princess and seeks Lord Vishnu’s help in wooing the princess. He asks the Lord to give him the face of “Hari,” the face of the lord. Vishnu plays a trick on him and gives him the face of a monkey, Narada had forgotten the fact that “Hari” also meant monkey. So not aware of his appearance, with that monkey face he goes to the palace for the swayamwara. The princess is so lost in the thought of Lord that she sees no one else.
Narada tries desperately to seek her attention. The other princes gathered there make fun of him, only then does he realize the trick the Lord played on him. The princess on the other side does not pay attention to anything or anyone, with single hearted devotion to the Lord prays and finally he fulfills her desire and appears in front of her, and she garlands him.
But before Narada realized that it was all just an illusion created by the Lord to humble his pride he is said to have felt betrayed and cursed the Lord that in one of his avatara he would have to bear the pain of separation from his wife and only a monkey would be able to relieve him of his sufferings. Thus, when Vishnu was born as Rama, Hanuman a monkey helped him to free Sita from the bonds of Ravana.
It is very well understood that Shri Vishnu performed a Noble task to make his devotee void of pride which is a very insatiable and unwanted element of human character in spirituality but in-turn it hurted Narada Muni and Shri Vishnu got cursed. But even in the outcome, Lord Rama is one of the most infallible and respected diety throughout the world and his life is set as example of management in righteous way hence naming his as Maryada-Puroshottam.
” Curse on Hanuman “
As a child, Hanuman acquired lots of boons from various gods, and he started using his new-found powers to cause a lot of mischief:
Because of the boons he received and the strength which he gained from them, Hanuman was replete with his own speed, like the ocean. Overflowing with energy, Hanuman fearlessly desecrated the hermitages of great sages. He broke the sacrificial laddles and vessels, interrupted the offering of oblations into sacrificial fires and tore up the piles of bark cloth belonging to the peaceful sages. The mighty Hanuman continued doing such deeds. Knowing that Brahma had made him invulnerable to punishment by brahmanas, the sages tolerated it because of his power.
Although prohibited by [his fathers] Kesari and Vayu, Hanuman went beyond the bounds of propriety. Great sages born in the families of Bhrigu and Angira, who were never overly angry or wrathful, became furious and cursed him in the following way: “O monkey, illusioned by our curse, you will for a long time be unaware of your own strength, by dint of which you harassed us. Your strenth will again grow when you are reminded of your glory.” Thereafter, by the power of the words of the great sages, Hanuman was deprived of his strength.
Hence, even Lord Hanuman was beseeched by the mischievous flaws of his Karma-Chakra.
” Curse on the Great Warrior of all times, ‘Karna‘ “
The curses that were behind Karna’s fall are as follows:
1. Mother Earth’s Curse:
Karna once helped a little girl who had split Milk (or Ghee) on the ground and feared retribution from her mother. A kind Karna helped the girl retrieve the Milk by squeezing and twisting the ground; in essence, Mother Earth herself. So unbearable was the pain, that Mother Earth cursed Karna that she would be of no assistance to him whatsoever and will even try to make him vulnerable in battle.
This resulted in the untimely incident of Karna’s Chariot Wheel getting stuck in mud during his battle with Arjuna.
- The Teacher’s Curse:
On the final day of the lessons from Parashurama, Karna unflinchingly bears a scorpion (or bee – which was Lord Indra in disguise) bite, when Parashurama is resting upon his lap. A bewildered Parashurama realizes that Karna can be none but a Warrior and curses Karna that he will forget the knowledge of the weapons, especially the Brahmastra, when he needs them the most.
This curse came into effect when Karna forget the mantra to invoke the Brahmastra while fighting against Arjun in his last day on the battlefield.
- A Brahman’s Curse:
Karna, once when practicing the Shabd Bhedi Arrow, mistook a Cow for a wild animal and shoots it down. The Brahman to whom the cow belongs is distraught. He curses Karna that he will be killed by his enemy when his attention is diverted in the middle of a combat.
This curse materializes when Karna is busy removing the chariot wheel from the mud and is shot by Arjuna, on the advice of Krishna.
Hence, such are the fruits of Karma and hence very accurately and with great precision is it said that “As you sow, so shall you reap.”
theSpiritual 
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