Why Pandu was Cursed

Pandu once went hunting in the forest. He saw two deer. They were in a loving act. Pandu took his bow and shot five arrows at them. The male deer cried out in pain and spoke, 'Even the worst person would not do what you did! You are a Kshatriya, a protector of people, and your duty is to punish the wicked. But we are innocent animals. Why did you harm us?'

The deer then revealed his true form. 'I am Muni Kindama. I was ashamed to do such an act in my human form, so my wife and I became deer.' Pandu was surprised. He said, 'But it is not wrong for a Kshatriya to hunt animals, including deer.'

Kindama replied, 'It is not about hunting. The wrong is that you did not wait. You shot us while we were in the middle of our union. You stopped me from having an offspring, and that is a great sin.'

Kindama, full of anger, continued, 'Your action is against dharma, so you will suffer the consequences. I curse you: If you ever try to be with a woman with desire, both you and the woman will die.'

After saying these words, Muni Kindama died. Pandu stood there, shocked. He thought, 'This happened because I have no self-control. I did not think before I acted. My mistake has brought this terrible curse upon me.'

Lessons -

1. Dharma means doing what is right. Pandu could hunt as a Kshatriya. Killing the deer was not the sin. Stopping their union was the sin. They were trying to have offspring. Pandu interrupted this natural act. This is why it was wrong. A similar situation can be seen in the Ramayana also. Valmiki cursed the hunter not because he killed the bird. It is not against dharma for a hunter to kill for food. The hunter interrupted the act of love of the pair of birds.
2. Karma means the result matches the action. Pandu interrupted physical union, so he was cursed with a similar fate. This is how karma works: the result will always reflect the action.
3. Impulse control is important in making thoughtful decisions. Lack of control leads to negative outcomes, like Pandu's curse.

Knowledge Bank

Niyoga rules

If the husband is impotent or dies childless, the wife can conceive from a brother-in-law. This is called niyoga and is allowed only in the case of childlessness. A woman can do niyoga only for one child or a maximum of two. After the successful union, if the brother-in-law is younger, he treats the woman as his mother. If he is elder, he treats her as his daughter-in-law. Niyoga should be at night. The man has to wear white clothes and apply ghee all over his body for purity. The man and woman have to keep their mind pure and be clear that the act is only for begetting a child. If a prospective bridegroom dies after the engagement, the woman can go for niyoga. (Manu Smriti.9)

Who were Lomaharshana and Ugrasrava? How were they related?

Lomaharshana and Ugrasrava are both Purana narrators. Ugrasrava also narrated the Mahabharata. Both of them belonged to the Suta caste. Ugrasrava was son of Lomaharshana.