Did Shri Krishna really curse Ashwatthama?

 

I doubt it.

If we carefully study the Sauptika Parva, wherein the issue of Shri Krishna’s curse to Ashwatthama appears, we can get a clarity.

In order to pacify wailing Draupadi, at the brutal killing of her 5 sons, Bhimasena reached first the place where Ashvatthama was sitting with rishis. Taking up his bow, Bhima rushed towards Ashvatthama.

Ashvatthama saw Bhima’s arrival, followed by others, had taken up a blade of grass with his left hand, chanted mantras, invoked Brahmastra, powerful celestial weapon, and uttered in wrath these terrible words: ‘For the destruction of the Pandavas.' At the behest of Shri Krishna, Arjuna also discharged the same Brahmastra, while uttering the words, ‘Let Ashvatthama's weapon be neutralised by this weapon!'

Sage Narada and Sage Vyasa immediately rose, stood in the midst of those two blazing weapons, and asked Arjuna and Ashvatthama to withdraw their respective weapons.

The efficacy of that weapons is that not everyone will be able to withdraw it.

brahmatejo bhavaṃ tad dhi visṛṣṭam akṛtātmanā
na śakyam āvartayituṃ brahma cāri vratād ṛte

acīrṇa brahmacaryo yaḥ sṛṣṭvāvartayate punaḥ
tad astraṃ sānubandhasya mūrdhānaṃ tasya kṛntati

That weapon was born of Brahma energy. No person of uncleansed soul can bring it back after it is once let off. Only one that leads the life of a brahmacari can do it. If one who has not practised the vow of brahmacarya seeks to bring it back after having shot it, it strikes off his own head and destroys him with all his equipments.

Respecting the order of those rishis, Arjuna withdrew his weapon.

As Ashvatthama was unable to withdraw it, he changed its destination stating “This blade of grass (inspired into a fatal weapon) will, however, fall into the wombs of the Pandava women, for this weapon is high and mighty, and incapable of being frustrated.”


Sage Vyasa orders Ashvatthama to give the gem that is on his head, so that the Pandavas will in return grant him his life! Ashvatthama gave that gem to the Pandavas.

At that junction Shri Krishna says that he would save the unborn child in Uttara’s womb, on which the Brahmastra had fallen. And, he curses Ashvatthama as follows:

"The fall of this mighty weapon will not be fruitless. The foetus will die. But being dead, it will live again and have a long life!

As regards yourself, all wise men know you for a coward and a sinful wretch! Always engaged in sinful acts, thou art the slayer of children. For this reason, you must have to bear the fruit of these your sins.

For 3,000 years thou shalt wander over this earth, without a companion and without being able to talk with anyone. Alone and without anybody by thy side, you shall wander through diverse countries, O wretch, you shall have no place in the midst of men.

The stench of pus and blood shall emanate from you, and inaccessible forests and dreary moors shall be your abode! You shall wander over the Earth, O You of sinful soul, with the weight of all diseases on you.

And, Pandavas returned to Draupadi and hand over the gem to her. And, she in turn gives it Yudhisthira.

Here lies the hitch.

After returning to Draupadi, Bhima says as follows:

hato duryodhanaḥ pāpo rājyasya paripanthakaḥ
duḥśāsanasya rudhiraṃ pītaṃ visphurato mayā

vairasya gatam ānṛṇyaṃ na sma vācyā vivakṣatām
jitvā mukto droṇaputro brāhmaṇyād gauraveṇa ca

The wretched Duryodhana, that obstacle on the way of our sovereignty, has been slain. I have quaffed the blood of the living Duhshasana. We have paid off the debt we owed to our enemy. People, while talking, will not be able to censure us any longer. Having vanquished Drona's son, we have set him free for the sake of his being a brahmana .

yaśo 'sya pātitaṃ devi śarīraṃ tv avaśeṣitam
viyojitaś ca maṇinā nyāsitaś cāyudhaṃ bhuvi

His fame hath been destroyed, O goddess, only his body remains! He has been divested of his gem and on earth he has been reft of his weapons!"

——

Please note that Bhima had been saying that Ashvatthama was vanquished and set free, for Ashvatthama was a Brahmana. He also said that Ashvatthama had been deprived of the gem.

However, nowhere we can find Bhima saying that Ashvatthama was cursed by Shri Krishna for his acts.

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Hence, according to my understanding, Shri Krishna’s cursing Ashvatthama might be an interpolated story.

 

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