Kunti - Mother of Warriors

This is part of my ongoing series on the Mahabharat, an epic poem of ancient India. For links to all previous Mahabharat posts go here. Or you can simply click on the Mahabharat page link above.


There are three female characters in the Mahabharat who are considered the greatest women in the scripture. One of them is Kunti, a lady of immense grace and faith. One who held a terrible secret.

Kunti's birth name was Pritha. She was born the daughter of King Surasena, of the Yadu clan. Her younger brother was Prince Vasudev whose eighth son was Krishna. So Kunti was actually Krishna's aunt.

As a child, her father Surasena gave Pritha to his friend King Kuntibhoj because Kuntibhoj was childless. Thus she became known as Kunti, Kuntibhoj's adored adopted daughter.

One day, a famous sage named Durvasa came to Kuntibhoj's palace. The king assigned Kunti to take care of the sage and serve him. Kunti served with dedication and Durvasa was pleased with her. He said he would give her a boon. Kunti was still only a child but with great wisdom she told the sage to look into her future and give her a boon that would be of use to her in her life. Durvasa then granted her a mantra that gave her the power to summon any celestial being she wished and ask for a gift.

When the sage left, Kunti was curious as to whether the mantra actually worked. She tried to put it out of her mind but the curiousity wouldn't go. So one morning while offering prayers to Surya, the sun god, she spoke the mantra.

He appeared before her and asked what gift she desired. Kunti was frightened and said she wanted nothing, only that he go quickly before someone came. Surya told her that he had to give a gift or the power of the mantra would be unfulfilled. He said he would give her a son, even though she protested that she was unwed and could not have a child. Surya told her not to fear for her virginity would be unaffected and their son would be invincible. The child Surya gave her awoke her maternal love and she adored the baby that Surya called Karna. The child was born with divine armour that was part of his skin and earrings that would shield his head from any harm.

Yet Kunti's fear of social stigma was great. To be an unwed mother was too terrifying. How would she explain to her father Kuntibhoj where this child had come from? She could not. Her heart breaking, she put her beautiful son in a basket and set him on the river, praying that he would be found and cared for. She asked him that he begin his charity by forgiving her.

Kunti was married to King Pandu of Hastinapur, the most mighty king of the land. He was handsome, strong, noble, gentle, and Kunti was happy to be his wife. They loved each other greatly. Still, she felt a hole within her for her lost son. She wished to tell her husband of Karna yet felt that there was no use since she didn't know where her son was now.

Pandu was challenged to war by Shailya, King of Madra. But when they met on the battlefield, instead of fighting Shailya offered Pandu his sister Madri as a second wife. Pandu was in a fix. He didn't want to accept Madri as he was happy with Kunti. He didn't want a second wife. At the same time to refuse would be inviting war with Madri's brother Shailya. For the sake of his soldiers' lives Pandu married Madri and brought her home to meet Kunti.

Kunti was shocked at the sudden turn of events but accepted Madri as her sister and welcomed her into their home.

Once while vacationing in their country house, Pandu went hunting to fulfill Madri's wish for a tiger's skin. Kunti protested that the tiger had not harmed them and thus there was no need to hunt it.

Pandu went anyway. Following the sound of the tiger, he shot his arrow blind. The arrow struck Sage Kindam and his wife who were lying together in the forest. The sage's wife died instantly but Kindam lingered, crying out in pain. Pandu rushed to the scene and fell on his knees, begging forgiveness. In his death throes Kindam cursed Pandu that the next time Pandu lay with his wife he would too die.

Pandu was lost. He believed that by committing this crime, though unknowingly, he was no longer worthy of the throne. He abdicated and passed the crown to his blind brother Dritrashtra before retiring to the forest to perform penance.

Kunti stood by Pandu. She accepted his decision to abdicate and followed him into the forest to live a simple life as an ascetic's wife. Madri went with them. Through all this Kunti knew that Pandu was sad but she didn't know why. It was in the forest that Pandu revealed to Kunti the sage's curse.

"We will be childless," Pandu told her. "Hastinapur will have no heir."

It was then that Kunti thought of her boon from Sage Durvasa. "We can have children, my Lord," she told Pandu. "There is a way." And she told him of the mantra.

Pandu could scarcely contain his joy. "Then invoke Dharmraj, the Lord of Righteousness. Ask for a son!"

Thus Kunti had three sons. Her eldest was Yudhistira, a gift from Dharmraj. Her second was Bhima, a gift from Vayu, Lord of the Wind. Her third was Arjuna, a gift from Indra, King of Gods. Kunti then told Madri the mantra so that she too could have children.

Madri invoked the divine Aswini Twins, who gave her Nakula and Sahadev.

Together, Pandu, Kunti, and Madri lived in the forest with their children. Pandu was proud of his sons and raised them to be honest and brave. They were called the Pandavas after him. But what man can outrun his destiny? One day Pandu and Madri were alone and lost their restraint. Pandu died on the spot, true to Sage Kindam's curse.

Madri blamed herself for Pandu's death and performed penance by immolating herself on Pandu's funeral pyre. Before she died she begged Kunti to care for her two sons.

Kunti was devastated. She'd left the palace to be with her husband but now he was gone and she was alone, a mother of five small children. There was nothing else she could do. She took her sons and returned to Hastinapur.

Kunti had to be strong for everyone. For her husband. For Madri. For her sons. Little did she know that her troubles were only beginning.

To be continued...
To read part two go here.

Go here to read the previous Mahabharat post.