Introduction
Kunti, born Pritha, is the daughter of the Yadava king Shurasena and was adopted by Kuntibhoja. She is the wife of Pandu, the mother of Yudhishthira, Bhima and Arjuna, and, before her marriage, the mother of Karna.
This article primarily follows the Mahabharata. Where a well-known detail comes from a Puranic or later source, the article identifies it.
Family
- Father: Shurasena
- Husband: Pandu
- Siblings: Vasudeva, Shrutashrava
- Sons: Karna (by Surya, before her marriage), Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna
The mantra
As a girl, Kunti served the sage Durvasa in her adoptive father's house. He gave her a mantra by which she could call any god and have a child by him.
Karna
Out of curiosity she tested the mantra with Surya, the sun god, and gave birth to a son, Karna, born with armour and earrings. Afraid of scandal, she placed him in a basket in the river. He was found and raised by the charioteer Adhiratha and his wife Radha.
Marriage and sons
Kunti chose Pandu at her swayamvara. When Pandu could not father children because of a curse, she used the mantra to have Yudhishthira by Dharma, Bhima by Vayu and Arjuna by Indra. She shared it with Madri, Pandu's second wife.
After Pandu
After Pandu's death, Kunti brought up the five Pandavas and lived with them at Hastinapura. She was with them during their exile. She told Karna the secret of his birth just before the war and asked him to join his brothers, and he refused, but promised not to kill four of them.
The end
After the war, Kunti went to live in the forest with Dhritarashtra and Gandhari. She died there in a forest fire, according to the Ashramavasika Parva.