Kunti

Kunti, also known as Pritha, is a central figure in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. She is described as the daughter of Shurasena, a Yadava king, and was raised as the foster daughter of King Kuntibhoja, from whom she is sometimes called Kunti. She becomes the wife of Pandu, king of Hastinapura, and the mother of the Pandavas Yudhishthira, Bhima, and Arjuna. Before her marriage, she bore Karna, by a boon she received from the sage Durvasa that allowed her to invoke a god to bear a child; Karna was fathered by Surya, the sun god, and was set afloat to preserve his secrecy.

After marrying Pandu, Kunti invoked Dharma (Yama), Vayu, and Indra to bear Yudhishthira, Bhima, and Arjuna, respectively. When Pandu died, and his wife Madri died later, Kunti became the guardian of the Pandavas and accompanied them through their years of exile, providing counsel and support.

In later years, Kunti remains a prominent matriarch within the narrative, guiding her sons through various trials and contributing to the political and familial dynamics that shape the course of events in Hastinapura. Her story is often read as a lesson in duty, maternal responsibility, and the complexities that arise when divine aid intersects with mortal governance.

Kunti’s character is remembered for her resilience and for the pivotal role she plays in the upbringing of the Pandavas and in the moral and familial dimensions of the Mahabharata. Her name, Pritha, underscores her dual identity as both a noble-born princess and a devoted mother within a turbulent epic.