Kuntibhoja

Kuntibhoja, also known as Kunti-bhoja, is a legendary king of the Bhoja dynasty who appears in the Indian epic Mahabharata. He is best known as the foster father of Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas.

According to the narrative in the Adi Parva, Kuntibhoja found the infant Kunti abandoned at his palace and took her in, raising her as his daughter and providing her with education and a royal upbringing. This episode establishes Kunti’s early life and frames her later marriage to Pandu, the king of Hastinapura.

In the Mahabharata, Kuntibhoja is portrayed as a virtuous and generous ruler, esteemed for his righteousness and hospitality. His portrayal serves as a model of noble kingship and benevolence within the broader moral landscape of the epic. His role is primarily as a benefactor figure whose care shapes the early fortunes of the Pandava lineage.

Kunti’s marriage to Pandu produced Yudhishthira, Bhima, and Arjuna, who become central figures of the Mahabharata. Kunti also bore Karna, by divine fatherhood, before her marriage to Pandu; Karna’s birth and his later fate introduce significant tensions and loyalties within the epic’s drama.

Kuntibhoja’s name is typically associated with the Bhoja-dynasty king who adopted Kunti. His exact geographical domain is described differently in various retellings, but the core attribution remains: he is the foster father whose care shapes Kunti’s early life in the Mahabharata.