Kunti

In Mahabharata, Kunti (Sanskrit: कुन्ती Kuntī) or Pritha was the daughter of Shurasena, and the foster daughter of his cousin Kuntibhoja. She is the sister of Krishna Vasudeva. She was married to king Pandu of Hastinapur and was the mother of Karna and the Pandava brothers Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna. She is often regarded as a female protagonist of Mahabharata along with her daughter-in-law.

Kunti was the biological daughter of the Shurasena, a Yadava chief. Her birth name was Pritha. Kunti was the sister of Vasudeva, the father of Krishna and shared close relationship with Krishna. Her father gave Kunti to his childless cousin Kuntibhoja.

Birth of Karna

Once Sage Durvasa visited Kuntibhoja. He was extremely pleased by the services and comforts offered by Kunti, and offered her a boon to invoke any god to bear a child. Curious, Kunti invoked the mantra and accidentally bore Karna from Surya, the solar deity. Afraid of being an unwed mother, she placed the baby in a basket and set him afloat on a river. This child was later found and adopted by a charioteer Adhiratha and his wife Radha.

Kuntibhoja organized Kunti's swayamvara. Kunti chose King Pandu of Hastinapur, making her the Queen of Hastinapur.

Arrival of Madri

Soon after, during his mission to expand his empire, Pandu married Madri, a princess of Madra in order to secure the vassalage of Madra. Kunti was disturbed by her husband's act, but was eventually reconciled with him.

Pandu's Curse

While hunting in a forest, Pandu mistook Rishi Kindama and his wife for deer and shot arrows at them, killing the conjugal couple. The dying sage placed a curse on Pandu, since he had not only killed them in the midst of lovemaking, but was not remorseful for his action. King Pandu argued with sage Kindama by misquoting sage Agastya's ruling on the right of Kshatriyas on hunting. Sage Kindama then decided to curse him to die if he ever should become intimate with his wife. Pandu renounced the kingdom and went into exile with Kunti and Madri.

Pandu could not make love with his wives due to a curse by sage Kindama. When Pandu expressed to Kunti his despair at the prospect of dying childless, Kunti used the boons given to her by Sage Durvasa to bear three sons—Yudhishthira (by Yama), Bhima (by Vayu), and Arjuna (by Indra). Kunti having warmed up to Madri during their exile shares the mantra with her. Madri bears Pandu Nakula and Sahadeva by the Ashvins.

Pandu attempted to join physical relations with his wife Madri. As per Kindama's curse, he died. Madri committed sati as she was the cause of his Death. Kunti stood helpless in the forest with her children.

After the death of Pandu and Madri, Kunti took care of all five Pandava children, taking them back to Hastinapur. As the rivalry culminates between Pandavas and Kauravas, she decides to go back to Kunti Bhoja. But her attempt was stopped by Bhishma. She performed the puja for the Kala Bhairava for his return.

When the Pandavas returned to Hastinapur, there was a succession crisis. Duryodhana claimed to be the next heir for the kingdom. Dhritarashtra named Yudhishthira as his heir, enraging Duryodhana. With the help of Shakuni, Duryodhana planned to burn the Pandavas and Kunti in a Lakshagraha while they were on a festival at Varnavat. But with early warning and aid from Vidura, the Pandavas and Kunti fake their death and escape the burning house. They travel the countryside, disguised as brahmins.

Slaying Demons

During their stay at Ekachakra, Kunti and the Pandavas came to know of a demon, Bakasura, who troubled the people. Kunti engineered a plot where Bhima would be able to face and kill the demon. The powerful Bhima brought his might to the fore and trumped Bakasura. Later, Bhima slays the rakshasa Hidimba and he is beseeched by Hidimbi, Hidimba's sister, to wed her. Bhima is reluctant, but Kunti ordered Bhima to marry Hidimbi seeing merit in the woman. Hidimbi would go on to birth Ghatotkacha, who later takes part in the Kurukshetra War.

Sharing Draupadi

The Pandavas attended the swayamvara of Draupadi in Panchala. Arjuna was able to win Draupadi's hand. The Pandavas returned to their hut and said that they have bought alms. Kunti misunderstood them and asked the Pandavas to share whatever they had bought. Kunti was shocked after realizing the implications of her words, and scolds her children for treating a woman like alms.

The Pandavas and Kunti are invited back to the kingdom and the kingdom is shared with Kauravas. When the Pandavas lose the kingdom in a dice game and are forced to go into exile for thirteen years, Kunti is forced by her children to remain in the capital.

After the Kurukshetra war, Kunti moved to a forest near the Himalayas with Dhritharashtra and his wife, Gandhari, where all three of them were later perished in a forest fire attaining heaven.