Kunti: Timeless Tales of the Unrelenting and Unbending

***Ahalya, Draupadi, Kunti, Tara and Mandodari, Invoking daily the virgins five, Destroys the greatest sins.*** ***An essential part of Mahabharata, she was the progenitor of the Pandavas, and the Kurukshetra War. Sometimes, she is referred to as the pivotal character who started the Mahabharata. Let’s find out who she was behind the veil of a devoted and impetuous young girl, a faithful consort, a dutiful but shrewd mother, a righteous and sacrificing woman.***

 Retelling the myth of Kunti; Image Source: WordPress- Srimad Bhagavatam

In Vedic society, patriarchy was at its peak and women seldom got the chance to speak their heart out. However, there were some women who defied all the laws of the dominant patriarchal society. There are numerous tales of strong women from the ancient times who shaped the society through their powerful decisions.

One such woman was Kunti, who is said to be the biological daughter of Shurasena, a Yadava ruler, and the sister of Vasudeva, father of Krishna. She is also referred to as the reincarnation of Goddess Siddhi. Her story starts with Rishi Durvasa's visit to the Kunti kingdom.

Reputed to be an angry sage who gives curses even at the slightest mistakes, Rishi Durvasa was a feared man in the entire kingdom. However, a curious child, Kunti showed no fear and treated Durvasa with utter respect and care. Impressed by her hospitable behaviour, the sage gave her a boon to change everything.

Rishi Duravasa taught Kunti a mantra with the help of which she could invoke any god to bless her with a child. Amazed at this, Kunti recited the mantra due to her curiosity and invoked the god Surya. She was blessed with a son who had his sacred armour wrapped around his torso. Afraid of the consequences that she would face, Kunti kept the child inside a basket and set it afloat in the Ganga river. The child grew up to be known as Suryaputra Karna.

As Kunti grew up, a swayamvara was organised for her. She chose King Pandu of Hastinapur and became the Queen of Hastinapur. After some days of their marriage, King Pandu, upon Bhishma's advice, decided to marry Princess Madri to secure the kingdom of Madra. Though this news was not received well by Kunti, she accepted Madri as her sister later on. But misfortune was yet to show its face in their happy life.

One fine day, while Pandu was on a hunting expedition, he mistakenly shot Rishi Kindama and his wife while making love to each other. His action made a significant impact on the Hastinapur kingdom as he was cursed that whenever he would make love to his wife, he would die. Afraid of the consequences of his actions, he left the palace with Kunti and Madri. Unhappy that he would die childless despite having two wives, he stayed depressed all the time. Not able to see his condition, Kunti told him about the boon that she had received from Rishi Durvasa. Excited at the news, Pandu advised her to use the boon.

She summoned Dharmaraja, Vayu, and Indra, who blessed her with Yudhishthira, Bhima, and Arjuna using the mantra. Madri, too requested her to tell her about the mantra. Reciting the mantra, Madri summoned the Ashvins who blessed her with twin sons, Nakula and Sahadeva.

However, one day Pandu couldn't resist himself and forcefully made love to Madri. The curse showed its demonic effects, and he died. Aghast at the sudden death of Pandu, Madri too killed herself. Left alone in the forest, Kunti and her five sons went back to Hastinapur. But life was never easy as the Kauravas did not like the Pandavas and constantly tried to kill them.

Later on, all the Kuru princes were sent for training, and as soon as they returned, Duryodhana's uncle, Shakuni, had planned their death by building a lac house for them that he would set to fire soon as the Pandavas entered it. Seeing their constant attempts to kill them, Kunti and the Pandavas decided to leave Hastinapur and live their life like wandering monks.

When the Kurukshetra War finally neared, Kunti revealed to Karna that he was her son and requested him to join the Pandavas. However, he denied saying that he could not betray Duryodhana and would not kill any of her sons except Arjuna. When Karna died, Kunti revealed that Karna was actually her son, and thus, their brother. This angered the Pandavas, and they blamed Kunti for all the destruction. If Kunti had revealed this secret, the war would have never occurred.

Yudhisthira cursed Kunti and all the other women of the world that they would never be able to keep any secrets.

Though Yudhisthira and the Pandavas blamed Kunti, only her heart knew of the hardships that she had faced throughout her life. Not being able to live her married life happily, she had to leave the palace's comforts and tolerate her husband marrying another woman. After becoming a widow, she had to take care of all her children, including Madri's son. Even after being the mother of five powerful sons, she lived in forests. Though she had abandoned Karna, one should see the reason behind why a mother would take such a harsh decision.

Often portrayed as a mild-mannered woman with high values, Kunti is often seen guiding her sons in their most challenging times. From quite a young age, she was dedicated to the devotion of God and the immense amount of sacrifices that she made, Kunti had done everything in her ability to raise her children with utmost love and care. Even after facing all the difficulties, she always tried to keep the brothers together. She also had a good relationship with her brother-in-law, Dhritarashtra, and his wife, Gandhari. She also supported Draupadi in avenging her insult from the Kauravas. Like every other wife and mother, she tried her best to preserve her husband’s glory by convincing her sons to prepare for the war to fulfil their Kshatriya Dharma.

In Iravati Karve's Yuganta: The End of An Epoch, we can see that Kunti has been described as an unrelenting and unbending woman who knows her rights and is feisty enough to demand them.