Kunti- Born into a yadhav family for Shurasena. He as an reward for friendship gave Pradha to his friend Kunti-Bhoja(King of Kunti-Bhoja Kingdom) who fostered Pradha as Kunti. The king then had a son Vashudhev. He believed that his country prospers because of Kunti's charm. In her maidenhood she showed such respectful devotion to the sage Duruvas, that he gave her a charm by means of which she might have a child by any god she pleased to invoke. She was so suspicious to believe that God will come before her by the spell. One day she went to try that. She casted the spell to Lord Surya(Sun) , He showed himself before her and gave her a son.She refused to accept it uttering the fact that she is unmarried and the society will dishonor her for this action. Lord Surya said that he is supposed to give a son upon the sage's charm. He also named the baby boy as Karn . And he was gifted with kavach and kundal that makes him invincible and protects him from all the evils. She was gruesome for having a child before marriage and had no other go but to let him go. She placed him inside a treasure box with her saree and jewels covered with lotus flowers and made it to float on River Ganges. It appeared like all her tears has been turned into River to carry the child.
With such guilt trip inside her she came to know about the Suyamavar arranged for her by the king Kunti-Bhoja. She wanted someone who will understand her guilt but she knew that if she tells this out , it will bring disgrace to her family. With lot of confessions inside her she attended the suyamvar. She told her father that she wants to learn an appropriate answer for the Princes who have gathered and the one who says the right answer will only be able to marry her. She asked the reason for Lord Rama to release Agaligai, who was cursed to become a stone by her husband(Gautam Rishi) for the act of not knowing the difference between her husband and Lord Indra who disguised himself as her husband.Many Prince said many answers but none where satisfying . Prince Pandu stood up and answered that Lord Rama freed her from the curse because mistakes done without knowledge could be forgiven . And Kunti felt that her action would be forgiven too and she accepted him as her Husband.
As Pandu was named the King of Astinapur, Kunti arrived there as a Queen. Gandhari (Wife of Dhridhrastra) welcomed her with a warm heart. As a king he was supposed to go to a war on the same day of their wedding. Kunti was desperate. After a long time the messenger came up with the news that King Pandu had won the battle . She was delighted to meet him with glory. When he reached Astinapur , a news gave her heart a pounce. She came to know that King Pandu has won Madra kingdom along with it's princess Madri as a sign of peace among the two kingdoms . On the same day of one's wedding how can a girl be able to accept her Husband marrying another Princess? Even though marrying a lot of Princess was a normal habit of kings as an event of peaceful relationship between the two kingdoms, it'll be terribly hard for a girl to take over another girl as a sister. But Kunti swallowed her sorrow and gave her a warm welcome. There she stood showing her quality of acceptance.
One day, while hunting in the forest, Pandu accidentally shot an arrow killing what he thought was a deer, but was actually the coupling Sage Kidimba. The sage cursed Pandu that he would die when he became intimate with a woman. Both Kunti and Madri were directly affected by the curse on Pandu because they were now unable bear Pandu's children. However, a boon given to Kunti by Duruva, enabled her to call upon any God to bear her a child. Accordingly, Kunti called upon Yama, Vayu, and Indra and bore Yudhistar, Bhima, and Arjun respectively. Knowing the fact Madri would feel low as she could not give birth to any children , Kunti accepted to share the mantra's with her. Madri prayed to the Ashwini Kumaras and she bore Nakul and Shahadev.
On one fateful day, Pandu desired Madri and the memory of the curse briefly eluded him. As he pulled Madri into his embrace, death struck Pandu immediately. Madri, filled with remorse, went Sati(Self sacrifice) on Pandu's funeral pyre. Kunti tried to stop her, but she said that Pandu has always admired Kinti the most and used to tell her as their family's lucky charm. It was always Kunti that Pandu respected the most. Kunti then raised the 5 children as her own. She looked after Nakul and Sahadev with lot of care than the other three. She then reached Astinapur with her 5 children. People of the kingdom could not bare to see Kunti in that way and they welcomed her with their tears.
On reaching Astinapur , the clash between kauravas and Pandavas conceived at the very small age . The kavravas was afraid of the Pandavas valour and their repeated failures and fecklessness against Bhima angered Duryodhana so much that he wanted him dead. He hatched a cunning plot where he poisoned Bhima's food and drowned him in River Ganga.The entire Kingdom searched for Bhima. Kunti made a strong prayer to Vayu deva and cried almost all day long. She promised the Lord that if she didn't get Bhima back she'll self sacrifice her. Thankfully, the Naga king Vasuki saved Bhima and also apprised him of Duryodana's hatred for him. It is also Vasuki who bestowed him the immense strength of a thousand elephants. This showed Kunti's love for her son. She indeed showed equal love for all her 5 sons. So did they. Their mother meant the world to them.She decided to leave Astinapur but Bhishma stopped her and promised her that there would not be any other plots against Pandavas.
After the Pandavas return from their Gurkulam , they had a session to expose their skills were Kunti was so gratified to see her sons with such power and valour. She was extremely delighted to see Bhima and Arjun. On that day she was meant to meet her son Karn. But she was unable to tell it among the people of the kingdom as that would bring disgrace to her children life. She was happy to see that Karn was brought up by Ayradha in a good way but was sad to see him joining hands with Duryodhana. She never wanted Pandavas to end up in enmity with Karn. She indirectly developed that thought among the Pandavas but the fight between Arjun and Karn soon turned out into vengeance.
Another plot of Kauravas was to burn the Pandavas inside the castle alive. Knowing the plan they decided to leave the castle and to take a war against them. But Kunti said Yudhistar to leave his position as Astinapur's Yuvraj title and to live secretly along with his brothers. According to Dharma it is not ethical for a Prince to leave his kingdom like this but Yudhistar accepted it as he believed that there is no other Dharm above his Mother's words. All the 4 sons agreed that and when they decided to leave the castle Arjun was surrounded by fire and he asked his other 4 brothers to leave him and to take their mother and leave the castle. But Kunti refused to leave the castle without Arjun. The brothers then said that " If anyone among 5 of us is dead , none of us will then live". This shows the bondage that Kunti developed among her sons. Without Arjun they decided to stay in the castle and die. Nakul and Sahadev said if they all are about to die, the fire should reach their mom only after burning them down into their ashes. This showed Kunti's motherhood that has seen no partiality in raising her sister's sons. Thankfully Arjun came out and along with his brothers they survived from the fire and they decided to live in the forest.
During their stay in the forest, while her sons went to fetch some food she indulged herself in prayer. When her sons came back , Arjun said that he has got something as gift. Kunti without prior knowledge of that gift ordered Yudhistra that whatever they have in life whether gift or punishment the 5 should share it equally. Since it is an order from their mother they were obliged to follow it . Kunti begged sorry to Draupadi whom Arjun has got as a gift. But Draupadi accepted Kunti's words with such respect and agreed to marry her 5 sons. They then reached Astinapur. Her daughter-in-law Draupadi was ill treated , she couldn't resist to see her being treated that way. The kingdom was partitioned and the Pandavas was given Indraprastha to rule.When everything was going good , The Pandavas was invited to gamble by the Kauravas as they knew that they would end up in mere ashes if they go on for a war against them.
As Pandavas lost everything in gambling , their Draupadi was insulted by Duchadhana and was spoken low by Karn . Kunti couldn't bare the insult made to Draupadi and after their 13 years of living in forest they 've decided to take a war against them. Pandavas was supported by Lord Krishna who was Kunti's brother Vasudev's son. During Kurushetra war, Kunti asked her son Karn to join the Pandavas but he refused as he would never let his friend down. As Kunti wanted to save her son Arjun she made her heart strong and asked her son Karn to make a promise that he would use his Bharmasthram only once. This promise was another reason for Karn's fall. When Karn has fallen Kunti busted out into tears and when Pandavas asked for the reason , she said Karn was their elder brother. Yudhistar couldn't accept it as it was unethical to kill one's brother and it was their mother who had hidden such a big secret and he cursed all women that they will never be able to hold any secret. Kunti was half dead when her elder son Karn died. She remained as a mere body with no soul in it as she was a mother who loved her son the most and it has been no day when she didn't worry about Karn.
At the end of Kurukshetra war , Pandavas was given glory and they allowed Karn's son to rule Indraprasth and Arjun's Grandson to rule Astinapur. Gandhari after losing all her sons in the war decided to spend the rest of her life along with her husband. Pandavas thought that Kunti will stay in the Kingdom but Kunti then had no bondage to these materialistic worlds and decided to go to forest along with Gandhari. This shows that Kunti considered all her 6 sons as one and it is hard for her to live without having anyone of them. She then told Yudhistar to take utmost care of Nakul and Sahadev and to never show his anger on them. She made it sure that even though they both were Madri's children , they should never have the feel of growing without their mother. She has been the epitome of motherhood in all ages as the way she lived and the struggles she has been through could never be faced by any other girl.
A mother is more than just a woman
A mother is more than just a wife
A mother has brought to this world a new born
A mother has brought to this world life
A mother is one with love and honor
A mother comforts you day and night
A mother; a new one every hour
A mother teaches wrong from right
A mother knows when you are worried
A mother knows when you are joyed
A mother knows when you are sorry
A mother knows just what's inside
Mata Kunti has been a Great mom indeed....!!!
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