Kunti in the Mahabharata: Mother of the Pandavas

Quick answer: Kunti is the mother of Karna and of the three eldest Pandavas, Yudhishthira, Bhima and Arjuna, and the wife of King Pandu. Born Pritha, a Yadava princess, she was given in adoption to King Kuntibhoja, whence her name. With a mantra from the sage Durvasa she bore sons by the gods, raised the five Pandavas through exile and danger, kept Karna's birth secret until he died, and ended her life in the forest with Dhritarashtra and Gandhari.

Kunti is one of the strongest and most tested figures of the Mahabharata. This page follows her life in story order, with references to the critical edition of the Mahabharata (Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune), given as book.chapter.verse.

Pritha, Kuntibhoja's daughter

Pritha was the daughter of Shura of the Yadavas. Shura gave her to his childless friend and cousin Kuntibhoja, who raised her as his own (1.104.3). In his house she served the irascible sage Durvasa so well that he gave her a mantra by which she could call any god and bear his son (1.104).

Karna

Curious, the young Kunti tried the mantra on the sun god Surya, and bore Karna, born with armour and earrings. Afraid and unmarried, she set the baby afloat on the river, where the charioteer Adhiratha found him. She kept the secret for most of her life. See Karna in the Mahabharata.

Pandu's queen and the Pandavas

At her svayamvara Kunti chose King Pandu of Hastinapura (1.105). Pandu also married Madri. When a curse prevented Pandu from fathering children, Kunti used her mantra again and bore Yudhishthira from Dharma, Bhima from Vayu and Arjuna from Indra; at Pandu's request she taught the mantra to Madri, who bore the twins Nakula and Sahadeva from the Ashvins. After Pandu's death, Madri followed him on the pyre and Kunti brought all five boys to Hastinapura.

Mother in danger

Kunti shared her sons' hardships: the house of lac at Varanavata, the escape, and the years in hiding. At Ekachakra, where the family lived disguised as brahmins, a demon named Baka demanded a human victim from the town each turn; Kunti offered her son Bhima in place of their host's family, and Bhima killed the demon (Adi Parva).

When the brothers returned from Draupadi's svayamvara and told her, without her seeing, that they had brought alms, she said, "Share it all among you" (1.182.2). Her words became one of the reasons the epic gives for Draupadi's marriage to all five. See Draupadi in the Mahabharata.

During the thirteen years of exile Kunti stayed in Hastinapura, in Vidura's house.

Kunti and Karna before the war

Just before the war, Kunti went to Karna by the river and told him that he was her son, the eldest of the Pandavas: "You are Kaunteya, not Radheya" (5.143). She asked him to join his brothers. Karna refused, but promised that he would kill none of her sons except Arjuna, so that she would still have five sons whoever fell (5.144).

After the war

Only when the war was over did Kunti tell her sons that Karna had been their eldest brother (11.27). Yudhishthira grieved bitterly. Some years later, when Dhritarashtra and Gandhari retired to the forest, Kunti went with them, refusing her sons' pleas to stay and enjoy the kingdom she had helped them win (Ashramavasika Parva). The three elders died together in a forest fire (15.45).

What the tradition draws from her

Kunti is honoured as one of the pancha kanya, the five revered women of a traditional verse (some versions of the verse name Sita in her place). She is remembered for endurance, courage and steady devotion, and also for the long burden of her secret. In the Bhagavata Purana she offers a celebrated prayer to Krishna, asking for hardships so that she will always remember him; that prayer belongs to the Bhagavata, not to the Mahabharata.

Frequently asked questions

Why is she called Kunti?

Because she was raised by King Kuntibhoja. Her birth name was Pritha, which is why Arjuna is called Partha.

How many sons did Kunti have?

Four: Karna before her marriage, and Yudhishthira, Bhima and Arjuna after it. She also raised Madri's twins as her own.

Was Kunti related to Krishna?

Yes. She was the sister of Vasudeva, Krishna's father, so Krishna was her nephew.

When did the Pandavas learn that Karna was their brother?

After the war, when Kunti told them (Stri Parva, 11.27).

How did Kunti die?

In a forest fire, with Dhritarashtra and Gandhari, during their years of retirement (15.45).

Related reading

• Mahabharata: The Complete Guide
• Mahabharata story summary
• Arjuna in the Mahabharata
• Karna in the Mahabharata

Sources

1. The Mahabharata, critical edition (Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune, 1933 to 1966); electronic text BORI 1999, via Indology: indology.info/bombay/mahabharata. References are book.chapter.verse in this edition.
2. Bhagavata Purana, Book 1, for Kunti's prayer to Krishna.

Last reviewed: 12 November 2026.