Kuntidevi

The wife of King Pandu, mother of the five Pandava brothers, daughter of Maharaja Shurasena, step-daughter of Maharaja Kuntibhoja, sister of Vasudeva, the father of Lord Krishna.

Kunti served Durvasa Muni during her childhood/early youth. Pleased by her service, Durvasa Muni gave her a mantra to call any demigod she desired. Out of curiosity, Kunti soon called for the Sun god, who gave her a child, Karna. Out of fear of disgrace for having born a child as an unmarried girl, Kunti abandoned the new-born, who was raised by a charioteer.

After her marriage to Maharaja Pandu, when Pandu was cursed to remain childless, Kunti used her mantra to call for demigods to beget children. From Dharmaraja, Vayu and Indra, her three sons, Yudhsthira, Bhima and Arjuna, respectively, were born. At the request of Pandu, she also shared her mantra with her co-wife Madri, from whom Nakula and Sahadeva were born from the Ashvini-kumaras.

Kunti accompanied her sons the Pandavas during their first stay in the forest, after burning the house of lac.