The line of Kuru was thus moving with great success through the reign of Dhritarashtra and the able direction of Bhishma. From the house of the Yadavas emerged yet another key figure during that period, called Kunti, originally given the name Pritha, a sister to Vasudeva, the father of Krishna. Her life changed dramatically because of some special blessing she received in her youth.
Kunti was a damsel of beauty, piety, and wisdom. As a young girl, she nursed the sage Durvasa— who visited her father's palace for some time—with great devotion. The great sage Durvasa was much pleased by her unflinching devotion and service and gave her a special boon. He taught her a holy mantra whereby she could have a child with divine qualities from any deity of her choice.
Kunti was feeling very curious, and even slightly skeptical about the power of the boon. So she decided to test the boon. She invoked Surya, the sun god, who appeared before her in his full splendor. Before she could realize the extent of her mistake, Kunti was blessed with a son who had the marks of his divine father upon his body. This child born in golden armor and earrings was Karna.
Kunti did the excruciatingly painful act of putting the infant into a basket and putting it in the river, since she was too scared to face society and the probable outcome of raising a child outside wedlock. The basket was found by Adhiratha, a charioteer, and his wife Radha. They brought up Karna as their son, totally oblivious to his divine heritage.
The memory of her firstborn haunted Kunti as she continued with her life—the secret buried deep within her heart.
Many suitors came to her door when Kunti reached a marriageable age, attracted by her beauty and virtuous character. Therefore, King Kuntibhoja, set out to hold a swayamvara where Kunti would choose her husband from among the princes and kings present. One of them was Pandu, Vichitravirya's younger son and the ruler of Hastinapura; his line was very strong and held in great esteem.
Pandu was famous for his courage, wisdom, and a sense of justice. He completely preceded him the reputation of a brilliant warrior and an administrator with a sense of justice. When Kunti saw him meeting at the swayamvara, then she was much impressed with the noble demeanor and respect he could command. Trusting her intuition or guided by her sense of duty, Kunti places the garland around the neck of Pandu, thus choosing him as her husband.
The marriage of Kunti and Pandu was a grand celebration of joy and brought two strong dynasties, the Yadavas and the Kuru dynasty, under an alliance. Kunti, with all grace and dignity, entered the Kuru family, and this position made her worthy in the eyes of her new family and also among the people of Hastinapura.
Thus, while the early days of marriage were joyous, it was shadowed by Pandu's curse. During his hunting times, Pandu accidentally killed a sage who transformed himself into deer during an intimate moment with his mate. Outraged at his death, the sage cursed Pandu to die if ever tried to be intimate with his wives. Pandu, anguished by the curse and feeling unworthy to sit upon his throne, abdicated and chose to live in the forest as an ascetic, taking Kunti and his second wife, Madri, with him.