Kunti: A Masterful Kingmaker
The epic of Mahabharata is an infinite fountain of thoughts. The dynamism of every verse expresses a different sense of meaning and takes us to a deeper layer of every character. Besides teaching the importance of dharma, It surfs us to varied and interesting human emotions. The Life of Kunti is one of such story that induces wonder.
During the times of Mahabharata, The women lived a decreed life. They had to live by the rule of their father, or husband or son. Leading women in Mahabharata had their share of happiness and sadness which was directly in relation to their men counterpart; which they kind of had accepted as a truth of life and abided. However, one woman stands out amongst them — who despite living around sadness for all her life, made the most of what she had. She had accepted the fact that she cannot rule, but she also knew that she can enjoy the passive power if she moved in the right direction no matter what. She learned as the life moved, and acted as the time required. She is known as, Kunti.
One fine day, Kunti was told by her father — “You are no longer my daughter; Kuntibhoja is your father from now.” Just imagine the turmoil the girl would have gone through. By the way, Kunti is not even her real name. Her name was Pritha. Kuntibhoja was the King of a Kingdom called Kunti. And hence, she is known with the name. She was told to serve a Sage so that Kuntibhoja could have a son. Just think, Your real father gives you away to someone else, and that fellow just had you because he wanted a daughter to serve a Sage to have a son. Complex stuff right? Yes. Anyone would have lost the faith from humanity if they had gone through this. But not Kunti, she served the Sage with a full heart and got a boon from him to compel any God to beget “sons” upon her. She had Karna with Sun-God. However, the sorrows from her real father had transformed her — she left Karna in the hands of fate and moved on.
Her adoptive father gave her away to an important man of the land, to perhaps a person she might not have liked to be with, Pandu. The king, her husband went for a conquest, returned and gave everything to his blind elder brother — Dhritarashtra and went for the exile with his wives, Kunti and Madri. This amazes me. How a man could give away everything he has won and leaves for the forest in the prime of his life? A kind act for an elder brother? if so, then why he became the king in the first place?
This could be Kunti’s farsightedness. Pandu was born with a congenital disorder due to which he had had a physical constraint to be a father. Kunti would have known this, and while staying without Pandu in the Palace, she would have come across the bitterness which Dhritarashtra and Gandhari would have displayed. She might have sensed that if they don’t bear sons soon, and if Gandhari has them before her — their future jeopardizes in the court of Hastinapura. She had the boon to compel the Gods of her wish to beget Sons, which she could only achieve when no one but his incompetent husband knows about, and which can only happen if they go away from Hastinapura for a period of time. Everything was going as per her plan, and only if Pandu did not overstep with Madri… but Kunti was stronger than the fate and she returned to Hastinapura to go back to the rightful place she deserved to be, if not queen, the mother of an Emperor.
She took care of her kids and saw them grow to be the exceptional beings under the watchful eyes of Bhishma. She helped them create a narrative of “Good boys” by showing kindness during hardships, which she had mastered all through her life.
Kunti’s mastery in negotiations with the dear ones can be seen when she had convinced all her sons to marry Draupadi. I regard this move to be the best in the whole Mahabharatha. Just think, during the times when a man had multiple wives, a woman had multiple husbands and that too — virtuous as the Pandavas! Before this marriage, Kunti had refused for Bhima’s alliance with Hidimba whom he loved; because she knew if they get married and Bhima gets carried away, they may lose strength and reduce their chances of taking over Hastinapura again. Their only strength was their unity. Kunti took all her steps keeping this background in her mind. The condition of marriage with Draupadi was somehow structured in a way that the Pandavas had to abide. Arjuna had won the competition, so he was a rightful husband; however, he cannot marry her since Yudhishthira, his elder brother was not married. Bhima was quite indifferent and the younger ones were not in question at all. For Drupad, the father of Draupadi, he was getting a stronger alliance who would protect Panchal and help to have stronger ties with Hastinapura which was much powerful at that time. So, he didn’t mind if Yudhishthira married and not Arjuna. So, considering all the corners — Kunti pushed them for the collective alliance. She did not want Nakula and Sahadeva to stay ashore from the whole narrative. This strategic condition and alliance became the strength of the Pandavas going forward. All because of the masterful woman, Kunti.
Everything was going smoothly. Pandavas had also acquired their place in Indraprastha. Kunti was slowly regaining what she always deserved. But again, Yudhishthira lost everything. Pandavas, this time went to exile with Draupadi and Kunti had to stay around the enemies. However, losing everything had brought the feeling of acceptance in Yudhishthira which was making the group weak. Sensing this, Kunti sent a harsh message to her eldest via the trusted Shree Krishna. She sent a stern message to Yudhishthira saying, “You call yourself Dharma, but you don’t abide one. You’re entangled in the mesh’ of words. A King forgetting the Dharma goes to hell with all his subjects. You must find a way of revival.” These strongly convicted words show how Kunti was committed to her purpose in life.
Sensing the inevitable war, she went to Karna for telling her the truth and join Pandavas to weaken Kauravas. She went with an emotional facade but she could not win him but made sure that Karna does not kill anyone else. This stronghold of negotiations kept her always one step ahead.
When Yudhishthira got to know about Karna, he was merciless with Kunti. He, in a way, tried to blame Kunti for everything wrong that happened in the war with Pandavas. This, coming from her son had again shaken her belief system and had given her the feeling of dejection; same as what her father did to her.
Fifteen years later, she again displayed her unbending will. Sensing the loosened grip over her sons after the rule, she sensed that she wasn’t required there after all. All she worked for, was never hers after all. All she had, was herself with the string of unending miseries. This had led her to join Dhitrashtra and Gandhari who were leaving for the forest. Her sons tried to stop, but as always she had foreseen everything.
She knew one thing all her life. She wasn’t there to rule. She was there to make the rulers. She was, THE MASTERFUL KINGMAKER.
