Reading Notes: Mahabharata A

Kunti and Her Son

• Pandu had two wives, Kunti and Madri
• Kunti was the daughter of a nymph and a brahmin, but was raised by a raja named Shurasena
• Kunti was religious and respectful, especially to holy men
• She cared for a visiting rishi so well, that he gave her a love charm to use on a celestial being of her choosing
• Kunti chose the sun god Surya, and got pregnant with his son
• Karna was given supernatural armor and earrings to protect him throughout life
• Because of her shame, Kunti sent Karna away in a basket, praying for his happiness and protection 
• Kunti's prayer sounded a little like a prophecy
• Karna was protected by his armor and earrings as he floated from the Aswa to the Yamuna to the Ganges into Anga
• A charioteer (Adhiratha) and his beautiful wife (Radha) found the baby Karna and raised him as their son
• Story idea: write Karna's journey from the perspective of the river(s)

Baby in a Basket

Source: Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie (1913).