KUNTI

Kunti was the biological daughter of Shurasen, a Yadav ruler. Her birth name was Pritha. She is also said as the reincarnation of the goddess Siddhi. She was the sister of Vasudev, the father of Krishna and shared a close relationship with Krishna. Her father gave Kunti to his childless cousin Kuntibhoj.

Born to the Yadav chief Shurasen, Pritha was adopted by her childless uncle, Kuntibhoj, and was renamed Kunti. During her teenage years, she impressed sage Durvasa and was blessed with the knowledge of a divine mantra. Out of curiosity, she used the mantra to invoke the sun god Surya, and was blessed with a son named Karna. As he had been born out of wedlock, Kunti had to abandon him to save herself from dishonor.

Karn was born from Surya, Yudhisthir from Dharmaraj, Arjun from Indra, Bhim from Vayu, Nakul and Sahdev from Ashwins.

Shurasen :

Shurasen was an ancient Yadav ruler of Mathura. He was married to a Nag (or serpent) woman named Marisha. She bore all of his children and was the cause for Vasuki’s boon to Bhim after whom the Surasen Kingdom or mahajanpad and the Yadav sect of Surasens were named.

Shurasen or Shoorsaini was father of Samudravijay (himself father of Neminath), Vasudev (himself father of Vasudev-Krishna) and Kunti (mother of Karn and the 5 Pandavs). He is extensively mentioned in both the Mahabharat and the Purans as the father of Vasudev (father of Krishna) and Kunti (mother of Pandavs).