Quick Answer
Kunti was born Pritha, the daughter of the Yadav chief Shurasen, and was later given in adoption to his childless cousin Kuntibhoj. Gandhari was the daughter of King Subal of Gandhara and sister of Shakuni. Madri was a princess of Madra and sister of King Shalya. All three eventually entered the Kuru dynasty through marriage.
The Story
Kunti
Kunti, originally named Pritha, was born into the Yadav family. Her father, Shurasen, gave her to his childless cousin Kuntibhoj, who raised her as his daughter. This is why she became known as Kunti.
Pritha is described as exceptionally beautiful and well brought up. While living in Kuntibhoj's household, she became known for her ability to serve and honour visiting sages and guests. One of them was the powerful sage Durvasa, who was pleased with her hospitality and gave her a mantra through which she could invoke a deity and receive a child.
Gandhari
Gandhari came from the kingdom of Gandhara. She was the daughter of King Subal and the sister of Shakuni. The Mahabharat specifically describes her as a virtuous princess.
Before her marriage, Gandhari had worshipped Shiva and had received a boon that she would have a hundred sons. When Bhishma heard of this, he considered her a suitable bride for the Kuru family and sent a proposal to King Subal.
Subal initially hesitated because the proposed bridegroom, Dhritarashtra, was blind from birth. However, after considering the lineage, reputation and conduct of the Kuru family, he agreed to the marriage.
When Gandhari learned that Dhritarashtra was blind and that her parents had agreed to the marriage, she made a remarkable decision. Out of devotion and respect for her future husband, she covered her own eyes with a cloth and chose to share his condition.
Her brother Shakuni accompanied her to Hastinapur and formally gave her in marriage to Dhritarashtra.
Madri
Madri, meanwhile, came from the kingdom of Madra. She was the sister of King Shalya. The Mahabharat gives far less information about her childhood and life before marriage than it does about Kunti and Gandhari.
Bhishma selected Madri as a suitable bride for Pandu. Her marriage brought the Madra royal family into the Kuru dynasty, and she later became the mother of Nakul and Sahadev.
Thus, before they became Kuru queens, these three women came from three distinct royal backgrounds: Kunti from the Yadav line, Gandhari from Gandhara, and Madri from Madra.
Did You Know?
- Shurasen was also the father of Vasudev, making Kunti his sister. This also made her the paternal aunt of Krishna, Vasudeva's son.
- The Mahabharat's account of Gandhari's marriage is unusually clear about her father's hesitation. Subal did not immediately accept the proposal because Dhritarashtra was blind. He reconsidered only after weighing the reputation and lineage of the Kuru family.
Why It Matters Today
The Mahabharat's women are often remembered through the roles they played in the later story. But understanding their origins shows that they entered Hastinapur with identities of their own.
They were not simply Kuru queens. They were daughters of different royal houses whose marriages connected Gandhara, the Yadav family, Madra and the Kurus, bringing several powerful traditions and families into one complicated dynasty.
References
- Mahabharat
- Adi Parva, Sambhava Parva, Section 110: Gandhari's background, her worship of Shiva, her boon of a hundred sons, Subal's hesitation, her marriage to Dhritarashtra and Shakuni's role.
- Adi Parva, Sambhava Parva, Section 111: Pritha's birth, her father Shurasen, her adoption by Kuntibhoj and her upbringing.
- Adi Parva, Sambhava Parva, Section 110: Bhishma's identification of Gandhari, Kunti and Madri as suitable brides for the Kuru family.
