The two brothers Dhritrashtra & Pandu had thus been married through the vision of Bhishma in re-inforcing alliances with the Gandhara, Vrishni, and Madra Kingdoms, who were none other than the fellow ancestors through the line of King Yayati.

In the revelations of Sage Vaisampayana to King Janamejaya, he has explained the backgrounds of Bhishma as Vasu, who was cursed from yore, and also Santanu, who was King Mahabhisha from the Age of Truth, and also Satyavati who indeed had been adopted at birth by the fisher chief, as well as her child with Sage Parashar.

The introduction of three princesses into the Kuru home of Hastinapura was relatively seamless given the highly noble and virtuous nature of all three of the princesses. Of the three, perhaps Kunti was one of the least conventional in her background, being adopted.

There was however further nuance in the background of Queen Kunti, which Sage Vaisampayana would now explain to King Janamejaya.

There was once amongst the Yadavas, a chief named Sura. He was the father of Vasudeva. And he had a daughter called Pritha, who was unrivalled for beauty on earth.

Sura was always truthful in speech, he gave his firstborn daughter, unto his childless cousin and friend, the illustrious Kuntibhoja. This was pursuant to a former promise spoken in generations and years before.

Being virtuous in nature, Pritha, in the house of her adoptive father, was engaged in looking after the duties of hospitality to the sagely class, and other guests.

Once, she gratified by her attentions the terrible Brahmana of rigid vows, who was known by the name of Durvasa and was well-acquainted with the hidden truths of morality.

Sage Durvasa anticipated by his spiritual power the future season of distress consequent upon the curse that would be pronounced upon Pandu for his unrighteous act of slaying a deer while serving its mate, and in consequence of her devotion and attention towards the Sage, he imparted unto Kunti, a formula of invocation that would summoning any of the celestials she liked, in aid of bestowing upon her, children, given her husband would not be in a position to do so.

The sage had spoken to her thus in days of old:

'Those celestials that thou shall summon by this Mantra, shall certainly approach thee and give thee children.'

One day, in her youthful maidenhood, the amiable Kunti became curious. In a mood of playful curiosity, she slowly chanted the mantra given to her by Sage Durvasa, and summoned the god known as Arka, or Surya, the radiant Sun deity.

As soon as she completed the pronunciation of the Mantra, she beheld that effulgent deity, as though a method of telepathy underwove between them. But this was certainly not what Kunti expected, or wanted. It was far beyond her imagination; the entire room was filled with an effulgence that she could not fathom even existed. The room was struggling to contain the effulgence of this deity. Yet he was perfectly calm.

That beholder of everything in the world, Surya, approaching that young maiden of faultless features, was also somewhat overcome with surprise.

And Vivaswat, approaching her, said:

'Thou hast called upon my presence upon the boon of Durvasa. And so here I am, O black-eyed girl. Tell me what I am to do for thee.'

Hearing this, Kunti said:

'O slayer of foes, Surya. A certain Brahamana gave me this formula of invocation as a boon, and, O Lord, I have summoned thee only to test its efficacy; and for no other reason, or need.

For this offence I bow to thee. A woman, whatever be her offence, always deserveth pardon.'

To this plea, Surya in his great foresight, replied:

'I know that Durvasa hath granted this boon to you. But cast off thy fears, timid maiden, and grant me thy embraces, for my approach once evoked in such fashion, with a boon from the sage to bear a child, cannot be futile; it must bear fruit. Thou hast summoned me, and if it be for nothing, on the one and only occasion this boon may be used, it shall certainly be regarded as thy transgression.'

Vivaswat thus spoke unto her many things with a view to allay her fears, but the amiable maiden, from modesty and fear of her relatives, consented not to grant his request.

And, O bull of Bharata's race, Arka addressed her again and said:

'O princess, I provide my assurance that it shall not be sinful for thee to grant my wish.'

Thus speaking unto the daughter of Kuntibhoja, the illustrious Tapana, the illuminator of the universe, gratified the boon.

And of this connection between Surya, and the young Kunti previously known as Pritha, there was born on the spot, a son. He would go on to be known all over the world as Karna. He was born with natural armour and with face as bright as his Father the Sun, and adorned with natural gold ear-rings.

The valiant Karna was the first of all wielders of weapons, blessed with good fortune, and with godly line, he was endued with the beauty of a celestial.

And after the birth of this child, the illustrious Tapana granted unto Pritha her maidenhood back, and ascended back to his abode in the heavens.

And that princess of the Vrishni race, Kunti, beholding with sorrow that son born of her, reflected intently upon what was then the best for her to do.

And from fear of her relatives she resolved to conceal that evidence of her folly. And she cast her newly birthed offspring endued with great physical strength into the water.

As the infant floated along the river where Kunti had abandoned him, he passed not so long before coming across a man walking along the river. He was the husband of a lady known as Radha, who were of a caste that was regarded to be a mixture of Kshatriya and Brahmana, called the Suta’s; known for playing administrative roles for the royals including being personal servants or charioteers, and also known to tell of lores and stories of old.

And the man and his wife brought him the infant as their own dear son. And Radha and her husband bestowed on him the name of Vasusena, born with wealth, because he was born with a natural golden armour and golden ear-rings.

And Vasusena was endued from the moment of his birth with tremendous strength; and as he grew up, he became skilled in all weapons by his natural disposition, taking very little effort to do so.

Possessed of great energy and a sense of routine in his daily life, Vasusena was naturally attracted to the Sun, and would worship it from dawn to midday, with the rays warming his entire body.

During the hours of worship, there was nothing on earth that the heroic and intelligent Vasusena would not give unto the Brahmanas.

And as fate would have it, one day have in future, Indra, desirous of benefiting his own son Phalguna, Arjuna, assuming the form of a Brahmana, approached Vasusena on one occasion and begged of him, his natural armour.

Thus asked, Karna gracefully took off his natural armour, and joining his hands in reverence, gave it unto Indra in the guise of a Brahmana.

And the chief of the celestials accepted the gift and was exceedingly gratified with Karna's liberality.

He therefore, gave unto him a fine dart, saying:

'That one, and one only, among the celestials, the Asuras, men, the Gandharvas, the Nagas, and the Rakshasas, whom thou desirest to conquer, shall be slain without any doubt, with this dart.'

The son of Surya was before this known by the name of Vasusena. But since he cut off his natural armour, he came to be called Karna, the peeler of his own cover.

And so was born, in circumstances not conventional, to Kunti of the line of Yadu and the Yadavas, and the Deity of the Sun, Surya; Vasusena, who would go on to be known as Karna.

Though his lineage was godly, Vasusena was raised in the humble and small household of a Suta husband and wife; and developing so much affection for them, Vasusena would ask to be addressed as Radheya when he would meet people, desiring to be called after his adoptive mother Radha.

With an inherent and genetic inclination towards the martial arts and military affairs, but raised in only a small village, only time would be able to tell what destiny would hold for the young and special personality Radheya.