The abandonment of Karṇa by Kuntī within the Mahābhārata is routinely misread as an instantaneous panic reaction to an accidental pregnancy. However, a rigorous analysis of the text shows it was an institutional inevitability. Kuntī was trapped at the intersection of early Vedic sociolinguistics, dynastic politics, and a rigid honor code (kula-dharma).
Additionally, addressing the timeline of ancient texts is vital. The Manusmṛti is indeed a later codification. Yet, it crystallizes social and legal prejudices that had already calcified in royal circles during the epic's timeline.
Below is a detailed breakdown of why Kuntī was forced to make this choice.
