Surya Woos Kunti and Promises a Son
Surya approaches Kunti and tells her that no one can bestow her — a free woman may desire anyone. He proposes union. Kunti negotiates: her son must be born with divine armour and earrings made of amrita, and she must remain a virgin. Surya agrees to every condition.
Surya appeared before Kunti and spoke directly.
"Your father, your mother, your elders — none of them are capable of bestowing you. Listen to my words. A completely free girl is known as kanya in this world, from the root kan, because she can desire everyone. You will not commit any adharma. How can I, with the welfare of the world in mind, commit adharma? It is natural in this world that all women and men should be without restraints. Anything against this is a distortion. Having united with me, you will again become a virgin. You will have a mighty-armed and immensely famous son."
Kunti did not refuse. But she had terms.
"If I obtain a son through you," she said, "may he have earrings and armour. May he be mighty-armed, brave and immensely strong."
Surya agreed: "He will be mighty-armed and possess earrings. He will be clad in divine armour, and both of these will originate in amrita (the nectar of immortality)."
Kunti pressed further: "If my son's earrings and the excellent armour are created out of amrita, as you have said, you may beget him on me. Then I will unite with you. May he have valour, beauty and energy and be united with dharma, like you."
Surya answered: "Aditi herself gave me these earrings. I will give them to him, together with this excellent armour."
Pritha — Kunti — said: "If my son is going to be as you have said, I will happily unite with you."
The terms were set. The son would be born with celestial armour fused to his skin, with earrings of amrita that would make him invulnerable in battle. And Kunti would remain a virgin — untouched by the union that conceived him. Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 588