( The 'th' in this name is pronounced like 'th' in 'with' .)
Kunthi, the mother of the Paandavas was originally named Pritha (Do not confuse with the name of one of the sixteen Great Kings, Prithu, with too similar a spelling). She was the daughter of Shoora and younger sister of Vasudeva. She was given in adoption to king Kunthibhoja ( a person named Kunthi in the clan of Bhojas. Later, this Kunthibhoja fought on the paandavas side in the war.) whence she was called Kunthi. She was maternal aunt to Krishna.
While she was at her adopted father's house, she hosted hospitality to the irate sage Durvaasas for a considerable period under trying conditions to his satisfaction and got a divine chant from him. It was this chant that played a crucial role in the story. The power of the chant was such that its recital would bring any god of her choice and would give her a son. Only the sage should have known the reasonability in giving such a chant to a little unmarried girl !
When she was unable to obtain children through her husband Paandu, she invoked the great chant and obtained three sons namely, Yudhishthira, Bheema and Arjuna from the grace of the gods Yama, Vaayu and Indra respectively. She also passed on that chant to her co-wife Maadri who got twin sons, Nakula and Sahadeva from the Ashvi gods who themselves were twins. After Maadri's immolation with Paandu, she brought all the five boys to the city . She brought up all the five sons with equal love. She bore with patience all the troubles in her life. She encouraged her sons for fighting for their rightful share of the kingdom. She was patience ,courage,love and wisdom personified.
She followed Dhritharaashtra and Gaandhaari to the forests in the end and died there with them.
She was an ideal mother to imulate.