The sage Durvasa was pleased with the services rendered by the princess Kunti and so he granted her a boon whereby she could call upon any of the gods through a mantra and the god would grant her a son equal to the god in splendour. Unsure of whether the boon would actually be granted, Kunti, while still an unmarried young girl, decided to test the mantra and called upon Lord Surya, the Hindu deity of the sun. Surya appeared before her and granted her a son as radiant and strong as his father. Through his divine power, Kunti retains her virginity and honor. Thus Karna was born. Kunti was now in the embarrassing position of being an unwed mother. Unable to face the world with her divine child, she placed Karna in a basket and floated him down Ganges river with his jewellery (the story of Moses bears a strong similarity to this), praying fervently that he would be kept safe.