Gomateshwari at 10:31, 8 January 2023

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{{Short description|100 sons of King Dhritarashtra and Gandhari in the epic Mahabharata}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}{{Use Indian English|date≈January 2016|date=May 2018}}

'''''Kaurava''''' is a [[Sanskrit]] term which refers to descendants of [[Kuru (Hindu mythology)|Kuru]], a legendary king of India who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the epic ''[[Mahabharata]]''. Usually, the term is used for the 100 sons of King [[Dhritarashtra]] and his wife [[Gandhari (Mahabharata)|Gandhari]]. [[Duryodhana]], [[Dushasana]] and [[Vikarna]] are the most popular among the brothers. They also had a sister named [[Duhsala|Dussala]] and a half-brother named [[Yuyutsu]].
[[File:Panda_and_Kaurava_armise_face_each_other.jpg|thumb|Kaurava army (left) faces the Pandavas. A 17th-18th century painting from [[Mewar]], [[Rajasthan]].]]

== Etymology ==
The term ''Kauravas'' is used in the ''Mahabharata'' with two meanings:
*The wider meaning is used to represent all the descendants of Kuru. This meaning, which includes the [[Pandava]] brothers, is often used in the earlier parts of popular renditions of the ''Mahabharata''.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Monier-Williams|first=Sir Monier|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FzRDAQAAMAAJ&q=Kauravas|title=A Sanskṛit-English Dictionary Etymologically and Philologically Arranged: With Special Reference to Greek, Latin, Gothic, German, Anglo-Saxon, and Other Cognate Indo-European Languages|date=1872|publisher=Clarendon Press|language=en}}</ref>
*The narrower but more common meaning is used to represent the elder line of the descendants of Kuru. This restricts it to the children of King [[Dhritarashtra]], excluding the children of his younger brother, [[Pandu]], whose children form the Pandava line.

The rest of this article deals with the Kaurava in the narrower sense, that is, the children of Dhritarashtra by [[Gandhari (character)|Gandhari]]. When referring to these children, a more specific term is also used – {{IAST|Dhārtarāṣṭra}} ([[Sanskrit]]: धार्तराष्ट्र), a derivative of Dhritarashtra.

==Birth of Kauravas==
After [[Gandhari (character)|Gandhari]] was married to [[Dhritarashtra]], she wrapped cloth over her eyes and vowed to share the darkness that her husband lived in. Gandhari's brother [[Shakuni]] came to live with them to look after the interests of Gandhari. Once Sage Krishna Dwaipayana [[Vyasa]] came to visit Gandhari in [[Hastinapur]]. She took great care of the comforts of the great saint and saw that he had a pleasant stay in [[Hastinapur]]. The saint was pleased with Gandhari and granted her a boon. Gandhari wished for one hundred sons who would be as powerful as her husband. Dwaipayan [[Vyasa]] granted her the boon and in due course of time, Gandhari found herself to be pregnant. But two years passed and still, the baby was not born.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kauravas|url=https://www.worldhistory.org/Kauravas/|website=[[World History Encyclopedia]]|access-date=2020-05-05}}</ref> Meanwhile, [[Kunti]] received a son from god Dharma whom she called [[Yudhishthira]]. After two years of pregnancy, Gandhari gave birth to a hard piece of lifeless flesh that was not a baby at all. Gandhari was devastated as she had expected a hundred sons according to the blessing of Rishi [[Vyasa]]. She was about to throw away the piece of flesh while Rishi [[Vyasa]] appeared and told her that his blessings could not have been in vain and asked Gandhari to arrange for one hundred jars to be filled with [[ghee]]. He told Gandhari that he would cut the piece of flesh into a hundred pieces and place them in the jars, which would then develop into the one hundred sons that she so desired. Gandhari told [[Vyasa]] then that she also wanted to have a daughter. [[Vyasa]] agreed, cut the piece of flesh into one hundred and one-pieces, and placed them each into a jar. After two more years of patient waiting the jars were ready to be opened and were kept in a cave. [[Bhima]] was born a day after [[Duryodhana]] was born thus making him younger than him. [[Arjuna]], [[Nakula]], and [[Sahadeva]] were born after [[Duryodhana]] was born.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.india-intro.com/religion/mahabharat/67-mahabharat-kunti-gandhari-birth-of-pandavas-kauravas.html |title=Mahabharat Chapter 6 - Birth of Pandavas and Kauravas |access-date=3 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924034305/http://www.india-intro.com/religion/mahabharat/67-mahabharat-kunti-gandhari-birth-of-pandavas-kauravas.html |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Children of Dhritarashtra==
The children of [[Dhritarashtra]] by [[Gandhari (character)|Gandhari]] are also referred by a more specific and frequently encountered term - {{IAST|Dhārtarāṣṭra}}, a derivative of {{IAST|Dhṛtarāṣṭra}} (Dhritarashtra).

According to the epic, Gandhari wanted a hundred sons and [[Vyasa]] granted her a boon that she would have these. Another version says that she was unable to have any children for a long time and she eventually became pregnant but did not deliver for two years, after which she gave birth to a lump of flesh. [[Vyasa]] cut this lump into a hundred and one-pieces and these eventually developed into a hundred boys and one girl.<ref>[http://www.kidsgen.com/fables_and_fairytales/indian_mythology_stories/the_birth_of_the_pandavas_and_kaura.htm The Birth of the Pandavas and Kauravas]</ref>

The birth of these children is relevant to the dispute over the succession of the kingdom's throne. It attributes the late birth of [[Duryodhana]], the eldest son of [[Dhritarashtra]], despite his father's early marriage and legitimizes the case for his cousin [[Yudhishthira]] to claim the throne, since he could claim to be the eldest of his generation. All the sons of [[Dhritarashtra]] excluding [[Yuyutsu]] (born of [[Dhritarashtra]]'s marriage with a [[Vaishya]] woman, thus a half-brother of [[Duryodhana]]) were killed in the great battle at [[Kurukshetra]].

Quote from Mahabharata, Sambava Jayesh, Section 115 (CXV in Roman Numerals):<ref>http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01116.htm></ref>

"And during the time when Gandhari was in a state of advanced pregnancy, there was a maidservant of the [[Vaishya]] class who used to attend on [[Dhritarashtra]]. During that year, the O king was begotten upon her by the illustrious [[Dhritarashtra]] a son endued with great intelligence who was afterwards named [[Yuyutsu]]. And because he was begotten by a Kshatriya upon a [[Vaishya]] woman, he was subject to the constant taunts of the [[Kaurava]].

Thus were born unto the wise [[Dhritarashtra]], a hundred sons who were all heroes and mighty chariot-fighters, and a daughter over and above the hundred and another son [[Yuyutsu]] of great energy and prowess begotten upon a [[Vaishya]] woman."

==Names of the Kauravas==
Names of the Kauravas are recorded in the Mahabharata.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gzN2_fu0mIYC&q=Duryodhana+Dusshasana+Dussahas+Jalagandha&pg=PA221|title = Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata|isbn = 9780143104254|last1 = Pattanaik|first1 = Devdutt|year = 2010}}</ref> [[Duhsala]] is the sister of the 100 Kaurava brothers, she was born last. [[Yuyutsu]] is the step-brother of the Kaurava brothers who was born after Duryodhana and before Dushasana, 98 other Kauravas brothers, and Dushsala.

1. [[Duryodhana]], 2. [[Dushasana]], 3. [[Vikarna]], 4. Vivinsati, 5. Durmukha, 6. Duhsalan, 7. Jalagandha, 8. Sama, 9. Saha, 10. Vindha, 11. Anuvindha, 12. Chitrasena, 13. Durdarsha, 14. Durmarsha, 15. Dussaha, 16. Durmada, 17. Dushkarna, 18. Durdhara, 19. Durmarshana, 20. Durvishaha, 21. Durvimochana, 22. Dushpradharsha, 23. Durjaya, 24. Dushparajaya, 25. Jaitra, 26. Bhurivala, 27. Ravi, 28. Jayatsena, 29. Sujata, 30. Srutavan, 31. Srutanta, 32. Jaya, 33. Chitra, 34. Upachitra, 35. Charuchitra, 36. Chitraksha, 37. Sarasana, 38. Chitrayudha, 39. Chitravarman, 40. Suvarma, 41. Sudarsana, 42. Dhanurgraha, 43. Vivitsu, 44. Subaahu, 45. Nanda, 46. Upananda, 47. Kratha, 48. Vatavega, 49. Nishagin, 50. Kavashin, 51. Paasi, 52. Vikata, 53. Soma, 54. Suvarchasas, 55. Dhanurdhara, 56. Ayobaahu, 57. Mahabaahu, 58. Chithraamga, 59. Chithrakundala, 60. Bheemaratha, 61. Bheemavega, 62. Bheemabela, 63. Ugraayudha, 64. Kundhaadhara, 65. Vrindaaraka, 66. Dridhavarma, 67. Dridhakshathra, 68. Dridhasandha, 69. Jaraasandha, 70. Sathyasandha, 71. Sadaasuvaak, 72. Ugrasravas, 73. Ugrasena, 74. Senaany, 75. Aparaajitha, 76. Kundhasaai, 77. Dridhahastha, 78. Suhastha, 79. Suvarcha, 80. Adityakethu, 81. Ugrasaai, 82. Kavachy, 83. Kradhana, 84. Kundhy, 85. Bheemavikra, 86. Alolupa, 87. Abhaya, 88. Dhridhakarmaavu, 89. Dhridharathaasraya, 90. Anaadhrushya, 91. Kundhabhedy, 92. Viraavy, 93. Pradhama, 94. Amapramaadhy, 95. Deerkharoma, 96. Suveeryavaan, 97. Dheerkhabaahu, 98. Kaanchanadhwaja, 99. Kundhaasy, and 100. Virajass.

==Marriages and children of Kauravas==
All the 100 Kauravas were mentioned to have wives in the [[Adi Parva]].<ref>https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01118.htm</ref> Some of them had children - [[Duryodhana]] was mentioned to have a Kalinga princess as his wife as Mayuri. They had 2 children - a son [[Laxman Kumara]] and a daughter Lakshmana. Lakshman Kumar participated in the [[Kurukshetra War]] and killed [[Shikhandi]]'s son Kshatradeva. He is killed by [[Abhimanyu]] on the 13th day of the War.<br> Lakshmana was said to have married [[Krishna]]'s son [[Samba (Krishna's son)|Samba]], and they had a son Ushneek. Dushasana was also said to have a [[Dushasana#Durmasana|son]], who killed [[Abhimanyu]] in the war. Dushasana's son was ultimately killed by [[Upapandavas#Shrutasena|Shrutasena]] in the War. Chitrasena's son was said to have been killed by [[Upapandavas#Shrutakarma|Shrutakarma]] in the [[Kurukshetra War]]. However, it was mentioned that all these sons of the Kauravas were killed by the sons of the Pandavas.

==In literature==
[[Harivamsa Purana]] (8th century CE) narrates the Jain version of their story.{{sfn|Upinder Singh|2016|p=26}}

== In popular culture ==
The term Kaurava is used as the name of a [[Planets in science fiction|fictional planetary system]] in the 2008 [[real-time strategy]] video game ''[[Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War – Soulstorm]]'', as well as the names of the system's planets.
==See also==
*[[Kuru Kingdom]]

== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}
== Reference ==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{citation |last=Singh |first=Upinder |author-link=Upinder Singh |title=A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Pq2iCwAAQBAJ |publisher=[[Pearson Education]] |date=2016 |isbn=978-93-325-6996-6 |ref={{sfnref|Upinder Singh|2016}} }}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.mahabharataonline.com/ Persons and Stories from Mahabharata]

{{Mahabharata}}

[[Category: Characters in the Mahabharata]]
[[Category: Kingdoms of the Puru clan]]

Kaurava - Revision history

Gomateshwari at 10:31, 8 January 2023