Kaurava
Kaurava is a
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.[1]
- 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
Birth of Kauravas
After
Children of Dhritarashtra
The children of
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.[4]
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) were killed in the Battle of Kurukshetra.
Names of the Kauravas
The Mahabharata notes the names of all Kauravas, of which only Duryodhana, Dushasana, Vikarna and Chitrasena play a significant role:[5]
- Duryodhana
- Dushasana
- Vikarna
- Chitrasena
- Upachitran
- Suvarma
- Dussaha
- Jalagandha
- Sama
- Saha
- Vindha
- Anuvindha
- Durdharsha
- Subahu
- Dushpradarshan
- Durmarshan
- Durmukha
- Dushkarna
- Karna
- Salan
- Sathwa
- Sulochan
- Chithra
- Chitraksha
- Charuchithra
- Sarasana
- Durmada
- Durviga
- Vivitsu
- Viktana
- Urnanabha
- Sunabha
- Nanda
- Upananda
- Chitravarma
- Suvarma
- Durvimochan
- Ayobahu
- Mahabahu
- Chitranga
- Chitrakundala
- Bhimvega
- Bhimba
- Balaki
- Balvardhana
- Ugrayudha
- Sushena
- Kundhadhara
- Mahodara
- Chithrayudha
- Nishangi
- Pashi
- Vridaraka
- Dridhavarma
- Dridhakshatra
- Somakirti
- Anudara
- Dridasandha
- Jarasangha
- Sathyasandha
- Sadas
- Suvak
- Ugrasarva
- Ugrasena
- Senani
- Dushparajai
- Aparajit
- Kundusai
- Vishalaksha
- Duradhara
- Dridhahastha
- Suhastha
- Vatvega
- Suvarcha
- Aadiyaketu
- Bahvasi
- Nagaadat
- Agrayayi
- Kavachi
- Kradhan
- Kundi
- Kundadhara
- Dhanurdhara
- Bhimaratha
- Virabahi
- Alolupa
- Abhaya
- Raudrakarma
- Dhridarathasraya
- Anaghrushya
- Kundhabhedi
- Viravi
- Chitrakundala
- Dirghlochan
- Pramati
- Veeryavan
- Dirgharoma
- Dirghabhu
- Kundashi
- Virjasa
The Kauravas also had a half-brother, Yuyutsu, and a sister, Duhsala.
Marriages and children of Kauravas
All the 100 Kauravas were mentioned to have wives in the
Lakshmana was said to have married Krishna's son Samba. Dushasana was also said to have two sons, who killed Abhimanyu in the war. Dushasana's first son was killed by Shrutasena in the war. Dushasana's second son was killed by Abhimanyu.
Dushasana also had an unnamed daughter. Chitrasena's son was said to have been killed by Shrutakarma in the Kurukshetra War. Chitrasena also had an unnamed daughter. 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.[7]
In popular culture
The term Kaurava is used as the name of a
See also
References
- ^ Monier-Williams, Sir Monier (1872). A Sanskṛit-English Dictionary Etymologically and Philologically Arranged: With Special Reference to Greek, Latin, Gothic, German, Anglo-Saxon, and Other Cognate Indo-European Languages. Clarendon Press.
- ^ "Kauravas". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
- ^ "Mahabharat Chapter 6 - Birth of Pandavas and Kauravas". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
- ^ The Birth of the Pandavas and Kauravas
- )
- ^ "The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section CXVII".
- ^ Upinder Singh 2016, p. 26.
Sources
- ISBN 978-93-325-6996-6