Kauravas

The Kauravas are the hundred sons of King Dhritarashtra and Queen Gandhari, of the ancient Kuru dynasty, who form the principal antagonists of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata. The term Kaurava refers to a member of the Kuru line descended from Dhritarashtra; in practice it denotes the group led by Duryodhana, the eldest of the brothers, which includes Dushasana and several others such as Vikarna. The Kauravas are depicted as aspiring to Hastinapura’s throne and opposed to the rightful claims of their cousins, the Pandavas.

The central conflict centers on the dynastic struggle between the Kauravas and Pandavas. The dice game sequence leads to Yudhishthira’s loss of wealth and kingdom, followed by the Pandavas’ thirteen-year exile. Upon their return, the Kauravas refuse to restore the throne, and war becomes inevitable. The Kurukshetra War lasts eighteen days and ends in the defeat of the Kaurava faction; most of its members are slain, including Duryodhana, who dies in single combat against Bhima, and Dushasana, killed earlier in the conflict. Karna, a major ally of the Kauravas, also dies during the war at the hands of Arjuna with Krishna’s assistance.

After the war, the Pandavas assume rule of Hastinapura, and the Kaurava line is effectively extinguished in the epic narrative. In traditional tellings, the Kauravas serve as the principal foil to the Pandavas, embodying ambition, jealousy, and adharmic conduct, though some modern retellings explore more nuanced motives behind their actions.