Character

Kauravas

कौरवस्

verses
1,668
books
15
chapters
597
Members
Duryodhana

What the texts say

In the Mahabharata, the Kauravas are the hundred sons of King Dhritarashtra, born through his wife Gandhari by a boon granted by the sage Vyasa. Mahabharata 1.90.61 The epic tells how Duryodhana, one of them, had poison mixed into the food of Bhima, a Pandava. Mahabharata (Gita Press) 1.61.10, 1.128.44 The Kaurava host numbered eleven akshauhinis, a great army, with Bhishma, son of Shantanu, at the forefront as leading commander. Mahabharata 6.16.39 By the war's end all the sons of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari were destroyed, and only the five Pandavas remained alive. Mahabharata (Gita Press) 14.53.18

Where to read

Every verse that names Kauravas, book by book.

  1. Mahabharata

    1,550 verses · 547 chapters

    All 1,550 verses in the Mahabharata

    Also in the Gita Press edition: 1,718 verses

    • 5.71.6

      Dhritarashtra ke bete bahut lalchi hain. Woh apne saath mil ke rehte hain, dost bana ke rakhte hain, aur apni sena bada ke rakhi hai. Dushman ko jala dene wale.

    • 1.124.1

      Vaishampayan ne kaha. Drona ne dekha ki Dhritarashtra ke bete aur Pandu ke bete sab seekh gaye hain. Phir usne raja Dhritarashtra se baat ki, jo logon ka bada malik tha.

    • 5.39.12

      Jab dosti kam ho jaati hai, neech insaan ka pyaar khatam ho jaata hai. Dosti se jo fayda milta hai, woh bhi chala jaata hai. Dosti mein jo khushi hoti hai, woh bhi khatam.

  2. Skanda Purana

    34 verses · 13 chapters

    All 34 verses in the Skanda Purana
    • 1.2.63.80

      Deviyon ne kaha ki Kaurav aur Pandav ke beech bada yuddh hone wala hai. Agar Kaurav jeet gaye toh zameen par jo raakh hai woh unke haath aayegi.

    • 1.2.65.17

      Vijay ke saath woh dhanush mila. Maine Jarasandha ko maara. Ab hum Kauravon se apni rajpatni wapas lena chahte hain.

    • 1.2.66.2

      Bade bade yoddhe ladne ke liye Kurukshetra aaye. Kaurav bhi apni jagah par khade ho gaye. Duryodhan sabse aage tha.

  3. Bhagavatam

    30 verses · 12 chapters

    All 30 verses in the Bhagavatam
    • 10.68.23

      Baldev ke baat mein taakat thi, aur bahut dum. Kauravon ne suna aur gusse se bhar gaye. Phir unhone yeh jawab diya.

    • 1.7.13

      Jab Kurukshetra ka yuddha khatam hua, dono taraf ke veer mar gaye. Duryodhan ki taang tooti hui thi, woh chillata pada tha. Ashwatthama ne socha, main apne master ko khush karunga. Usne Draupadi ke paanch beton ke sar kaat diye jab woh so…

    • 1.9.36

      Arjun ne apni fauj ko dekha aur apne logon ko maarna nahi chahta tha. Usko galat samajh aane laga. Krishna ne usko gyaan diya aur uski galat samajh theek kar di. Mera mann unke charnon mein laga rahe.

  4. Brahma Purana

    16 verses · 4 chapters

    • 208.9

      Jab Duryodhan aur baaki logon ko pata chala ki Balaram aa gaya hai, toh unhone gaye, arghya aur paani lekar uski puja ki. Balaram ne sab kuchh liya, phir Kauravon se baat ki.

    • 12.9

      Phir Saratha sab Kauravon ka raja ban gaya. Janamejaya, jo Kaurav the, unse Samvartavasu paida hua.

    • 13.107

      Yeh jagah bahut pavitra hai aur achhi lagti hai. Jo log acche kaam karte hain woh yahan aate rehte hain. Is jagah ka naam sunne se hi bada fayda milta hai, Kauravon ko bhi yeh baat samajh mein aani chahiye.

Also named in

Key chapters

The chapters where Kauravas matters most.

  1. Balarāma Humbles the Kurus and Rescues Sāmba

    Bhagavatam 10.68 · 9 verses

    Collective voice of dynastic arrogance

  2. Balarama’s Embassy to Hastinapura and the Release of Samba

    Brahma Purana 208 · 11 verses

    साम्ब-ग्रहणकर्तारः

  3. Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 71: Kṣatra-dharma Counsel, Public Legitimacy, and Mobilization

    Mahabharata 5.71 · 8 verses

    Antagonistic bloc characterized as acquisitive and hostile

  4. Āstravidyā-Pradarśana: The Kuru Princes’ Public Demonstration of Arms (आस्त्रविद्या-प्रदर्शनम्)

    Mahabharata 1.124 · 4 verses

    Ensemble performers

  5. Timely Counsel, Association, and Kin-Duty

    Mahabharata 5.39 · 4 verses

    Implicit beneficiaries of Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s attachment

  6. Karna’s Martial Boast and Challenge to Bībhatsu (Arjuna)

    Mahabharata 4.43 · 3 verses

    Implied beneficiaries and audience

  7. Adhyāya 20: Rājadharma Argument for Paternal Inheritance and Timely Conciliation

    Mahabharata 5.20 · 2 verses

    Current holders of the undivided patrimony

  8. The Birth of Droṇa, Acquisition of Weapons, and the Seed of Enmity with Drupada

    Mahabharata 1.154 · 1 verse

    Co-students within Droṇa’s school

  9. Adharma’s Short-Lived Prosperity and the Restorative Path of Tīrtha (लोमश-युधिष्ठिर संवादः)

    Mahabharata 3.92 · 1 verse

    Implied antagonistic horizon

Key episodes

  1. Kurukshetra War

    Mahabharata 6-10

Also known to Wikipedia · Wikidata Q1648561