This is the collective name given to the 100 sons of Dhritharaashtra from his eldest queen Gaandhaari . Their names were given at the end of this page . Usually, the word kouravas refers to these hundred brothers but in many contexts, it refers to their clan-including the paandavas- in general too. Also, the word kurus too refers to the entire clan and these brothers as well. More specifically in war contexts, the word kouravas means the kouravas' wing and the word paandavas means the paandavas' wing. (This document uses the words kouravas and Paandavas in the sense of adjective too, like the Kouravas army and Paandavas army.)
Duryodhana was the eldest and the strongest among all. Other prominent ones were Dusshasaana,Durmukha,Durmarshana and Vikarna.
They had one sister Dussala and a half-brother Yuyuthsu.
The Kouravas were jealous of their cousins,the Paandavas. They were disobedient to their family elders. With their greed to the kingdom, they plotted against the lives of Paandavas with the aid of Shakuni,their maternal uncle and
Karna , their thick friend and follower. But the Paandavas
could survive all such plots. The insult inflicted on the
Paandavas was the worst when the
Kouravas attempted to disrobe their queen Droupadi in a full court. Vikarna was the only one among the hundred brothers who tainted his brothers for that misbrhaviour and argued that Droupadi was not legally won as servant . None heedded to his words .
This insult made Bheema indignant. He vowed that he would kill all the Kouravas in the war and succeeded in doing so. He had to kill the right Vikarna too , for which he profusely lamented on the spot . However, Yuyuthsu, another son of Dhritharaashtra, born of a vyshya woman, who defected to the side of the Paandavas just before the war, was the only survivor. Yuyuthsu was not reckoned in the hundred Kouravas
The behaviour of the Kouravas
tells us how not to behave with others and how peace could be endangered by greed and lust.
Actually,Kouravas means the sons or descendants of Kuru .
Grammatically any one in the dynasty of Kuru can be called a Kourava. Thus both the Kouravas and the Paandaavas , being of the same lineage of king Kuru , can be called
Kouravas .In fact, the
Mahaabhaaratham refers people of either side as Kourava or Bhaaratha (= of lineage of Kuru or Bharatha.).
But, it is common to refer to the 100 sons of
Dhritharaashtra and Gaandhaari as the Kouravas. The phrase 'the Kouravas' also refers to the kourava side as a whole , in many contexts , espescially in the war references .
The names of the hundred kourava brothers are given below. These names variously appear in various texts . No two texts coincide, nor does any one talley with the original text which itself is various. The names given in the famous Telugu translation differ from those in the original texts too . However, due to its wide popularity, I give those in the Telugu translation
All the hundred fell victims to Bheema's anger in the war . Duryodhana was the last to be killed .
Younger to all Kouravas, Dushshala was the only sister . She was married to Jayadratha, king of Sindhu kingdom , who , of course, was killed on the fourteenth day of the war by Arjuna.
Duryodhana Dushshaasana Dussaha Dushshala Jalasandha Sama Anuvinda Saha Vinda Durdharsha
Subaahu Dushpradharshana Durmarshana Durmukha Dushkarna Karna Vivimshathi Vikarna Shala Sathva
Sulochana Chithra(Chithrasena) Upachithra Chithraaksha Chaaruchithra Sharaasana Durmada Durvigaaha Vivithsu Vikataanana
Oornanaabha Sunaabha Nanda Upanandaka Chithrabaana Chithravarma Suvarma Durvimochana Ayobaahu Mahaabaahu
Chithraanga Chithrakundala Bheemavega Bheemabala Balaaki Balavardhana Ugraayudha Sushena Kundadhaara Mahodara
Chithraayudha Nishangi Paashi Brindaaraka Dridhavarma Dridhakshathra Somakeerthi Anoodara Dridhasandha Jaraasandha
Sada Suvaak Ugrashravas Ugrasena Senaani Dushparaajaya Aparaajitha Kundashaayi Vishaalaaksha Duraadhara
Dridhahastha Suhastha Vaathavega Suvarchas Aadithyakethu Bahvaashi Naagadaththa Aagrayaayi Kavachi Krathana
Kunda Dhanurdhara Ugra Bheemaratha Veerabaahu Alolupa Abhaya Roudrakarma Dridharathaashraya Anaadhrishya
Kundabhedi Viraavi Pramatha Pramaathi Deergharoma Deerghabaahu Vyoodhoru Kanakadhvaja Kundaashi Virajas
"After praying to Naaraayana, Nara, Sarasvathi and Vyaasa, then one should read the Jayam."
DEDICATED TO MY DEAR NIECE VYSHNAVI KRISHNA