Kaurava

In the Mahabharata, the later of the two
great Hindu epics, the Kauravas are the
hundred sons of King Dhrtarashtra and
the epic’s antagonists to the Pandava
protagonists. The Kauravas receive their
name as descendants of Kuru, an ancestor of King Shantanu. As in many cases
in Hindu mythology, the Kaurava sons
are born in an unusual manner. Their
mother, Gandhari, receives a blessing
(ashirvad) from the sage Vyasa that she
will give birth to one hundred sons. Her
pregnancy lasts for over two years.
When she grows impatient and tries to
hasten the delivery, she gives birth to a
great lump of flesh. Vyasa advises
Gandhari to divide the lump and place
each piece in a pot of clarified butter
(ghee). In due time, each of the 101
pots break open to reveal one hundred
handsome boys, as well as a single
daughter, Dussala. Of these hundred
sons, the most important are the two
eldest, Duryodhana and Duhshasana.