Kauravas in the context of "Vidarbha Kingdom"

Sahadeva (Sanskrit: सहदेव, romanized: Sahadeva, lit. 'one with the gods') was the youngest of the five Pandava brothers in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He and his twin brother Nakula were the sons of Madri, one of the wives of the Pandava patriarch Pandu, and Ashvini Kumaras, the divine twin physicians of the gods, whom she invoked to beget her sons due to Pandu's inability to progenate. Sahadeva is renowned for his wisdom, knowledge of astrology, and skill in swordsmanship.

Sahadeva was married to Draupadi, as were his four brothers. He was also married to Vijaya of Madra kingdom. He had two sons, Shrutasena and Suhotra, from his two wives respectively. Sahadeva played a crucial role during the Rajasuya of Yudhishthira, where he conquered the kings of the South. After Yudhishthira lost all of his possessions to Duryodhana in the game of dice, Sahadeva vowed to slay Shakuni, Duryodhana's maternal uncle, who had used loaded dice to unfairly win the game. Afterwards, the Pandavas and Draupadi were exiled for thirteen years, with the last year being a period of hiding called as Agyaata Vaasa. During the hiding, Sahadeva disguised himself as a Vaishya named Tantripala and worked as a cowherd in the kingdom of Virata. Sahadeva was a skilled warrior who fought in the Kurukshetra War between the Pandavas and their cousins, the Kauravas. On the 18th day of the war, he slayed Shakuni. At the end of the epic, during the Pandavas' journey in the Himalayas to enter Svarga, Sahadeva was the second to fall, following Draupadi, due to his excessive pride in his wisdom.

Pururavas (Sanskrit: पुरूरवस्, Purūravas) is a character in Hindu literature, a king who served as the first of the Lunar dynasty.

According to the Vedas, he is a legendary entity associated with Surya (the sun) and Usha (the dawn), and is believed to reside in the middle region of the cosmos. The Rig Veda (X.95.18) states that he was a son of Ilā and was a pious ruler. However, the Mahabharata states that Ila was both his mother and his father. According to the Vishnu Purana, his father was Budha, and he was ancestor of the tribe of Pururavas, from whom descended the Yadavas, Kauravas, and Pandavas of Mahābhārata.

Abhimanyu (Sanskrit: अभिमन्यु, IAST: Abhimanyu) is a character in the ancient Hindu epic Mahābhārata. He was a young and valiant warrior of the Kuru lineage, born to Arjuna—the third Pandava brother—and Subhadra—a Vrishni princess. He was also one of the few individuals, along with his father, who knew the technique to enter the Chakravyuha, a powerful military formation. Abhimanyu was raised by his maternal family in Dvārakā because the Pandavas had been exiled for thirteen years by their cousins, the Kauravas. After his father's return, his marriage was arranged with Uttarā, the princess of the Matsya Kingdom.

Abhimanyu played a significant role on the Pandava side during the Kurukshetra War. The Kaurava soldiers banded together on the thirteenth day of the battle to build the Chakravyuha in an effort to defeat the Pandavas. With Arjuna diverted to another part of the battlefield, Abhimanyu was the only one who was able to burst through the formation and take on the Kaurava soldiers. At that point, six maharathis (powerful warriors) launched simultaneous attacks on him while violating several kshatriya codes, and he was killed at the age of sixteen.

The Kekeya kingdom (also known as Kekaya, Kaikaya, Kaikeya etc.) was a kingdom mentioned in the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata among the western kingdoms of then India. The epic Ramayana mentions one of the wives of Dasharatha, the king of Kosala and father of Rama, was from Kekeya kingdom and was known as Kaikeyi. Her son Bharata conquered the neighbouring kingdom of Gandhara and built the city of Takshasila. Later the sons and descendants of Bharata (Gaud kshatriya)ruled this region from Takshasila.

In Mahabharata, a Kekaya prince was mentioned, who joined the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra War. He was the eldest among the six brothers and was described as a king known as Vrihatkshatra who is banished from his kingdom by his own kinsmen, like the Pandavas who were banished from their Kuru kingdom, by their cousin brothers viz the Kauravas headed by Duryodhana. Thus this Kekaya brother was circumstantially inclined to ally with the Pandavas. Besides this, the 6 Kekaya brothers were sons of the sister of Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, making them cousins. In the Kurukshetra War, the Kekaya brother fought against his own kinsmen, viz the other 5 Kekaya brothers who sided with Duryodhana.

Bhima (Sanskrit: भीम, IAST: Bhīma), also known as Bhimasena (Sanskrit: भीमसेन, IAST: Bhīmasena), is a hero and one of the most prominent characters in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. As the second of the five Pandava brothers, Bhima was born to Kunti—the wife of King Pandu—fathered by Vayu, the wind god, which bestowed upon him superhuman strength from birth. His rivalry with the Kauravas, especially Duryodhana, defined much of his life, with this tension ultimately erupting in the Kurukshetra War, where Bhima killed all hundred Kaurava brothers.

Bhima's life was filled with extraordinary episodes that showcased his strength and bravery. From childhood, where he was poisoned, to his victories over formidable foes like Bakasura, Hidimba, and Jarasandha, Bhima's adventures are integral to the Mahabharata’s storyline. His raw, earthy nature is reflected in the brutal slaying of his enemies, his immense appetite and his marriage with Hidimbi, a rakshasi (a demoness), who bore him a son, Ghatotkacha, a powerful warrior who would later play a significant role in the Kurukshetra War.

Nakula (Sanskrit: नकुल) is a major character in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. He is the elder twin brother of Sahadeva and the fourth of the five Pandava brothers. He is the son of twin physician gods, Ashvins, and Madri, the second wife of King Pandu of Kuru dynasty. In the epic, Nakula is described as the most handsome man of his lineage, and was renowned for his skill in swordsmanship and horse keeping.

He was married to Draupadi, as were his four brothers. He was also married to Karenumati of Chedi Kingdom. He had two sons Shatanika and Niramitra from his two wives respectively. During the Rajasuya of his eldest brother Yudhishthira, he conquered the kings of the Sivis, the Rohitakas and other dynasties. After Yudhishthira lost all his possessions to his cousin Duryodhana in a dice game, the Pandavas and Draupadi were exiled for thirteen years. During the Pandavas' year of incognito exile, he disguised as a horse trainer named Granthika, and worked in the kingdom of Virata. Nakula was a skilled warrior who fought in the Kurukshetra War between the Pandavas and their cousins Kauravas. At the end of the epic, during the Pandavas' journey to the Himalayas to enter heaven, Nakula was the third to fall, following Draupadi and Sahadeva, due to his excessive pride in his beauty.

Shakuni (Sanskrit: शकुनि, IAST: Śakuni, lit. 'bird') is one of the antagonists of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. He was the prince of the kingdom of Gandhara when introduced, later becoming its king after the death of his father, Subala. He was the brother of Gandhari and the maternal uncle of the Kauravas.

Portrayed as crafty and devious, Shakuni supported his nephews, particularly the eldest, Duryodhana, in plotting against their cousins—the Pandavas. It was Shakuni who played the game of dice against Yudhishthira, one of the seminal events in the epic. Using his skills of manipulation and foul play, he won the game twice, causing the exile of the Pandavas and the consolidation of the power of the Kauravas. During the Kurukshetra War between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, Shakuni was killed by the youngest Pandava, Sahadeva.

Ajnatavasa (Sanskrit: अज्ञातवास, ajñātavāsa, lit. "living in obscurity" or "unknown abode") refers to the thirteenth year of exile undertaken by the Pandavas, the protagonists of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. This period, detailed in The Book of Virata (Virata Parva), required the five Pandava brothers—Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva—along with their wife Draupadi, to live incognito after spending twelve years in forest exile. The condition, stipulated after Yudhishthira’s loss in a game of dice against the Kauravas, mandated that they remain unrecognized in a populated area; if discovered, they would face an additional twelve years of exile.