Dhritarashtra is the father of the Kauravas, the significant characters in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Dhritarashtra, who was born blind, was the king of the Kuru Kingdom, with its capital at Hastinapura. He fathered one hundred sons and a daughter named Dushala with his wife Gandhari, and also had a son named Yuyutsu with Gandhari's maid.

The Kauravas' birth story is unique and intertwined with divine interventions. Gandhari received a boon from the sage Vyasa (Dwaipayana) for one hundred powerful sons. However, her pregnancy lasted unnaturally for two years. Frustrated by this, Gandhari gave birth to a hard lump instead of a child. Vyasa divided this lump into one hundred pieces, which were incubated in jars and eventually developed into the Kauravas, with Duryodhana being the eldest.

The term "Kaurava" refers not only to Dhritarashtra's children but broadly to the descendants of the legendary king Kuru. However, in the context of the Mahabharata, it specifically denotes Dhritarashtra and Gandhari's sons and their sister. The Kauravas, especially under the influence of their eldest brother Duryodhana and their maternal uncle Shakuni, were marked by their rivalry with their cousins, the Pandavas. This animosity eventually led to the epic battle of Kurukshetra, which is the central conflict of the Mahabharata.

In summary, Dhritarashtra's role as the father of the Kauravas is pivotal in shaping the Mahabharata's narrative, influencing the destinies of his children and setting the stage for the legendary conflict with the Pandavas.