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Kaikeyi
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| Kaikeyi | |
|---|---|
| Ramayana character | |
 Dasharatha promises to banish Rama as per Kaikeyi's wishes. | |
| In-universe information | |
| Family | Ashwapati (father) 7 brothers including Yuddhajit Kausalya (co-wife) Sumitra (co-wife) |
| Spouse | Dasharatha |
| Children | Bharata (son) |
| Home | Kekeya (by birth) Ayodhya (by marriage) |
Kaikeyi was the third consort of King Dasharatha and the Queen of Ayodhya in the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. Out of Dashrath's three wives, Kaikeyi had the most significant role. She was the princess of Kekeya and a powerful warrior, who helped her husband during a war. Kaikeyi was the mother of Bharata. Initially loving and motherly towards her stepson, Rama, Kaikeyi's mind was poisoned by Manthara, her maid. Under her influence, Kaikeyi sent Ram to the forest.
Birth and early life[edit]
Kaikeyi was born near the ancient Indian region of Kekaya, present day Afghanistan.[1] She was born to King Ashwapati of Kekeya shortly before her mother was exiled. She was raised with her only mother figure being her hunchbacked nursemaid, Manthara. She was very fierce as she was raised with 7 brothers, including her twin Yuddhajit.
Manthara's influence and Rama's exile[edit]
Later, Dasharatha, with the approval of the royal assembly, selected Rama to be crowned King. Kaikeyi was delighted and as happy as she would have been had it been her own son, Bharata's, coronation. However, Manthara, Kaikeyi's nurse, became worried that Kaikeyi would lose her status as Chief Queen at Court if Rama ascended the throne, as Kausalya would thus become Queen Mother. She decided to instigate trouble. She tried to fuel Kaikeyi's jealousy and envy of Kausalya by reminding her that her son's coronation would give Kausalya her former status as the most important of Dasharatha's Queens and would cut Bharata out of the royal lineage forever, but this had no effect on Kaikeyi at the time.[2]
Manthara later convinced Kaikeyi to demand the two boons granted to her years earlier by Dasharatha. King Dasharatha was obliged to fulfill them. Kaikeyi demanded that Bharata be crowned king and Rama be sent to the forest for fourteen years. Hearing this, Dasharatha fell into a swoon and passed the night in a pitiable condition in Kaikeyi's palace. Kaikeyi said that according to the two boons granted by Dasharatha, Rama should go to the forest for 14 years and Bharata must become the king.[2]
Widowhood and later life[edit]
After sending Rama into exile, a grief-stricken Dasharatha died of a broken heart six days after Rama left Ayodhya. Kaikeyi came to blame herself for this death. Furthermore, Bharata swore never to ascend the throne as it was his older brother's birthright. He further blamed her for his father's death and swore never to address her as Mother again. It is reported that this is the reason why the name Kaikeyi is seldom heard of. Realizing her mistake, Kaikeyi repented sending her most beloved son away for 14 years.
After Rama's return, she apologized to him for her sins. Rama touched her feet and said there was no need to ask for forgiveness as he didn't feel bad about what happened and he insisted Bharata to forgive his mother. Rama also insisted to Bharata that what mothers do, whether it is good or bad (defending Kaikeyi), is for the betterment of their children, not for themselves, so it is not good to be angry and sour with them.
Assessment[edit]
Kaikeyi's nature and her relationships are quite revealing in Ayodhya Kand of Valmiki Ramayan.[3] Kaikeyi maintained strong relations with her maternal family even after her wedding to King Dasharath. Her brother Yudhajit visits her many times and takes a keen interest in the life of her son Bharata, often taking Bharata and Shatrugna away to the Kaikeya kingdom for vacation. [4]
Kaikeyi helped her husband Dasharath in the Dandaka forest while he was at war. While Kaikeyi saved the king in the war, as per mythology her left hand was strong as a diamond (a boon from a Saint) so the king accompanied her during wars.
Kaikeyi was the king's favorite queen. Kaikeyi's nature is described as being temperamental and unpredictable. While mostly she was sweet mannered, it is evident that she disliked the king spending time with his other queens. King Dasharatha mentions that he did not treat his queen Kausalya deservedly due to fear of Kaikeyi's tantrums.
Kaikeyi seemed almost naive when it came to understanding the rights of the four princes to Ayodhya's throne. She naively mentions to her maid Manthara that Bharata can rule Ayodhya after Rama, not really understanding the genealogical inheritance to the throne. It is Manthara who educates Kaikeyi of the rights to ascension to the throne.
Kaikeyi's naive nature and sweetness were transformed into obstinacy and power-hunger; all in the name of her son Bharata's welfare. Bharata contests her views vociferously and despises her for her act of banishing the rightful heir Rama to forests as if punishing him for no fault of his. King Dasharath tries to reason with her in terms of internal security of the kingdom, people's will, the Court's decision to crown Rama; none of which seems reasonable to her. Dasharath appeals to Kaikeyi to give the kingdom to Rama which was in her power but she fails to do so. Finally, king Dasharatha renounces her, yet he is unable to separate himself from her. He lingers on in grief in her chambers for fear of humiliation from everyone outside those chambers.[citation needed]
In popular culture[edit]
Literature[edit]
The 2020 book - Women Of Ramayana, reimagines Kaikeyi as the iron-lady of Aryavarta whose primary goal was to empower the women in central regions of the country. As one of the few women warriors of her time, she worked tirelessly to increase the influence of women in the socio-political realms of Aryavarta royal families.
Portrayals Of Kaikeyi In Mass Media[edit]
Kaikeyi has been portrayed by several actresses in different television adaptations of Ramayana:
| Year | TV Series | Channel | Country | Played by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987–1988 | Ramayan (TV series) | DD National | India | Padma Khanna |
| 1997-2000 | Jai Hanuman (1997 TV series) | DD Metro | India | Maya Alagh |
| 2000 | Vishnu Puran | Zee TV | India | Dolly Minhas |
| 2002 | Ramayan (2002 TV series) | Zee TV | India | Dolly Minhas |
| 2008–2009 | Ramayan (2008 TV series) | NDTV Imagine | India | Heemakahi Ujjain |
| 2012–2013 | Ramayan (2012 TV series) | Zee TV | India | Shikha Swaroop |
| 2015–2016 | Siya Ke Ram | Star Plus | India | Grusha Kapoor |
| 2019–2020 | Ram Siya Ke Luv Kush | Colors TV | India | Piyali Munshi |
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ Rumanian Review. Europolis Pub. 1998. p. 54.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Sivaraman, Krishna (1989). Hindu Spirituality: Vedas Through Vedanta. Motilal Banarsidass Publishe. ISBN 978-81-208-1254-3.
- ↑ "Valmiki Ramayana". Valmiki Ramayana. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
- ↑ Mani 2015.
Bibliography[edit]
- Mani, Vettam (1 January 2015). Puranic Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Work with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-0597-2.
External links[edit]
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