Kaikeyi- Hindu FigureMortal"Queen of Ayodhya"
Also known as: कैकेयी and Kaikeyī
Description
She once held a shattered chariot axle together with her bare hand to save Dasharatha in battle, and he promised her any two boons. Years later, manipulated by a maid's whispered fears, she used them: exile Rama, crown Bharata. Dasharatha died of grief. Bharata refused the throne.
Mythology & Lore
The Two Boons
Kaikeyi was the daughter of King Ashvapati of Kekaya and the youngest of Dasharatha's three wives. She had once accompanied Dasharatha on a campaign against the asuras, and when his chariot wheel shattered in battle, Kaikeyi held the broken axle pin in place with her bare hand, saving the king's life. Dasharatha offered her two boons. She held them in reserve.
Manthara's Counsel
Years later, on the eve of Rama's consecration as crown prince, Kaikeyi's hunchbacked maid Manthara came to her in alarm. If Rama were crowned, Bharata would be pushed aside and Kaikeyi would lose her standing to Kausalya. Though Kaikeyi had loved Rama as her own son, Manthara's arguments worked on her pride. Kaikeyi entered the chamber of anger, lay on the bare floor, and refused to see Dasharatha until he granted her boons. When the king came to her, she demanded Bharata be crowned and Rama exiled to the Dandaka forest for fourteen years.
Consequences
Dasharatha was bound by his oath. Rama accepted the exile without protest and departed with Sita and Lakshmana. Dasharatha died of grief. When Bharata returned from Kekaya and learned what his mother had done, he condemned her before the court and refused the throne. Kaikeyi was left with what she had asked for and no one who wanted it.
Relationships
- Associated with