Introduction
Kaikesi, also spelled Kaikasi, is a Rakshasa princess, the daughter of Sumali. She is the wife of the sage Vishrava and the mother of Ravana, Kumbhakarna, Vibhishana and Shurpanakha.
This article primarily follows the Valmiki Ramayana. Where a well-known detail comes from a later retelling or tradition, the article identifies it.
Family
- Father: Sumali
- Mother: Ketumati
- Husband: Vishrava
- Siblings: Prahasta
- Children: Ravana, Kumbhakarna, Vibhishana, Shurpanakha, Khara, Dushana, Trishiras
Sumali's plan
The Uttara Kanda tells that Sumali, who had fled Lanka after his clan's defeat by Vishnu, wanted his descendants to regain power. He saw that Kubera, Vishrava's son, was rich and powerful, and sent his daughter Kaikesi to Vishrava to bear him sons.
The sons
Kaikesi approached Vishrava at an unlucky hour, and he warned her that her sons would be fierce. She asked that not all of them be so, and Vishrava agreed that the youngest, Vibhishana, would be righteous.