Introduction
Kaikeyi is the daughter of King Ashvapati of Kekaya and the youngest of Dasharatha's three chief queens. She is the mother of Bharata. Her demand for two boons, the exile of Rama and the crown for her own son, is the event that sets the whole epic in motion.
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: Ashvapati
- Husband: Dasharatha
- Son: Bharata
The two boons
Long before, Kaikeyi had accompanied Dasharatha to a war between the gods and the Asuras. Manthara recalls it in Ayodhya Kanda, chapter 9: Dasharatha went to the Dandaka forest to help Indra against the Asura Shambara (also called Timidhvaja), whose illusions had defeated the gods. Dasharatha was badly wounded and lost consciousness, and Kaikeyi carried him away from the battlefield and saved his life. He promised her two boons, which she did not use at the time. Later retellings add a well-known detail, that she held the broken axle-pin of the chariot with her own arm.
Manthara's influence
Kaikeyi was fond of Rama and was pleased when she heard he would be crowned. But her maid Manthara convinced her that Rama's rise would mean humiliation for her and her son. Kaikeyi, persuaded, went to Dasharatha in a state of anger and asked for her two boons: fourteen years of exile for Rama, and the crown for Bharata.
After the exile
Dasharatha died soon after. When Bharata returned and learned what she had done, he rejected her in strong terms and refused the throne. Kaikeyi's plan failed, and she was left with her son's anger and the grief of the whole city.
Valmiki shows no anger against her from Rama. When Bharata blames his mother, Rama tells him not to.
Character
Kaikeyi is often seen as the villain of the story. In the narrative, she is influenced by Manthara and by concern for Bharata. Her story is often read as a warning about how easily a person can be misled by bad advice.