# कैकेयी (kaikeyī)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/kaikeyi

कैकेयी (kaikeyī) is a Sanskrit word meaning a descendant or prince of the Kekayas, the name of a son of Shivi, name of Dhrishtaketu, king of the Kaikeyas, the daughter of a prince of the Kekayas, the language of the Kekayas, one of the wives of Dasharatha and the mother of Bharata. Its 15 recorded definitions are grouped into 3 contexts, among them Other women named or known as Kaikeyī, The Kekaya people, princes, or language, Kaikeyī, wife of Daśaratha.

- **Etymology:** E. केकय a king, father of this lady, and ढक् aff — E. kekaya a king, father of this lady, and ḍhak aff
- **SLP1:** `kEkeyI`  **IAST:** kaikeyī  **Devanagari:** कैकेयी
- **Wikipedia:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaikeyi
- **Declensions:** 72 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/kaikeyi/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### Other women named or known as Kaikeyī (6 definitions)
- the wife of Sarvabhauma  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > कैकेयी (kaikeyī) [Printed book page 371-1 ] Kaikeyī 1 (“daughter of the Kekaya king”) = Sunandā, the wife of Sarvabhauma: I, ††3769 ( S°, mother of Jayatsena). [ ID=5066 ]
- wife of Ajamidha  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Kaikeyī 2 (do.), wife of Ajamīḍha. § 156 (Pūruvaṃś.); I, 95, ††3790. [ ID=5067 ]
- Kumari, the wife of Bhimasena Parikshita  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Kaikeyī 3 (do.) = Kumārī, the wife of Bhīmasena Pārikṣita: I, †3796 ( K°, mother of Pratiśravas). [ ID=5068 ]
- Sudeshna, the wife of Virata  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Kaikeyī 5 = Sudeṣṇā, the wife of Virāṭa. IV, 249 ( Virāṭa- bhāryā ), 432, 562, 563, 661, 669. [ ID=5070 ]
- Sumana  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Kaikeyī 6 (do.) = Sumanā: XIII, 5859. [ ID=5071 ]
- a surname of Bhadra, a wife of Krishna  
  *The Purana Index*
  > कैकेयी (kaikeyī) [Printed book page 1-463 ] Kaikeyī — surname of Bhadrā, a wife of Kṛṣṇa. Bhā. X. 57. 56. [ ID=3619 ]

### The Kekaya people, princes, or language (5 definitions)
- A descendant or prince of the Kekayas.  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2) [Printed book page 311,1] कैकेय (kaikeya) a m. ( Pāṇini (Author) vii, 3, 2 ) ‘a descendant of Kekaya’, prince of the Kekayas, Śatapatha-brāhmaṇa (Title) x; ChUp. [ ID=56172 ]
- The name of a son of Shivi  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of a son of Śivi (from whom the Kaikeyas are derived), Harivaṃśa (Title) 1680; Bhāgavata-purāṇa (Title) ix, 23, 3 [ ID=56173 ]
- Name of Dhrishtaketu, king of the Kaikeyas  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > N. of Dhṛṣṭaketu (king of the Kaikeyas and father of the five Kaikeyas), VP. [ ID=56174 ]
- the Kekayas  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > कैकेय (kaikeya) m. pl. the Kekayas, R. [ ID=56175 ]
- the language of the Kekayas  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > कैकेय (kaikeya) n. the language of the Kekayas. [ ID=56177 ]

### Kaikeyī, wife of Daśaratha (4 definitions)
- the daughter of a prince of the Kekayas  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H2B) [Printed book page 311,1] कैकेयी (kaikeyī) f. the daughter of a prince of the Kekayas (one of the wives of Daśa-ratha and mother of Bharata, R.; Ragh. ), MBh.; Daś. [ ID=56176 ]
- One of the wives of Dasharatha and the mother of Bharata  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कैकेयी (kaikeyī) [Printed book page 249 ] कैकेयी (kaikeyī) f. ( - यी (-yī) ) One of the wives of DAŚARATHA, and the mother of BHARATA. E. केकय (kekaya) a king, father of this lady, and ढक् (ḍhak) aff. [ ID=11670 ]
- One of the wives of Dasharatha and mother of Bharata  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कैकेयी (kaikeyī) [Printed book page 213-b ] कैकेयी (kaikeyī) ( यी ) ((yī)) 3. f. One of the wives of Dasharatha, mother of Bharata. [ ID=11117 ]
- Wife of Dasaratha and mother of Bharata who had Rama banished.  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > Kaikeyī 4 (do.), wife of Daśaratha. § 525 (Rāmopākhyānap.): III, 274, 15879 (mother of Bharata); 277, 15960, 15961, 15975, 15980 (prevailed upon Daśaratha to banish Rāma and install Bharata as heir apparent. Bharata, however, would only keep the realm for Rāma). [ ID=5069 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); The Purana Index; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

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