We all know Kaikeyi as the heartless queen and mother in the epic Ramayana who, in a way, set in motion all the events that resulted in the abduction of Sita and the Rama-Ravana war. She was not the eldest queen of King Dasharatha, but was the most favoured one. Many years ago, there had been a war between the Devas and the Asuras. In that war, Dasharatha had fought on the side of the Devas. While he was battling the Asuras, the bolt of one of the wheels of his chariot slipped out. This could have resulted in the wheel slipping off and the chariot getting stranded, putting Dasharatha’s life in danger. Kaikeyi, who was accompanying Dasharatha, put her thumb in the hole of the bolt and saved Dasharatha’s life. He granted her two boons. Years later, Kaikeyi asked for Kaushalya’s son, Rama, to be exiled to the forest and for her son Bharata to be crowned king.
Everybody criticised Kaikeyi and tried to convince her not to insist on the boons. One of them was Dasharatha’s charioteer, Sumantra. Sumantra told a story about Kaikeyi’s father, Ashvapati. He had obtained the power to understand the language of the animals, but under the condition that he could not reveal what he heard to anybody, or else he would die. One day, he was walking in his garden with his wife, Kaikeyi’s mother. He heard two swans talking and laughed at their words. His wife asked him what the matter was. He replied that he could not tell her. She insisted that he must tell her, or she would believe that he was laughing at her.
Ashvapati told her that she could draw any inference that she wanted to, but he could not tell her because it would result in his death. Kaikeyi’s mother said that she did not care whether he lived or died, and swore that if he did not tell her, she would end her life. Ashvapati went to his guru and described his problem. The guru advised him to abandon his wife because she did not care for his life. Ashvapati did so.
After recounting this story, Sumantra said, ‘It is said that men take after their fathers, and women take after their mothers. You are just like your mother. Don’t imitate her in every respect, and do not demand what may result in your becoming a widow.’ Sumantra’s advice was very wise, but, of course, Kaikeyi did not take it. She insisted on Rama’s exile to the forest. Dasharatha was forced to do so, but six days later, he died of grief. Thus, Kaikeyi's actions and eventual fate matched those of her mother's.