Kekeya Kingdom (also known as Kekaya, Kaikaya, Kaikeya etc.) was a kingdom mentioned in the ancient Indian epic ''
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...
'' among the western kingdoms of then India. The epic ''
Ramayana
The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...
'' mentions one of the wives of
Dasharatha
Dasharatha (Sanskrit: दशरथ, IAST: Daśaratha; born Nemi) was the king of the Kosala kingdom and a scion of the Suryavamsha dynasty in Hinduism. He ruled from this capital at Ayodhya. Dasharatha was the son of Aja and Indumati. He h ...
, the king of
Kosala and father of
Rama
Rama (; ), Ram, Raman or Ramar, also known as Ramachandra (; , ), is a major deity in Hinduism. He is the seventh and one of the most popular '' avatars'' of Vishnu. In Rama-centric traditions of Hinduism, he is considered the Supreme Bein ...
, was from Kekeya kingdom and was known as
Kaikeyi
Kaikeyi (Sanskrit: कैकेयी, IAST: Kaikeyī) is the second consort of King Dasharatha, and a queen of Ayodhya in the Hindu epic Ramayana.
Out of Dasharatha's three wives, Kaikeyi exerts the most influence. Formerly the princess of Kek ...
. Her son
Bharata conquered the neighbouring kingdom of
Gandhara and built the city of
Takshasila
Taxila or Takshashila (; sa, तक्षशिला; pi, ; , ; , ) is a city in Punjab, Pakistan. Located in the Taxila Tehsil of Rawalpindi District, it lies approximately northwest of the Islamabad–Rawalpindi metropolitan area an ...
. Later the sons and descendants of Bharata ruled this region from Takshasila.
In ''Mahabharata'', a Kekaya prince was mentioned, who joined the
Pandavas
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledge ...
in the
Kurukshetra War. He was the eldest among the six brothers and was described as a king known as Vrihatkshatra who is banished from his kingdom by his own kinsmen, like the Pandavas who were banished from their
Kuru Kingdom
Kuru (Sanskrit: ) was a Vedic Indo-Aryan tribal union in northern Iron Age India, encompassing parts of the modern-day states of Haryana, Delhi, and some parts of western Uttar Pradesh, which appeared in the Middle Vedic period (c. 1200 – c. ...
, by their cousin brothers viz the
Kauravas
''Kaurava'' is a Sanskrit term which refers to descendants of Kuru, a legendary king of India who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the epic ''Mahabharata''. Usually, the term is used for the 100 sons of King Dhritarashtra and his w ...
headed by
Duryodhana. Thus this Kekaya brother was circumstantially inclined to ally with the Pandavas. Besides this, the 6 Kekaya brothers were sons of the sister of
Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, making them cousins. In the Kurukshetra War, the Kekaya brother fought against his own kinsmen, viz the other 5 Kekaya brothers who sided with Duryodhana.
References in Valmiki Ramayana
There are several references to
Kaikeyi
Kaikeyi (Sanskrit: कैकेयी, IAST: Kaikeyī) is the second consort of King Dasharatha, and a queen of Ayodhya in the Hindu epic Ramayana.
Out of Dasharatha's three wives, Kaikeyi exerts the most influence. Formerly the princess of Kek ...
in the epic
Ramayana
The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...
. Kaikeyi was one of the three
queens
Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...
of
Dasharatha
Dasharatha (Sanskrit: दशरथ, IAST: Daśaratha; born Nemi) was the king of the Kosala kingdom and a scion of the Suryavamsha dynasty in Hinduism. He ruled from this capital at Ayodhya. Dasharatha was the son of Aja and Indumati. He h ...
, the king of
Ayodhya
Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Ayodhya, also known as Saketa, is an ancient city of India, the birthplace of Rama and setting of the great epic Ramayana. Ayodhya wa ...
. She was a Kekaya princess, and the daughter of Ashwapati. Ramayana testifies that the capital of Kekayas lay beyond river Sudama. River Sudama has been identified with river Saranges of
Arrian which flowed also flowed through Kekians. The Vedic texts do not mention name of the capital of Kekaya but Ramayana does inform us that the Kekaya metropolis was Rajagriha or Girivraja. which A. Cunningham has identified with Girjak or
Jalalpur
Jalalpur is a town, tehsil and a municipal board in Ambedkar Nagar district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, India.
Geography
Jalalpur is located at . It has an average elevation of .
The city is directly connected to Azamgarh, Akbarp ...
on river Jhelum in the Jhelum district but this view has not been accepted by scholars. Ramayana further attests that Kekaya lay beyond Vipasa or Beas and abutted with the country of Gandharava or Gandhara
vishaya A vishaya (IAST: Viṣaya) was a historical administrative unit of India, generally equivalent to a modern district.
Several other terms for units equivalent to a modern district appear in historical inscriptions, including ''āhāra'', ''rashtra'' ...
(country). Ravana, the son of Vishrava and Kaikesi (Princess of Kaikeya may be an early predecessor of Bhagawan Rama’s Step mother) was Ravana and he was born in Devagana. He was the grandson of Pulastya. Vishrava was a great sage and his princess was Kaikesi.
References in Vishnu-Dharmottara Mahapurana
According to Vishnu-Dharmottara Mahapurana also, the capital of the Kekayas lay beyond river Sudama which flowed some distance westwards from the Vitasta or Jhelum river. Prince Bharata, son of princess Kekayi, while going to Kekaya country from
Ayodhya
Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Ayodhya, also known as Saketa, is an ancient city of India, the birthplace of Rama and setting of the great epic Ramayana. Ayodhya wa ...
had to cross river Vitasta and then after crossing river Sudama, he reached the land of the Kekayas.
References in Mahabharata
Kekaya is mentioned as an ancient Indian kingdom at (6,9).
Alliances of Kekaya brides with Puru kings
*
Puru king Sarvabhauma married Sunanda, the daughter of the Kekaya prince, having obtained her by force. (1,95)
*Puru king Parikshit's son Bhimasena married Kumari, the princess of Kekaya and begot upon her Pratisravas whose son was Pratipa, the father of
Santanu. (1,95)
Kekaya Kings
King Sahasrachitya
There was a ruler of the Kekayas, named Sahasrachitya and he was the grandfather of king Satayupa, who was the contemporary of
Kuru king
Dhritarashtra
Dhritarashtra ( sa, धृतराष्ट्र, ISO-15919: Dhr̥tarāṣṭra) was a Kuru king, and the father of the Kauravas in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He was the King of the Kuru Kingdom, with its capital at Hastinapura. He was ...
. Abdicating his kingdom to his eldest son, king Sahasrachitya retired into the woods. (15,20)
King Satyayupa
Satayupa was the great king of the Kekayas. Having made over the sovereignty of his kingdom to his son he had come into the woods. Kuru king Dhritarashtra, after the Kurukshetra War was over, installed the victorious Pandava king
Yudhishthira
''Yudhishthira'' (Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, IAST: ''Yudhiṣṭhira'') is the eldest among the five Pandava brothers. He is mentioned in the ancient epic Mahabharata. He was sired by King Pandu of the Kuru Dynasty and his firs ...
, on the throne of the Kuru capital,
Hastinapura. He then retired to woods. Then Satayupa, received king Dhritarashtra with due rites. Accompanied by him, the latter proceeded to the retreat of
Vyasa
Krishna Dvaipayana ( sa, कृष्णद्वैपायन, Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana), better known as Vyasa (; sa, व्यासः, Vyāsaḥ, compiler) or Vedavyasa (वेदव्यासः, ''Veda-vyāsaḥ'', "the one who cl ...
. Arrived at Vyasa’s retreat, Dhritarashtra received his initiation into the forest mode of life. Returning he took up his abode in the retreat of Satayupa. The high-souled Satayupa, instructed Dhritarashtra in all the rites of the forest mode, at the command of Vyasa. (15,19)
King Vrihatkhsatra
The Kekaya brothers (six each) who fought the Kurukshetra War, on the side of Pandavas as well as on the side of Kauravas, belonged to the next generation of Kekaya's royal family. The foremost of them was Vrihatkshatra, the eldest of the brothers who sided with the Pandavas. He was described as a king of Kekaya. He had a son named Visoka, who also fought in Kurukshetra War.
Kekaya bowmen Dyumatsena
''Not much is known about this warrior from Kekaya except the following passages.''
After
Bhima completed his learning with
Balarama
Balarama ( Sanskrit: बलराम, IAST: ''Balarāma'') is a Hindu god and the elder brother of Krishna. He is particularly significant in the Jagannath tradition, as one of the triad deities. He is also known as Haladhara, Halayudha, Bala ...
, he became in strength like unto Dyumatsena himself (1,141). Dyumatsena, the chief of bowmen among the Kekayas was present in
Yudhishthira
''Yudhishthira'' (Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, IAST: ''Yudhiṣṭhira'') is the eldest among the five Pandava brothers. He is mentioned in the ancient epic Mahabharata. He was sired by King Pandu of the Kuru Dynasty and his firs ...
's court, newly inaugurated at
Indraprastha
Indraprastha (lit. "Plain of Indra" or "City of Indra") is mentioned in ancient Indian literature as a city of the Kuru Kingdom. It was the capital of the kingdom led by the Pandavas mentioned in ''Mahabharata'' . Under the Pali form of its nam ...
(2,3).
Kekaya's friendship with the Pandavas
The five Kekaya princes, allied with the
Kauravas
''Kaurava'' is a Sanskrit term which refers to descendants of Kuru, a legendary king of India who is the ancestor of many of the characters of the epic ''Mahabharata''. Usually, the term is used for the 100 sons of King Dhritarashtra and his w ...
and Eldest sixth one allied with Pandavas and visited the Pandavas when they were banished into woods along with other Pandava allies viz
Vasudeva Krishna,
Dhristadyumna
Dhrishtadyumna ( sa, धृष्टद्युम्न, Dhṛṣṭadyumna, the courageous and splendid one) is the son of Drupada—the king of the Panchala kingdom—and the twin brother of Draupadi in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''.
Dhri ...
and
Dhrishtaketu (3–12,22,51,120), (5,55).
The five Kekaya brothers, on the Kauravas side
The five Kekaya brothers who battled on the Kauravas side in Kurukshetra War is mentioned at many places (5–61,83,144).
At (5,22) is mentioned:- deposed from the throne of the Kekaya land, and desirous of being reinstated thereon, the five mighty brothers from that land, wielding mighty bows, are now following the Pandavas ready to fight. The Panchalas and the Matsyas, along with the very herdsmen that attend on their kins and sheep, are rejoicing and gladdening Yudhishthira (5–50,53). Only one Kekaya brother is on Pandavas side.
The five royal brothers of Kekaya, accepted the Kekaya warriors (on Dhritarashtra’s side) as antagonists. And in their share are included the
Malavas
The Malavas (Brahmi script: 𑀫𑁆𑀫𑀸𑀭𑀯 ''Mmālava'') or Malwas were an ancient Indian tribe. Modern scholars identify them with the Mallian people (Malloi) who were settled in the Punjab region at the time of Alexander's invasion ...
also, and the
Salwakas, as also, the two famous warriors of the
Trigarta
Trigarta kingdom was an ancient kingdom in northern Indian region of the Indian subcontinent with its capital at Prasthala (modern Jalandhar), Multan and Kangra.
Trigarta was founded and ruled by the vrishni Dynasty.
Mention in Mahabharata
T ...
host who have sworn to conquer or die. (5,57).
The princes of Kekaya, and Dhrishtaketu, and the son of the
king of the Kasis, and Srenimat, and Vasudana, and the invincible Sikhandin, all hale and hearty, cased in armour and armed with weapons and decked with ornaments, marched behind Yudhishthira (5,152).
The hundred Kekaya brothers on Kaurava side
Kekayas on Kaurava side is mentioned at many places (5–19,30,198), (6,16)
The five Kekaya brothers, (probably those who sided with Duryodhana) were equated with the five
Asuras viz Ayahsira, Aswasira, Aysanku, Gaganamurdhan, and Vegavat. (1,67)
Jayadratha (the brother-in-law of Duryodhana), assisted by the Kekayas, endeavoured to ravish
Draupadi (the wife of Pandavas) (11,22)
The five royal brothers, the princes of Kekaya, hastened to Duryodhana with an Akshauhini of troops, and gladdened his heart. (5,19). Kekayas were mentioned along with the Vasatis, the
Salwakas, the Amvashthas, and the
Trigartas as allies of
Duryodhana at (5,30). The Kekayas on the Kaurava side marched under
Drona along with Vinda and Anuvinda, both of
Avanti and the
Vahlikas
The Bahlikas ( sa, बाह्लिक; ''Bāhlika'') were the inhabitants of Bahlika ( sa, बह्लिक, located in Bactria), mentioned in Atharvaveda, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Puranas, Vartikka of Katyayana, Brhatsamhita, Amarkosha etc ...
. (5,198). 100 Kekaya brothers were generals in the Kaurava army along with others like Vinda and Anuvinda, of
Avanti (6,16).
The camp of the Kekayas used to have loud sound of song and slapping of palms which their soldiers, engaged in dance and revelry, used to make. (7,84)
The appearance of Kekaya brothers on Pandava side
The Kekaya brothers, were all of ''the hue of Indragopaka insects'' (mix of red and black colors) (5,141). All of them had purple flags (5,57). The five Kekaya brothers, resembling (in hue) the insects called Indragopakas, had red coats of mail, red weapons and red banners. (7,10). The five Kekaya brothers were borne by steeds of deep red hue. They were of the splendour of gold and had standards of the red hue, and were decked with chains of gold (7,23).
The Kekaya brother is lying on the ground, slain by
Drona. Their coats of mail, of the splendour of heated gold, and their tall standards and cars and garlands, all made of the same metal, are shedding a bright light on the earth like so many blazing fires. (11,25)
Kekayas in Kurukshetra War
The Kekayas are said to have fought on both sides in the
Kurukshetra war. The five Kekaya princes, led by their elder brother Vrihatkshatra, had joined the
Pandava
The Pandavas (Sanskrit: पाण्डव, IAST: Pāṇḍava) refers to the five legendary brothers— Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva—who are the central characters of the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. They are acknowledge ...
army while other Kekaya brothers opposed Vrihatkshatra had sided with the Kauravas. The other numerous kingdoms of ancient India viz.
Dwaraka Dvaraka, Dwaraka, Dwarka may refer to:
Places India
* Dvārakā, ancient city in Gujarat, the capital of the Yadus in the Mahabharata
:* Dvārakā–Kamboja route, an ancient trade-route and a branch of the Silk Road
* Dwarka, Gujarat, also k ...
,
Kasi
KASI (1430 AM, "News Talk 1430") is a radio station licensed to serve Ames, Iowa. The station is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. and licensed to iHM Licenses, LLC. It airs a News/Talk radio format.
The station was assigned the KASI call letters b ...
,
Magadha
Magadha was a region and one of the sixteen sa, script=Latn, Mahajanapadas, label=none, lit=Great Kingdoms of the Second Urbanization (600–200 BCE) in what is now south Bihar (before expansion) at the eastern Ganges Plain. Magadha was ruled ...
,
Matsya
Matsya ( sa, मत्स्य, lit. ''fish'') is the fish avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu. Often described as the first of Vishnu's ten primary avatars, Matsya is described to have rescued the first man, Manu, from a great deluge. Matsya ...
, Mahishmati,
Chedi,
Pandya and the Yadus of Mathura were allies of Pandavas while the allies of the Kauravas were nations of Pragjyotisha,
Anga
Anga (Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of eastern South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The members of the Aṅga tribe were called the Āṅgeyas.
Counted among the "sixteen great nations" in Buddhist texts ...
, Kekaya, Sindhudesa,
Avanti in Madhyadesa, Madras, Gandhara,
Bahlika,
Kamboja (with
Yavanas
The word Yona in Pali and the Prakrits, and the analogue Yavana in Sanskrit and Yavanar in Tamil, were words used in Ancient India to designate Greek speakers. "Yona" and "Yavana" are transliterations of the Greek word for " Ionians" ( grc, ...
,
Sakas
The Saka (Old Persian: ; Kharoṣṭhī: ; Ancient Egyptian: , ; , old , mod. , ), Shaka (Sanskrit ( Brāhmī): , , ; Sanskrit (Devanāgarī): , ), or Sacae (Ancient Greek: ; Latin: ) were a group of nomadic Iranian peoples who histor ...
, Tusharas) and many others had sided with Kauravas.
''Karna Parava'' refers to the
Kekayas
Kekaya (Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of north-western South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The members of the Kekaya tribe were called the Kaikayas.
Location
The Kekayas were located between the Gāndhāra ...
, the Malavas, the
Madra
Madra (Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of north-western South Asia whose existence is attested since the Vedic period. The members of the Madra tribe were called the Madrakas.
Location
The Madras were divided into -Madra ("northe ...
kas, the
Dravidas of fierce prowess, the
Yaudheyas
Yaudheya (Brahmi script: 𑀬𑁅𑀥𑁂𑀬) or Yoddheya Gana (Yoddheya Republic) was an ancient militant confederation. The word Yaudheya is a derivative of the word from yodha meaning warriors.“Yaudheyas.” Ancient Communities of the Hima ...
, the Lalittyas, the Kshudrakas, the Tundikeras, the Savitriputras, who had supported
Karna
Karna (Sanskrit: कर्ण, IAST: ''Karṇa''), also known as Vasusena, Anga-raja, and Radheya, is one of the main protagonists of the Hindu epic '' Mahābhārata''. He is the son of the sun god Surya and princess Kunti (mother of the ...
on 17th day of the war, as all having been slain by
Arjuna.
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...
associates the Kekaya peoples with the Madras (Madraschasca saha Kekayaiha). Madra-Kekayah
On Pandava Side
(7–21,83,107), (8–3) Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas, became protectors of
Arjuna’s car-wheels, along with the Kekaya brothers, and
Dhrishtaketu, and
Chekitana
The ''Mahabharata'' is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India; it was composed by the sage Vyasa. The most important characters of ''Mahabharata'' can be said to include: Krishna; the Pandavas Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakul ...
of great valour. (6,19). The Kekaya brothers at the head of their troops, encountered in battle the five
Gandhara princes with their troops. (6,45).
*Kekaya king is mentioned as fighting for the Pandavas at (6,52).
*The king of the Kekayas, owning an akshauhini, formed the right wing of a Pandava battle-array (6,69). The five Kekaya brothers consisted the left wing of another array at another day of the war (6,75)
*
Dushasana
Dushasana ( sa, दुःशासन, , ), also spelled Duhshasana, Dussasana or Duhsasana, also known as Sushasana, is an antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata''. He was second eldest among the Kaurava princes and the younger brother of D ...
fought with the five Kekaya brothers. (6,79)
*The chief of the Kekayas, who was equal to Bhima himself in battle and surrounded by Kekaya warriors, has been slain by Kekaya, the brother by the brother. (8,6)
*1700 Kekaya troops, skilled in smiting, united with a body of the Panchala troops checked the Kauravas trying to capture Yudhishthira. (8,62)
*Drona, with his swift-going shafts, slew all the Kaikeyas (7,152)
*The five Kekaya brothers are lying on the ground, slain by Drona. (11,25)
= Battles of Vrihadkshatra
=
Kripa rushed against Vrihadkshatra, the ruler of the Kaikeyas. (6,45). Excellent steeds of the Sindhu breed, of beautiful limbs, and of the hue of the smoke of straw, quickly bore the Kaikeya prince, Vrihatkshatra. (7,23). Vrihatkshatra and others rushed against Drona (7,33). The mighty car-warrior among the Kaikeyas, viz., Vrihatkshatra, incessantly scattering keen shafts that resembled the thunder in force, proceeded towards Drona; then Kshemadhurti of great fame quickly rushed against Vrihatkshatra (7,103). Having slain his foe, Kshemadhurti, the mighty car-warrior Vrihatkshatra became filled with joy (7,104). Vrihadkshatra and others rushed against
Ashwatthama (7,198).
= Death of Vrihatkshatra
=
The mighty car-warrior of the Kaikeyas, Vrihatkshatra the eldest of five brothers, rushed against Drona, the generalissimo of the Kauravas. He baffled Drona's Brahma weapon with his Brahmna weapon. Drona, with a third shaft well-shot from his bow, pierced Vrihatkshatra himself in the chest. Thereupon, the latter, thus struck in the chest, fell down from his car, slain. (7,122).(8,5)
= Death of Kekaya Prince Visoka and Kekaya commander Ugrakarman
=
Karna slew Visoka, the son of the ruler of the Kaikayas. Upon the slaughter of the Kaikaya prince, the commander of the Kaikaya division, Ugrakarman, rushed with speed and striking Prasena, Karna's son. Then Karna, with three crescent-shaped arrows, cut off the arms and the head of his son’s assailant. (8,82)
On Kaurava Side
The Abhishahas, the Surasenas, the Sivis, and the Vasatis, the Salwas, the Matsyas, the Amvashtas, the Trigartas, and the Kekayas, the
Sauviras, the Kitavas, and the dwellers of the Eastern, Western, and the Northern countries,--these twelve brave races protected the Kaurava generalissimo, Bhishma. (6,18)
*Kekayas along with the Trigartas, the Matsyas (Matsays in the western region) and the Vatadhanas were mentioned as part of the Kaurava army at (6,56)
*The Trigartas and the Madras, with the Kekayas, numbering 25000 urged by Duryodhana, surrounded Arjuna (6,61)
*The mighty car-warrior, the son of the ruler of the Kaikeyas stayeth on the field for battling for Duryodhana's sake. (8,6)
Kekaya and Avanti
At some places in ''Mahabharata'', people of Avanti is mentioned as Kekayas. This could be an oral-transmission error crept into Mahabharata, or a translation error, or could mean some tribal-link between Avanti and Kekaya. Similar to other western rulers, like the
Kambojas
Kamboja ( sa, कम्बोज) was a kingdom of Iron Age India that spanned parts of South and Central Asia, frequently mentioned in Sanskrit and Pali literature. Eponymous with the kingdom name, the Kambojas were an Indo-Iranian people o ...
, the Kekayas also had migrated to east, hence in principle, could reach
Avanti. In fact, in ''Ramayana'', there is some indication of a Kekaya kingdom in the eastern sea-shore !
*Vinda and Anuvinda of Avanti, with their troops encountered
Virata
Virata ( sa, विराट, IAST ''virāṭa''), was the king of the Matsya Kingdom, in whose court the Pandavas spent a year in concealment during their exile. Virata was married to Queen Sudeshna and was the father of Prince Uttara and Pr ...
, the ruler of Matsyas at the head of his forces. That awful encounter between the Matsyas and the ''Kekayas'' was terrible. (7,23).
*
Satyaki
Yuyudhana ( sa, युयुधान, '), better known as Satyaki ( sa, सात्यकि, ), was a powerful Yadava chieftain of Narayani Sena, belonging to the Vrishni clan to which Krishna also belonged. According to the Puranas, he was ...
(a Pandava general, belonging to the Yadava clan, who was a disciple in arms, of Arjuna) checked the Kaikaya princes Vinda and Anuvinda. The two Kaikaya princes, in that battle, shrouded Satyaki. Satyaki shrouded the Kaikaya brothers. Satyaki cut the head of Anuvinda with a razor arrow, sorrowing the Kaikeyas. Satyaki next slew Vinda in a sword fight. ''Amazingly these Vinda and Anuvinda resemble in name to the two other princes named Vinda and Anuvinda who were from
Avanti. They however were slain by
Arjuna (7,96)''
Other References
*A lady named Sumana of Kekaya’s race is mentioned at (13,123)
*Conversation of Kaikeya King and a
Rakshasa
Rakshasas ( sa, राक्षस, IAST: : Pali: ''rakkhaso'') lit. 'preservers' are a race of usually malevolent demigods prominently featured in Hindu mythology. According to the Brahmanda Purana, the rakshasas were created by Brahma wh ...
is mentioned at (12,76)
Reference in Bhagavata Purana
There are several references to the Kekayas in the Bhagavatam Purana.
The five Kekaya brothers were the sons of Kunti's sister Srutakirti, wedded to Kekaya king Dhristaketu. Srutakirti, who was also a sister of
Vasudeva
According to Hindu scriptures, Vasudeva (Sanskrit: वसुदेव, IAST: ''Vasudeva''), also called Anakadundubhi, (''anakas'' and ''dundubhis'' both refer to ''drums'', after the musicians who played these instruments at the time of his ...
, and Dhristaketu were also the parents of Bhadra, who married her cousin,
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
. Kunti's sister Srutadevi was wedded to the
Karusha king Vriddhasarma, whose son was
Dantavakra
Dantavakra ( sa, दन्तवक्र, lit=crooked-teeth) is the king of Karusha in Hinduism. Dantavakra is the third and last birth of Vishnu's gatekeeper, Vijaya, while his brother Jaya is Shishupala.
Legend
Puranas
According to the P ...
. Kunti's sister Srutasravas was married to the
Chedi king Damaghosha whose son was
Shishupala
Shishupala ( sa, शिशुपाल, lit. ''protector of children'', IAST: ''Śiśupāla''; sometimes spelt Sisupala) was the king of the Chedi kingdom, and an antagonist in the Mahabharata. He was the son of King Damaghosha and Srutashubha, ...
. Kunti's sister Rajadhidevi was married to the Avanti king. (''
Bhagavata Purana
The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in S ...
'', Canto 9, Chapter 24 (The history of Yadavas), Verses 37–40)
Kekayas visit Samantapancaka
Bhagavata Purana
The ''Bhagavata Purana'' ( sa, भागवतपुराण; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' or simply ''Bhagavata'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen great Puranas (''Mahapuranas''). Composed in S ...
attests that the prince of Kekaya along with princes from Matsya,
Kosala, Vidharbha,
Kuru, Srnjaya,
Kamboja,
Uśīnara
Ushinara (Sanskrit: ) was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of north-western South Asia whose existence is attested during the Iron Age.
Location
The Uśīnaras lived in the northernmost part of the , with the Uśīnara-giri ("Uśīnara mountain" ...
, Madra, Kunti, Anarta,
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
was present at ''Samanta-pancaka'' in Kurukshetra at the occasion of the solar eclipse
Kekayas join Rajasuya of Yudhishtra
Bhagavata Purana also testifies that the Kekayas and other nation like those of the Yadus, Srnjayas, Kurus and Kambojas had participated in the
Rajasuya sacrifice of Yudhishtra. ''"The massed armies of the Yadus, Srnjayas, Kambojas, Kurus, Kekayas and Kosalas made the earth tremble as they followed Yudhishira Maharaja, the performer of the Rajasuya sacrifice, in procession" '
Kekayas fight Yadavas
The Kekayas, Madras and Kambojas from north are stated to have sided with king Jarasandha of
Magadha
Magadha was a region and one of the sixteen sa, script=Latn, Mahajanapadas, label=none, lit=Great Kingdoms of the Second Urbanization (600–200 BCE) in what is now south Bihar (before expansion) at the eastern Ganges Plain. Magadha was ruled ...
and had participated in a war against
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
and his Yadava army
Other references in Bhagavata Purana
Kekays had participated in the marriage ceremony of Rukmini, queen consort of Krishna, the daughter of Bhishmaka, the king of Vidarbha. One of the wives of Krishna was a Kekaya princess. When
Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
was going to Mithila, the Kekays had met him with presents.
Traditional origin of Kekayas
Bhagavata Purana further states that the Usinaras, the Sibi, the Madras, and the Kekayas were the direct descendants of
Yayati
Yayāti ( sa, ययाति, translit=Yayāti), is a king in Hindu tradition. He is described to be a Chandravamsha king. He is regarded to be the progenitor of the races of the Yadavas and the Pandavas.
He is considered in some texts t ...
's son Anu. Sibi or Sivi is stated to be son of Usinara
The same tradition is also furnished by other
Puranic
Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...
texts like
Vayu Purana
The ''Vayu Purana'' ( sa, वायुपुराण, ) is a Sanskrit text and one of the eighteen major Puranas of Hinduism.
''Vayu Purana'' is mentioned in the manuscripts of the Mahabharata and other Hindu texts, which has led scholars to p ...
and
Matsya Purana
The ''Matsya Purana'' (IAST: Matsya Purāṇa) is one of the eighteen major Puranas (Mahapurana), and among the oldest and better preserved in the Puranic genre of Sanskrit literature in Hinduism. The text is a Vaishnavism text named after the h ...
as well. The Anavas, derived from Anu, were a
tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confli ...
of the
Rigvedic
The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' ( ', from ' "praise" and ' "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts (''śruti'') known as the Vedas. Only one S ...
period and are said to belong to the
Iranian
Iranian may refer to:
* Iran, a sovereign state
* Iranian peoples, the speakers of the Iranian languages. The term Iranic peoples is also used for this term to distinguish the pan ethnic term from Iranian, used for the people of Iran
* Iranian lan ...
s.
Kekays in Pāṇini's Ashtadhyayi
Pāṇini refers to the Kaikeyas or Kekayas in his
Ashtadhyayi and mentions their land as a part of the Vahika country. The other three countries which formed parts of the Vahika land were the Madra, the Usinara and the Savasa lands.
Jaina accounts
The
Jain
Jainism ( ), also known as Jain Dharma, is an Indian religion. Jainism traces its spiritual ideas and history through the succession of twenty-four tirthankaras (supreme preachers of ''Dharma''), with the first in the current time cycle being ...
a texts say that one half of the Kekaya was
Aryan and refer to the Kekaya city called Seyaviya.
[Indian Antiquary, 1891, p 375; Political History of Ancient India, 1996, p 58, Dr H. C. Raychaudhury.]
See also
*
Kingdoms of Ancient India
The Mahājanapadas ( sa, great realm, from ''maha'', "great", and ''janapada'' "foothold of a people") were sixteen kingdoms or oligarchic republics that existed in ancient India from the sixth to fourth centuries BCE during the second urba ...
References
External links
{{Tribes and kingdoms of the Mahabharata
*
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Ramayana, Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the s ...
of
Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa
Krishna Dvaipayana ( sa, कृष्णद्वैपायन, Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana), better known as Vyasa (; sa, व्यासः, Vyāsaḥ, compiler) or Vedavyasa (वेदव्यासः, ''Veda-vyāsaḥ'', "the one who cl ...
, translated to English by Kisari Mohan Ganguli
*
Ramayana
The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...
of Valmiki
*Mahabhagavata
Purana
Purana (; sa, , '; literally meaning "ancient, old"Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature (1995 Edition), Article on Puranas, , page 915) is a vast genre of Indian literature about a wide range of topics, particularly about legends an ...
of
Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa
Krishna Dvaipayana ( sa, कृष्णद्वैपायन, Kṛṣṇadvaipāyana), better known as Vyasa (; sa, व्यासः, Vyāsaḥ, compiler) or Vedavyasa (वेदव्यासः, ''Veda-vyāsaḥ'', "the one who cl ...
Kingdoms in the Ramayana
Kingdoms in the Mahabharata