Kausalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi
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Kausalya (कौशल्या, kauśalyā), Sumitra (सुमित्रा, sumitrā) and Kaikeyi (कैकेयी, kaikeyī), in the Hindu epic Ramayana, are the three wives of King Dasaratha of Ayodhya. They are the mothers of Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna.
Dasaratha and his three wives were childless. He performed the Putrakameshti Yagna, seeking progeny from the almighty. Hearing his plea, a divine being, purusha, emerged from the fire, bearing a bowl of payasam, a milk sweet similar to rice pudding, and asked Dasaratha to feed the sweet to his wife; she would then have a son.
The tale about the distribution of this payasam is interesting. Upon receiving the chalice, Dasaratha goes forthwith to his third but favorite wife, Kaikeyi. She however urges him first to give a share of the payasam to Kausalya, the senior queen. Dasaratha leaves half the payasam with Kausalya and returns to Kaikeyi. As Kaikeyi is about to partake of the payasam, Dasaratha is called away.
Kaikeyi knows that Dasaratha has not given any payasam to Sumitra. Kausalya also suspects likewise. Both Kausalya and Kaikeyi go in turn to Sumitra, and give her portions of their payasam. Thus, although the king gave his wife Sumitra no payasam', she is given two portions of it, courtesy her co-wives; she therefore becomes the mother of two sons.
Note: The distribution of the payasam was done in the following manner. First one half was given to Kausalya, then one-half of the remaining one-half (one-quarter) was given to Sumitra, then one-half of the remaining one-quarter (one-eightth) was given to Kaikeyi, and then the remaining one-eighth was given again to Sumitra. It is thus attributed that one-half of Vishnu is considered to be Rama, one-quarter Lakshmana, and one-eighth each Bharata and Satrugna. (Source: Rajaji's "Ramayana")
Queen Kausalya gives birth to the eldest son, Rama; Queen Kaikeyi gives birth to Bharata; and Queen Sumitra gives birth to twins Lakshmana and Shatrughna.
| The Rāmāyaņa by Valmiki |
|---|
| Characters |
| Dasaratha | Kausalya | Sumitra | Kaikeyi | Janaka | Manthara | Rama | Bharata | Lakshmana | Shatrughna | Sita | Urmila | Mandavi | Shrutakirti | Viswamitra | Ahalya | Jatayu | Sampati | Hanuman | Sugriva | Vali | Angada | Jambavantha | Vibhishana | Tataka | Surpanakha | Maricha | Subahu | Khara | Ravana | Kumbhakarna | Mandodari | Mayasura | Indrajit | Prahasta | Akshayakumara | Atikaya | Lava | Kusha |
| Other |
| Ayodhya | Mithila | Lanka | Sarayu | Treta Yuga | Raghuvamsa | Lakshman Rekha | Aditya Hridayam | Oshadhiparvata | Sundara Kanda | Pushpaka Vimana | Vedavati | Vanara |
| Hinduism | Hindu mythology | Itihasa |  |
|---|---|
| Female Deities: Saraswati | Bhuma Devi Lakshmi | Parvati | Durga | Kali | Sita | Mariamman|Radha |Gayatri | more... | |
| Male Deities: Vishnu | Shiva | Brahma| Rama | Krishna | Ganesha | Kartikeya | Hanuman | Ayyappan | more... | |
| Texts: Vedas | Upanishads | Puranas | Ramayana | Mahabharata | |
