Kaikasi, Kaikasī: 7 definitions

Introduction
In Hinduism
1. Purana
In Jainism
1. General definition
Languages
1. Sanskrit
See also
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Introduction:

Kaikasi means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Jainism, Prakrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: archive.org: Puranic Encyclopedia

Kaikasī (कैकसी).—Mother of Rāvaṇa. Birth. From the wrath of Brahmā the giant Praheti was born and from Brahmā’s hunger the demigod Heti was born. The son Vidyutkeśa was born to Heti, of Bhayā the sister of Kāla (God of death—Time). Vidyutkeśa married Sālakaṭaṅkā the daughter of Sandhyā. A son named Sukeśa was born to them. Sukeśa married Devavatī daughter of Maṇimaya, a Gandharva. Three sons Mālyavān, Sumālī and Mālī were born to them. The three brothers Mālyavān, Sumālī and Mālī married Sundarī, Ketumatī and Vasudhā respectively, the three daughters of Narmadā, a gandharva woman. To Sumālī, by his wife Ketumatī, were born the ten sons, Prahasta, Akampana, Vikaṭa, Kālakāmukha, Dhūmrākṣa, Daṇḍa, Supārśva, Saṃhrāda, Prākvāta and Bhāsakarṇa and four daughters Vekā (Bṛhā), Puṣpotkaṭā, Kaikasī and Kumbhīnasī. Marriage. As Sumālī was walking through forests with his wives and daughters, he saw so many Yakṣas (demi-gods) going in planes to pay homage to Vaiśravaṇa. Sumālī understood that Vaiśravaṇa became worthy of homage because he was the son of Viśravas. So he took his daughter Kaikasī and left her in the house of Viśravas. After a while, being pleased with her services, Viśravas took her as his wife. Once she requested her husband for children. Accordingly she got Rāvaṇa, Kumbhakarṇa and Vibhīṣaṇa as sons. (See full article at Story of Kaikasī from the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani)

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

Kaikasī (कैकसी).—Daughter of Mālin. Mother of Rāvaṇa and others.¹ Kekasī (rāmāyaṇa) one of the four wives of Viśravas, and mother of three sons, Rāvaṇa, Kumbhakarṇa and Vibhīṣaṇa and a daughter Śūrpaṇakhā.²

1) Brahmāṇḍa-purāṇa III. 8. 40 and 47.
2) Vāyu-purāṇa 70. 34, 41.

Source: Shodhganga: The saurapurana - a critical study

Kaikasī (कैकसी) refers to one of the four wives of Viśravas, according to one account of Vaṃśa (‘genealogical description’) of the 10th century Saurapurāṇa: one of the various Upapurāṇas depicting Śaivism.—Accordingly, Rājarṣi Tṛṇavindu gave his daughter Ilavilā to Pulastya. Viśravas was born to her. Viśravas had four wives—Puṣpotkaṭā, Vākā, Kaikasī and Devavarṇinī. From Kaikasī were born Rāvaṇa, Kumbhakarṇa, Vibhīṣaṇa and Śūrpaṇakhā.

context information

The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

In Jainism

General definition (in Jainism)

Source: Wisdom Library: Jainism

Kaikasī (कैकसी) is the name of the mother of Rāvaṇa, the eighth Prativāsudeva according to both Śvetāmbara and Digambara sources. He is also known by the name Laṅkeśa. Jain legends describe nine such Prativāsudevas (anti-heroes) usually appearing as powerful but evil antagonists instigating Vāsudeva by subjugating large portions of Bharata-land. As such, they are closely related with the twin brothers known as the Vāsudevas (“violent heroes”) and the Baladevas (“gentle heroes”).

According to the Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacarita 7.1, Kaikasī, by her husband Ratnaśravas, bore three sons and one daughter, respectively named Rāvaṇa (or Laṅkeśa, or Daśamukha), Bhānukarṇa (or Kumbhakarṇa), Bibhīṣaṇa and Candraṇakhā (or Śūrpaṇakhā).

The Prativāsudevas (such as Daśamukha) fight against the twin-heroes with their cakra-weapon but at the final moment are killed by the Vāsudevas. Their stories are narrated in the Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacarita (“the lives of the sixty-three illustrious persons”), a twelfth-century Śvetāmbara work by Hemacandra.

Source: archive.org: Trisastisalakapurusacaritra

Kaikasī (कैकसी) is the name of a Vidyādharī and daughter of Vidyādhara-king Vyomabindu, according to the Jain Ramayana and chapter 7.1 [origin of the rākṣasavaṃśa and vānaravaṃśa] of Hemacandra’s 11th century Triṣaṣṭiśalākāpuruṣacaritra: an ancient Sanskrit epic poem narrating the history and legends of sixty-three illustrious persons in Jainism.

Accordingly, as Mānavasundarī said to Ratnaśravas:—“In Kautakamaṅgala, the home of many curiosities, there is a famous king of Vidyādharas, Vyomabindu. His elder daughter, Kauśikā, my sister, is married to King Viśravas, lord of Yakṣapura. She has a son, skilled in polity, named Vaiśramaṇa, who now rules in Laṅkā by order of Śakra. But I, Kaikasī, Kauśikā’s younger sister, have come here, given to you by my father in accordance with an astrologer’s prediction”.

context information

Jainism is an Indian religion of Dharma whose doctrine revolves around harmlessness (ahimsa) towards every living being. The two major branches (Digambara and Svetambara) of Jainism stimulate self-control (or, shramana, ‘self-reliance’) and spiritual development through a path of peace for the soul to progess to the ultimate goal.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Kaikasī (कैकसी):—[from kaikasa] f. Name of a daughter of the Rākṣasa Sumālin, [Rāmāyaṇa vii, 5, 40 and 9, 7.]

Source: DDSA: Paia-sadda-mahannavo; a comprehensive Prakrit Hindi dictionary (S)

Kaikasī (कैकसी) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Kekkasī.

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

Relevant text

Search found 8 books and stories containing Kaikasi, Kaikasī; (plurals include: Kaikasis, Kaikasīs). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

Part 3: Birth of Rāvaṇa < [Chapter I - Origin of the Rākṣasavaṃśa and Vānaravaṃśa]

Introduction to volume 4 < [Introductions]

Part 1: Rāvaṇa’s expedition of Conquest (introduction) < [Chapter II - Rāvaṇa’s expedition of Conquest]

+ 1 more chapters / show preview

Chapter 9 - The Birth of Dashagriva and his Brothers < [Book 7 - Uttara-kanda]

Chapter 5 - The Story of the three Sons of Sukesha < [Book 7 - Uttara-kanda]

+ 13 more chapters / show preview

Chapter 47 - Rāma’s Sin of Brahma-hatyā < [Section 1 - Setu-māhātmya]