Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 10: Daśaratha Meets Kaikeyī
Text 2.10.1
विदर्शिता यदा देवी कुब्जया पापया भृशम्।
तदा शेते स्म सा भूमौ दिग्धविद्धेव किन्नरी॥
vidarśitā yadā devī kubjayā pāpayā bhṛśam
tadā śete sma sā bhūmau digdha-viddheva kinnarī
vidarśitā = counseled in a perverted manner; yadā = when; devī = Queen Kaikeyī; kubjayā = hunchback; pāpayā = by the sinful; bhṛśam = was abundantly; tadā śete sma = lay; sā = she; bhūmau = on the ground; digdha-viddhā = pierced by a poisoned arrow; iva = like; kinnarī = a kinnar lady.
digdha-viddhā = pierced by a poisoned arrow 1;
When Queen Kaikeyī was abundantly counseled in a perverted manner by the sinful hunchback, she lay on the ground like a kinnara lady pierced by a poisoned arrow.
1 This “eternal darkness” is referred to in Bhagavad-gītā 16.20.
Sage Vālmīki now repeats what he had stated previously [towards the end of the previous chapter] to point out that Kaikeyī’s anger was unshakeable. He also describes how King Daśaratha met Kaikeyī and spoke words of conciliation to her.
GLOSS. Pāpayā can also refer to the female asura named Nikṛti, indicating that Kaikeyī was overcome by the influence of this female asura. Madhvācārya’s Mahābhārata-tātparya-nirṇaya states:
anarhāyās tvayājñaptā kaikeyyā api sad-gatiḥ
sūtvā tu bharataṁ naiṣā gaccheta nirayān iti
tathāpi sā yad-āveśāc cakāra tvayy aśobhanam
nikṛtir nāma sākṣiptā mayā tamasi śāsvate
“[Lord Brahmā told Lord Rāmacandra after He completed all of His pastimes in this world:] On Your order, even though Kaikeyī does not deserve it, she will attain an auspicious destination. Having given birth to Bharata, she will not go to hell. Nevertheless, I have thrown Nikṛti, due to whose influence Kaikeyī acted disgracefully towards You, into eternal darkness.”1 (Mahābhārata-tātparya-nirṇaya 9.94-96)