As Kaikeyi’s demands led to the unfoldment of the Ramayana why is she considered the symbol of ignorance
From: Yaskadeva
Hare Krishna Prabhuji, Many times we hear in maharaj lecture that kaikeyi is the symbol of ignorance and due to her ignorance she caused pain to ram and sita and all citizens. But my doubt is that kaikeyi ‘s boon may apparently seen as ram’s banishment but because of that only ram could forest and eventually he could kill ravana. If her curse would not have been there ramayana would not have been there. Please reply prabhu.
Question from Iskatev Prabhu. Many times we hear in Maharaj lecture that Kaikeyi is the symbol of ignorance.
And due to her ignorance, she caused pain to Ram and Sita and all citizens. But my doubt is Kaikeyi’s boon may apparently be seen as the cause for Ram’s banishment because of that only Ram could go to the forest and eventually could kill Ravana. If her curse would not have been there, Ramayana would not have been there.
Answer. Yes, the pastimes of the Lord can be understood at two levels. At multiple levels actually.
But relevant to this question is two levels. At the absolute transcendental level and at the ethical level. So, at the absolute, I have talked about this more elaborately in the article of the site about the metaphorical representation of metaphor interpretation of the Gita.
So, Madhavacharya explains that there is a historical literal understanding where we see that these pastimes have happened in the past. And it is basically the absolute truth descending over here and acting. So, at a highest level, at one level, if we see everything that happens in the Lord’s pastimes is ultimately orchestrated by the will of the Lord.
And the Lord arranges things in such a way that it facilitates the accomplishment of his pastimes. So, from that perspective, whatever Kaikeyi did is to promote further the pastimes of the Lord. And in that sense, that is good.
So, this is an interpretation that is often given by some Bhagavad Gita commentators, some Ramayana, some literal, some scriptural commentators for certain pastimes of the Lord. Especially when there are the Lord’s eternal associates who act in particular ways. For example, Jai Vijay, when they become Hiranyakshmi, they fight.
We know that they are not just demons. They are actually associates of the Lord who have taken the service of acting in a demoniac way. But this is not always the case.
And the Acharya, Vishwanath Acharya Thakur and other Acharyas explain that it is not that all demons are actually, in all yugas, it is not that Hiranyakshmi, who are Jai Vijay. So, it is not that all demons are associates who have come to do a service in Maushala Rasa, in the Rasa of fighting for the Lord. So, we have to discriminate.
If we want to learn some lessons from the pastimes about what is the right and wrong conduct, then we cannot look at the pastimes in the absolute level. We have to look at them from the moral or ethical level. And from the moral or ethical perspective, what Kaikeyi did was not motivated by a desire to serve the Lord.
It was motivated by the desire to make her own son the king, which was a material desire. Now, Kaikeyi is definitely not a demon. She is a devotee, but she is temporarily overcome by demoniac propensities, demoniac desires at that particular time where she acts in a very ungodly way.
But still, it was not that she willingly or she did all this to participate in the Lord’s pastimes and to further the Lord’s pastimes. It is the Lord’s expertise that even such a thing he used for continuing his pastimes and expanding his pastimes. So, anukulyena krishnanu silanam bhaktiruttama.
In the Bhaktira Samritsindhu, while describing the characteristics of bhakti, it is said that bhakti should be anukulyena krishnanu. It should be favorably performed. Anukulyena krishnanu means that it should be done with the desire to please Krishna.
So, when that favorable motivation is not there, then that is not considered to be bhakti. Even from an unfavorable motivation of some particular participant in the Lord’s pastimes, the Lord can bring about a favorable result. And that is the Lord’s expertise.
That is not the glory of that particular individual in the Lord’s pastimes. So, that’s why when we often study the pastimes, we have to understand what level we are studying it. If our goal is simply to relish the pastimes, when we are not so much interested in analyzing and learning, we just want to relish the pastimes, then we can see things at the absolute level.
But when we want to learn, at that time we need to analyze and we have to understand, okay, this is the right conduct, this is the wrong conduct. And that’s why from that perspective, which is quite relevant for us to develop sadÄchÄra, proper conduct in our life, it is important to recognize that Kaikeyi’s actions were not intended to please the Lord. And that’s why she was a devotee who got overwhelmed by ignorance and illusion, greed at that particular time.
Greed and envy, various narthas she got overcome by. And that we should not get overcome by these narthas. So, when we want to learn this, then we consider Kaikeyi to be the symbol of ignorance.