'Kekayas' or 'Kaikeyas' (
Sanskrit: केकâ€à¤¯) were an ancient people attested to have been living in north-western Punjab -- between
Gandhara and
Beas river since remote antiquity. They were the descendants of the
Kshatriyas of the Kekaya
Janapada [1] hence called ''Kekayas'' or ''Kaikeyas''. The Kekayas were often associated with the
Madras, the
Usinarass, the
Sibis etc and their territory had formed a part of the Vahika country, according to the evidence furnished by
Panini [2].
Geographical Location the Kekayas
Numerous
Puranas include the
Kekayas in the list of
Gandharas,
Yavanas,
Shakas,
Paradas,
Bahlikas,
Kambojas,
Daradas, Barbaras,
Chinas,
Tusharas,
Pahlavas etc and call them as a people of ''Udichya'' i.e of northern division or
Uttarapatha[3]. The Kekayas are said to have occupied the land now comprised by three districts of
Jhelum, Shahpur and Gujerat
[4], all in
Pakistan.
Kekayas in Vedic texts
The
Rigvedic Kekayas dwelt on the banks of river
Parusni (=Ravi)
[5]. The king of Kekayas at the time of Janaka of Videha was Ashvapati i.e lord of horses. Satapatha Brahmana and Chandogiya Upanishada suggest that Kekaya king Ashvapati had instructed a number of
Brahmanas viz. Arjuna Aupavesi, Gautama, Satyajna Paulushi, Mahasala Jabala, Budila Asvatarashvi, Indradyumna Bhallaveya, jana Sarkarakshya, Prachinshala, Aupamanyava and Uddaalaka Aruni etc
[6]. '[
[--~~~~They all had orange faces for when they went to fight as it was a belief from there spirits they would kill each other using there own heads and all]]'
==Kekayas of
Valmiki Ramayana==
There are several references to Kekaya in the epic
Ramayana. Kekayi, one of the three
queens of
Dashratha, the king of
Ayodhya was a Kekaya princess.
Ramayana testifies that the capital of Kekayas lay beyond river Sudama
[7]. River Sudama has been identified with river Saranges of
Arrian which flowed also flowed through Kekians
[8]. 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.
[9] which A. Cunningham has identified with Girjak or Jalalpur on river Jhelum in the Jhelum district
[10] but this view has not been accepted by scholars. Ramayana further attests that Kekaya lay beyond Vipasa or Beas
[11] and abutted with the country of Gandharava or
Gandhara vishaya (country).
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 had to cross river Vitasta and then after crossing river Sudama, he reached the land of the Kekayas
[12].
Mahabharata references
The Kekayas are said to have fought on both sides in the
Kurukshetra war. The five Kekaya princes, led lead by their elder brother Vrihatkshatra, had joined the
Pandava army while other Kekaya brothers opposed Vrihatkshatra had sided with the Kauravas. The other numerous kingdsoms of ancient India viz.
Dwaraka,
Kasi,
Magadha,
Matsya,
Chedi,
Pandya and the Yadus of Mathura were allies of Pandavas while the allies of the Kauravas were nations of Pragjyotisha,
Anga, Kekaya, Sindhudesa, Mahishmati,
Avanti in Madhyadesa,
Madras,
Gandhara,
Bahlika,
Kamboja (with
Yavanas,
Sakas,
Tusharas etc) and many others had sided with Kauravas.
''Karna Parava'' refers to the
Kekayas, the Malavas, the
Madrakas, the
Dravidas of fierce prowess, the
Yaudheyas, the Lalittyas, the Kshudrakas, the Tundikeras, the Savitriputras etc who had supported
Karna on 17th day of the war, as all having been slain by
Arjuna [13].
Mahabharata associates the Kekaya peoples with the
Madras (Madraschasca saha Kekayaiha)
[14], Madra-Kekayah
[15] etc.
Srimad Bhagavatam references
There are several references to the Kekayas in the Bhagavatam Purana.
Kekayas visit Samantapancaka
Srimad Bhagavatam attests that the prince of Kekaya along with princes from
Matsya,
Kosala, Vidharbha,
Kuru, Srnjaya,
Kamboja,
Usinara,
Madra, Kunti, Anarta,
Kerala was present at ''Samanta-pancaka'' in Kurukshetra at the occasion of the solar eclipse
[16].
[1].
Kekayas join Rajasuya of Yudhishtra
Srimad Bhagavatam 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†''
[17] [2].
Kekayas fight Yadavas
The Kekayas, Madras and Kambojas etc from north are stated to have sided with king Jarasandha of
Magadha and had participated in a war against
Krishna and his Yadava army
[18] [19] [3].
Other references in Srimad Bhagavatam
Kekays had participated in the marriage ceremony of Rukmini, queen consort of Krishna, the daughter of Bhishmaka, the king of Vidarbha
[20]. One of the wives of Krishna was a Kekaya princess
[21]. When
Krishna was going to Mithila, the Kekays had met him with presents
[22].
Traditional origin of Kekayas
Srimad Bhagavatam further states that the
Usinaras, the Sibi, the
Madras, and the Kekayas were the direct descendants of Yayati's son Anu. Sibi or Sivi is stated to be son of Usinara
[23]
The same tradition is also furnished by other
Puranic texts like
Vayu Purana and
Matsya Purana as well
[24]. The Anavas, derived from Anu, were a
tribe of the
Rigvedic period
[25] and are said to belong to the
Iranians.
Kekays in Panini’s Ashtadhyayi
Panini refers to the Kaikeyas or Kekayas in his
Ashtadhyayi [26] 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
[27].
Jaina accounts
The
Jaina texts say that one half of the Kekaya was
Aryan and refer to the Kekaya city called Seyaviya
[28].
Kekayas in Kavyamimamsa of Rajashekhara
The 10th century CE ''Kavyamimamsa'' of Pandit Rajashekhara furnishes a list of the extant tribes of his times which also includes the
Kekayas along with the
Shakas,
Tusharas, Vokanas,
Hunas,
Kambojas,
Vahlikas,
Vahlavas, Limpakas, Tangana, Turukshas etc referring to them all as the
tribes of
Uttarapatha or north division
[29].
Migration of the Kekayas
A branch of the Kekaya seems to have migrated to southern India in later times and established its authority in Mysore country
[30].
References
1. Ashtadhyayi sutra VII.3.2.
2. India as Known to Panini, p 54, Dr V. S. Aggarwala.
3. Vayu Purana 1.45.117; Brahmand Purana, 1.2.26.48; Markendeya Purana, 52.37; Matsya Purana (Critical), 113.42; cf Swargaloka of 6.43; Mahabharata (Critical ed) 4.10.47; Brahma Purana 53.14; See: Krfel's text of the Uttarapatha countries of the Bhuvankosha
4. India as Known to Panini, p 52, Dr V. S. Aggarwala; Geographical Data in Ancient Puranas, 1972, p 162, Dr M. R. Singh.
5. Rig Veda 8.74
6. Political History of Ancient India, p 58., H. C. Raychaudhury
7. Ramayana 2.71.1.
8. Ancient India as Described by Megasthenes, p 196.
9. Ramayana II.67.7; II. 68.22.
10. Ancient Geography of India, A. Cunningham, p 64.
11. Ramayana II.68.19-22; VII.113.14.
12. Vishnu Dharmotari, I.207.62-71
13. Mahabharata 8.5.
14. MBH VI.61.12
15. VII.19.7, Madra-Kekayah
16.
:Tatragataste dadrshuh suhrt-sambandhino nrpan
:Matsyoshinara-kaushalya-vidarbha-kuru-srnjayan
:Kamboja kaikayan madrn kuntin Änarta-keralan
:Anyamsh caivatma-paksiyan paramsh ca shatasho nrpa
:Nandadin suhrdo gopan gopish cotkanthitÄÅ› ciram
:(Srimad Bhagavatam 10.82.12-13)
★ 'Trans': ''"The Yadavas saw that many of the kings who had arrived were old friends and relatives-- the Matsyas, Usinaras, Kosalas, Vidarbhas, Kurus, Srnjayas, Kambojas, Kaikayas, Madras, Kuntis and the kings of Ä€narta and Kerala. They also saw many hundreds of other kings, both allies and adversaries. In addition, my dear King Parikshit, they saw their dear friends Nanda Maharaja and the cowherd men and women, who had been suffering in anxiety for so long"''.
17.
:yadu-srnjaya-kamboja-kuru-kekaya-kosalah |:kampayanto bhuvam sainyair yayamana-purah-sarah ||(Srimad Bhagavatam 10.75.12).
18. Srimad Bhagavatam 10.52
19.
★ See also:
:ye ca pralamba-khara-dardura-kesy-arishta-
:mallebha-kamsa-yavanah kapi-paundrakadyah
:anye ca shalya-kuja-balvala-dantavakra-
:saptoksha-shambra-viduratha-rukmi-mukhyah
:ye va mridhe samiti-shalina atta-capah
:kamboja-matsya-kuru-srnjaya-kaikayadyah
:yasyanty adarshanam alam bala-partha-bhima-
:vyajahvayena harina nilayam tadiyam
★ 'Trans': ''“All demonic personalities like Pralamba, Dhenuka, Baka, Kesi, Arishta, Canura, Mushika, Kuvalayapida elephant, Kamsa, Yavana, Narakasura and Paundraka, great marshals like Shalya, Dvivida monkey and Balvala, Dantavakra, the seven bulls, Åšambara, Viduratha and Rukmi, as also great warriors like Kamboja, Matsya, Kuru, Srnjaya and Kekaya, would all fight vigorously, either with the Lord Hari directly or with Him under His names of Baladeva, Arjuna, BhÄ«ma, etc. And these demons, thus being killed, would attain either the impersonal brahmajyoti or His personal abode in the Vaikunha planets†'' (Srimad Bhagavatam 2.7.34-35).
20. Bhagavatam Purana 10.54.58.
21. Ibit X.57.56.
22. Ibid X.86.20; 71.29.
23. “Anu, the fourth son of Yayati, had three sons, named Sabhanara, Caksu and Paresnu. From Sabhanara came a son named Kalanara, and from Kalanara came a son named Srnjaya. From Srnjaya came a son named Janamejaya. From Janamejaya came Mahasala; from Mahasala, Mahamana; and from Mahamana two sons, named Usinara and Titiksu.The four sons of Usinara were Sibi, Vara, Krmi and Daksa, and from Sibi again came four sons, named Vrsadarbha, Sudhira, Madra and atma-tattva-vit Kekaya....†(Srimad Bhagavatam, 9.23.1-4). [4]
24. Matsya Purana, 48.10-20; Vayu Purana, 99.12-23
25. Political History of Ancient India, p 63, Dr H. C. Raychaudhury
26. VII.3.2
27. India as Known to Panini, p 54, Dr V. S. Aggarwala
28. Indian Antiquary, 1891, p 375; Political History of Ancient India, 1996, p 58, Dr H. C. Raychaudhury.
29. KSee: avyamimamsa, Ed. Gaekwad's Oriental Series, I (1916) Ch. 17; Introduction., xxvi. Rajashekhara is dated c 880 AD - 920 AD.
30. Ancient History of Deccan, pp 88, 101; Political History of Ancient India, 1996, p 58, Dr H. C. Raychaudhury.
Books and Perodicals
Mahabharata
Srimad Bhagavatam
Vayu Purana
Matsya Purana
Geographical Data in Ancient Puranas, 1972, Dr M. R. Singh
Political History of Ancient India, 1996, Dr H. C. Raychaudhury, Dr B. N. Mukerjee
India as Known to Panini, Dr V. S. Aggarwala
Ancient Geography of India, A. Cunningham
See also
★
Madras
★
Usinaras
★
Sibis or
Sivis
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