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Lola, even if Kaikeyi had not made any vow, the thought that Kaikeyi indirectly caused Ravan's destruction is anyway comforting.

Originally posted by: lola610

A question of my own - anybody know the source of the story we get in ASR, when Shri Ram enters Mata Kaikeyi's chamber first upon returning to Ayodhya and gives everyone a big surprise by revealing that her hand in his exile was really all for the best? He mentions that during her youth, her dad's kingdom was tormented by Ravan's grandfather Sumaali and his demonic associates, and she made a vow that she would somehow or the other cause his downfall. Something like that. I really liked that revelation because of the redemptive aspect of it, very comforting thought.

Originally posted by: lola610

A question of my own - anybody know the source of the story we get in ASR, when Shri Ram enters Mata Kaikeyi's chamber first upon returning to Ayodhya and gives everyone a big surprise by revealing that her hand in his exile was really all for the best? He mentions that during her youth, her dad's kingdom was tormented by Ravan's grandfather Sumaali and his demonic associates, and she made a vow that she would somehow or the other cause his downfall. Something like that. I really liked that revelation because of the redemptive aspect of it, very comforting thought.

lola

None of this is there in Valmiki, so it might be worth looking for some of this in the Ananda Ramayan. I recall there was some threads in the Ramayan forum that point to the sources AS used:

Sagars sources for Gurmi Ramayan
Versions of Uttarkand
DOTW: Stories from Uttarkhand

There are probably a lot more threads, but these are the ones I'd start from.

I think Khalrika is inactive, but you can PM her to find out. Vibs would be great here as well if she's still browsing these pages.

That whole story is inaccurate, as when Kaikeyi was Dasharath's charioteer (in the serial, they wrongly showed Sumantra as being present, but in that battle, Kaikeyi was the one who insisted on accompanying Dasharath and being his charioteer), he was battling not Ravan, but an asura named Shambara. So it's inconceivable that Kaikeyi knew about this higher purpose. The only Ayodhya rulers that Ravan fought were Mandhata, w/ whom he had a stalemate since Ravan's brahmastra & Mandhata's trishul (a derivative of Mahadev's) came head to head and threatened to obliterate all creation, so Brahma got them to withdraw these, and granted that neither of them was defeated. The other Ayodhya ruler Ravan fought and killed was Aranya, who cursed him that someone from his dynasty will kill Ravan.

^ I read a story from another version where Ravan battles Dashrath as well. It had nothing about Kaikeyi in it, but it did alude to the ASR story that Ravan had insulted Kaikeyi's kingdom before coming there, and that he had been cursed by someone there as a result (Kaikeyi perhaps?). In this story, Ravan insults Kaushalya by telling her to come to Lanka as its queen, and he indicates his thigh to her (kind of like how Duryodhan did to Draupadi), and Kaushalya vows that the son born to her and Dashrath will kill him to avenge this insult.

Originally posted by: JanakiRaghunath

^ I read a story from another version where Ravan battles Dashrath as well. It had nothing about Kaikeyi in it, but it did alude to the ASR story that Ravan had insulted Kaikeyi's kingdom before coming there, and that he had been cursed by someone there as a result (Kaikeyi perhaps?). In this story, Ravan insults Kaushalya by telling her to come to Lanka as its queen, and he indicates his thigh to her (kind of like how Duryodhan did to Draupadi), and Kaushalya vows that the son born to her and Dashrath will kill him to avenge this insult.

I'll try to find this story...it would help though if I knew where it came from.

jaisiyaram

Personally, as far as Ramayan goes, the only account I believe is Valmiki - nothing else is authentic, particularly if it contradicts VR. But on pg 1, we did make a rule that we'd only comment on which sources any account comes from, w/o commenting on whether it's authentic or not, in order to avoid people's religious beliefs being offended. None of the accounts above - whether it was Ravan getting Dasharath cursed that he won't be able to physically produce any children in his wives, nor the AS Ramayan of Dasharath battling Ravan w/ Kaikeyi present - are in Valmiki - just so one knows.

In the Uttarkand part of VR, Agastya and other rishis narrate to Rama the entire history of Ravan, and there, the story of his battle w/ Aranya is narrated. Again, in Uttarkand, when Rishi Chyavan goes to Rama for support in killing Lavanasura, he narrates to Rama or Shatrughan - I forget whom - how Lavanasura killed Mandhata, who in turn had previously been undefeated by Ravan. So there are indirect references in VR to these battles Ravan had w/ Rama's ancestors. But there is nothing there about Ravan ever battling Dasharath.

There are other sources which might have such accounts, and I myself would be interested in knowing which ones they are.

Originally posted by: jaisiyaram

wow.. from where are these stories coming from?? from authentic sources? I actually never heard of such thing ..always thought that it was lord vishnu who was behind everything and always devs had problem with growing asurs and they visit lord vishnu which results into vishnu's another incarnation :) simple theory ;)

Janki ji, I would love to read more about what you posted ..