Janaka | |
---|---|
Texts | Ramayana, Upanishads |
Region | Mithila |
Personal information | |
Parents | Hrasvaroman (father), Keikasi (mother) |
Siblings | Kushadhvaja |
Spouse | Sunayana |
Children | Sita, Urmila (daughters) |
Dynasty | Ikshvaku |
Janaka was an ancient Hindu king of Videha which was located in Mithila region, approximately in the 8th or 7th century BC. [1] The rulers of the Videha kingdom were called Janakas. He also appears in the epic Ramayana as a father of Sita. His original name was Siradhvaja and he had a brother named Kushadhvaja. His father's name was Hrasvaroman, a descendant of the king Nimi.[ citation needed ]
Janaka is revered as being an ideal example of non-attachment to material possessions. He was intensely interested in spiritual discourse and considered himself free from worldly illusions. His interactions with sages and seekers such as Ashtavakra and Sulabha are recorded in the ancient texts. His relationship with his adopted daughter Sita led her to be called Janaki. The city of Janakpur in Nepal is named after him and his daughter Sita. [2] The Videha (or Mithila) kingdom was historically located between east of Gandaki River, west of Mahananda River, north of the Ganga river and south of the Himalayas. [3] [4]
King Nimi was the first ruler of the Videha kingdom. Janaka was descended from Vishnu in the following order:—Brahmā—Marīci—Kaśyapa—Vivasvān—Vaivasvata—Ikṣvāku—Nimi—Mithi—Udāvasu—Nandivardhana—Suketu—Devarāta—Bṛhadratha—Mahāvīra—Sudhṛti—Dhṛṣṭaketu—Haryaśva—Maru—Pratvantaka—Kīrtiratha—Devamīḍha—Vibudha—Mahīdhraka—Kīrtirāta—Mahāroman—Svarṇaroman—Hrasvaroman—Sīradhvaja (Janaka). [5]
Late Vedic literature such as Shatapatha Brahmana and Brihadaranyaka Upanishad mention a certain King Janaka (c. 8th or 7th century BCE) as a great philosopher-king of Videha, renowned for his patronage of Vedic culture and philosophy and whose court was an intellectual center for Brahmin sages such as Yajnavalkya, Uddalaka Aruni, and Gargi Vachaknavi. [1] Under his reign, Videha became a dominant political and cultural center of the Indian subcontinent. [6]
Janaka is the father of Sita, the wife of Rama in the Hindu epic Ramayana . His conversation with the sage Ashtavakra is recorded in the Ashtavakra Gita, wherein he is depicted as one who is realised and this was tested by the sage Ashtavakra. Many spiritual teachers have referred to this writing often translating and deducing its meaning. [7] [8]
Bharadvaja was one of the revered Vedic sages (maharishi) in Ancient India. He was a renowned scholar, economist, grammarian, physician and a follower of Maha Pashupata. He is one of the Saptarishis.
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Sita, also known as Siya, Janaki, Maithili, Vaidehi and Bhumija, is a Hindu goddess and the female protagonist of the Hindu epic, Ramayana. She is the consort of Rama, the avatar of the god Vishnu, and is regarded as an avatar of Vishnu's consort, Lakshmi. She is also the chief goddess of Rama-centric Hindu traditions. Sita is known for her dedication, self-sacrifice, courage, and purity.
Panchala was an ancient kingdom of northern India, located in the Ganges-Yamuna Doab of the Upper Gangetic plain. During Late Vedic times, it was one of the most powerful states of ancient India, closely allied with the Kuru Kingdom. By the c. 5th century BCE, it had become an oligarchic confederacy, considered one of the solasa (sixteen) mahajanapadas of the Indian subcontinent. After being absorbed into the Mauryan Empire, Panchala regained its independence until it was annexed by the Gupta Empire in the 4th century CE.
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Bharata is a figure in the ancient Hindu epic Ramayana. He is the son of Dasharatha, the king of Kosala, and Kaikeyi, the daughter of King Ashvapati of Kekeya. He is a younger half-brother of Rama. He rules Ayodhya as its regent while Rama is banished from his kingdom, and fights to rescue his wife Sita, kidnapped by Ravana.
Videha was an ancient Indo-Aryan tribe of north-eastern Indian subcontinent whose existence is attested during the Iron Age. The population of Videha, the Vaidehas, were initially organised into a monarchy but later became a gaṇasaṅgha, presently referred to as the Videha Republic, which was part of the larger Vajjika League.
Maithils, also known as Maithili people, are an Indo-Aryan ethno-linguistic group from the Indian subcontinent, who speak the Maithili language as their native language. They inhabit the Mithila region, which comprises Northern and Eastern Bihar and Northeastern Jharkhand in India and some adjoining districts of Nepal constituting Madhesh Province in addition to some terai districts of Bagmati and Koshi Provinces. The Maithil region forms an important part of Hinduism as it is said to be the birthplace of Sita, the wife of Ram and incarnation of Lakshmi.
Mithila is a geographical and cultural region located in the Indian subcontinent. The native language is known as Maithili and its speakers are referred to as Maithils. The majority of the Mithila region falls within modern-day India, more specifically in the state of Bihar. Mithila is bounded in the north by the Himalayas, and in the south, west and east by the Ganges, Gandaki and Mahananda respectively. It extends into the southeastern Terai of Nepal. This region was also called Tirabhukti, the ancient name of Tirhut.
Bala Kanda is the first Book of the Valmiki Ramayana. The Bala Kanda, in part—if not in its entirety—is generally regarded as an interpolation to the original epic.
Nimi is a king of the Suryavamsha featured in Hindu mythology. He is considered to be the first king of the Videha kingdom and is regarded to be the ancestor to the Janaka lineage of Mithila. Nimi is the grandson of Manu, and a son of Ikshvaku. According to Vayu Purana, King Nimi established a city known as Jayantapura near the Gautam Ashram.
Mithila Madhya Parikrama is an annual periodic journey of the central part of the ancient Mithila. It is held every year between the months of Kartik (October–November), Falgun (February–March) and Baishakh (April–May). But nowadays only Falgun (February–March) journey is famous. It is a circular journey of the central part of the Ancient Mithila. It covers a distance of 128 km circular path. It is mentioned in the epic Mithila Mahatmya which was composed in the 18th century.
Mithi was the king of Videha Kingdom in the ancient Indian Subcontinent. He was the son of the King Nimi. According Vishnu Purana and Bhavishya Purana the name “Mithila” is derived from King Mithi, who established the city of Mithilapuri. He was also known as Janaka because he was born out of the body of his father. The title Janaka was later adopted by subsequent kings of Mithila. According to Bal Kand of Valmiki Ramayana, King Mithi had a son named as Udavasu who became successor of the kingdom after him.
Karala Janaka was one of the kings during the periods of Janaka Dynasty in the kingdom of Mithila. Most of scholars has accepted King Karala Janaka as the last King in the Janaka Dynasty of the Mithila Kingdom. According to the available literary texts related to Mithila, it is evident that there may be two different kings with the same name Karala Janaka in different periods of time in the ancient Mithila Kingdom. The one which is mentioned in Shanti Parva of Mahabharata and the other as the last King in the Janaka lineage mentioned in the Arthshastra of Chanakya.
Devarata Janaka was the sixth descendant of King Nimi in Janaka Dynasty of the ancient Videha Kingdom. He belonged to Ikshwaku descendants. He became the king of Videha Kingdom after his father Suketu. According to Valmiki Ramayana, Devarata Janaka received the famous divine bow of Lord Shiva named as "Pinaka" for its safe-keeping.