Janadeva Janaka

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Janadeva Janaka
Janaka
SuccessorDharmadhwaja
BornJanadeva
Mithila region
Names
King Janadeva Janaka
DynastyJanaka
ReligionSanatana Hinduism

Janadeva Janaka (Sanskrit: जनदेव जनक) was the king of Mithila Kingdom in the Janaka Dynasty of Videha in the Indian Subcontinent.[1][2] In the Shanti Parva of Mahabharata, Bhishma had narrated the story of King Janadeva Janaka to Dharmaraj Yudhishthira.[3][4]

Etymology[edit]

Janadeva is a Sanskrit compound word composed of two words Jana and Deva.[5] Jana means people and Deva means lord. Therefore, the literal meaning of Janadeva is lord of people.

Description[edit]

In Shanti Parva of Mahabharata, Bhishma told to Yudhishthira that once King Janadeva Janaka asked a philosophical question on salvation to the hundred acharyas in his court but none of them could satisfactorily answer his questions about salvation.[6] Then a sage named as Panchashikha came to the court by chance advised the king about the means to attain salvation.[5] The king got satisfied and impressed with the answer of the sage Panchashikha, then the king appointed the sage Panchashikha as his teacher.[7] The sage Panchashikha taught Brahman Vidya and Shamkhya philosophy to the king.[8][9] It is said that once Mahavishnu in the guise of a Brahmin came to the King for testing, then being pleased with the king gave him some boons.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Mittal, J. P. (2006). History of Ancient India (A New Version). Atlantic Publishers & Dist. ISBN 978-81-269-0616-1.
  2. ^ Anonymous. The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (Complete). Library of Alexandria. ISBN 978-1-4655-2637-3.
  3. ^ Bedekar, V. M. (1957). "Studies in Sāṁkhya: The Teachings of Pañcaśikha in the Mahābhārata". Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. 38 (3/4): 233–244. ISSN 0378-1143.
  4. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2021-08-17). "Section CCXVIII [Mahabharata, English]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  5. ^ a b www.wisdomlib.org (2019-02-19). "Janadeva, Jana-deva: 7 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2024-05-01.
  6. ^ Larson, Gerald James; Bhattacharya, Ram Shankar (2014-07-14). The Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies, Volume 4: Samkhya, A Dualist Tradition in Indian Philosophy. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-1-4008-5353-3.
  7. ^ P C Ray (1891). The Mahabharata Of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyara 1891.
  8. ^ Aranya, Hari Haranand; Bhattacharya (sampadak), Ram Shankar (2007). Patanjal Yogadarshan (Vyasbhashya, Uska Hindi Anuvad Tatha Suvishad Vyakhya) (in Hindi). Motilal Banarsidass Publishe. ISBN 978-81-208-2255-9.
  9. ^ Vaidya, Chintaman Vinayak (2001). Epic India, Or, India as Described in the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Asian Educational Services. ISBN 978-81-206-1564-9.