Janaka
Janaka
Janaka is a name used for more than one king in the Purāṇas and Itihāsas. Each is listed below with where it is told; choose the one you are looking for.
People
- Janaka: Sīradhvaja Janaka, the rājarshi king of Mithilā in Videha and the father of Sītā, who set the bow of Bhagavān Śiva as the test of her svayaṃvara. Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa, Chapters 66–73; Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 5; Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 2, Chapter 7; Skandha 6, Chapter 3; Skandha 9, Chapters 10, 13; Mahābhārata, Śānti Parva, Mokshadharma Parva, Chapters 290–326
- Janaka of the Solar Dynasty: a king of the Solar dynasty, husband of Guṇārṇavā, who on Varuṇa‘s counsel performed the Aśvamedha on the Gautamī and reached moksha, as told in Janaka, Yājñavalkya and Varuṇa. Brahma Purāṇa, Gautamī Māhātmya, Chapter 17
Named in passing
- Janaka, son of Nimi: the first Janaka, born when the maharshis churned the body of Nimi so that men would not be without a king; he was called Janaka because he was born in an unusual way, Vaideha because he was born in the line of the bodiless Nimi, and Mithila because he was born from the churning, and he built the city of Mithilā, told on Nimi Vaṃśa. Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 9, Chapter 13
- Janaka, the king of Videha in Śrī Kṛshṇa‘s time: the lord of Mithilā who worshipped Balarāma and with whom Balarāma lived for some years, told on Nimi Vaṃśa. Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 10, Chapter 57