Dharmadhvaja

Dharmadhvaja was a king of the Janaka line of the Videha kingdom. The Purāṇas know this line as a family of philosopher-kings, rulers who joined royal power with deep spiritual knowledge. The Vishṇu Mahā Purāṇa names Dharmadhvaja in its Shashṭhāṃśa as the father of Mitadhvaja and Kṛtadhvaja. He is therefore the grandfather of the two main figures of the Keśidhvaja–Khāṇḍikya Upākhyāna (the account of Keśidhvaja and Khāṇḍikya).

Lineage

Dharmadhvaja belonged to the royal line of Janaka in Videha. This is the same line that gave the Janaka of the Rāmāyaṇa, known as the philosopher-king above all others.

Dharmadhvaja had two sons, Mitadhvaja and Kṛtadhvaja. Both are described as adhyātma-nishṭha (devoted to the inner path), each in a different way.

• Kṛtadhvaja inclined to the adhyātma path of direct self-knowledge. His son was Keśidhvaja, who became a great master of ātma-vidyā (knowledge of the self).
• Mitadhvaja inclined to the karma-mārga, the path of right action, yajña and ritual. His son was Khāṇḍikya, who became king by the karma path.

These two sons stand for the two great paths to moksha (liberation), karma-mārga and adhyātma-mārga. The Purāṇa’s great teaching on yoga comes from the meeting of their descendants.

The meaning of the name

The name Dharmadhvaja means “the flag or banner of dharma“. Both of his sons carried dharma, each in his own way.

Sources

• Vishṇu Mahā Purāṇa, Shashṭhāṃśa, Chapter 6