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]
| Janadeva Janaka | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janaka | |||||
| Successor | Dharmadhwaja | ||||
| Born | Janadeva Mithila region | ||||
| |||||
| Dynasty | Janaka | ||||
| Religion | Sanatana Hinduism | ||||
Etymology
editJanadeva 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
editIn 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.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ Mittal, J. P. (2006). History of Ancient India (A New Version). Atlantic Publishers & Dist. ISBN 978-81-269-0616-1.
- ^ Anonymous. The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (Complete). Library of Alexandria. ISBN 978-1-4655-2637-3.
- ^ 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. JSTOR 44082823.
- ^ www.wisdomlib.org (17 August 2021). "Section CCXVIII [Mahabharata, English]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ a b www.wisdomlib.org (19 February 2019). "Janadeva, Jana-deva: 7 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
- ^ Larson, Gerald James; Bhattacharya, Ram Shankar (14 July 2014). The Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies, Volume 4: Samkhya, A Dualist Tradition in Indian Philosophy. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-1-4008-5353-3.
- ^ P C Ray (1891). The Mahabharata Of Krishna Dwaipayana Vyara 1891.
- ^ Aranya, Hari Haranand; Bhattacharya (sampadak), Ram Shankar (2007). Patanjal Yogadarshan (Vyasbhashya, Uska Hindi Anuvad Tatha Suvishad Vyakhya) (in Hindi). Motilal Banarsidass Publisher. ISBN 978-81-208-2255-9.
- ^ 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.