Janaka
Philosopher-King of Mithila, Sita's Father
The wise king of Mithila who found baby Sita in a furrow while ploughing the earth. He was both a ruler and a deep philosopher - a king with a sage's heart.
- Sanskrit/Telugu name: జనకుడు
- Also known as: Videha, Seeradhwaja, Mithila Naresha
- Symbols: Plough, Shiva's bow
Story
Janaka ruled the kingdom of Mithila, and he was that rarest kind of king - one who wore a crown but lived like a sage. The Upanishads themselves show Janaka hosting great debates about the atma with sages like Yajnavalkya, and he was called "Videha," meaning so wise he lived beyond attachment to the body. His most precious discovery happened in a field. While ceremonially ploughing the earth before a yagam, his plough struck something - and there, in the furrow, lay a radiant baby girl. He named her Sita, which literally means "furrow," and raised the Earth's gift as his own beloved daughter, along with her sister Urmila. Janaka kept the mighty bow of Shiva in his court and promised Sita's hand to whoever could lift and string it. Kings and heroes failed one after another - until young Rama not only strung it but snapped it with a crack heard across the three worlds. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna points to Janaka as the proof that a person can do their worldly duties and still reach perfection.
Fun fact
Krishna himself name-drops Janaka in the Bhagavad Gita as the example that you can be busy with work and family and still attain the highest wisdom.