Mithilā
Janaka
Sage-king of Videha. A king known for wisdom as much as rule.
Bāla KāṇḍaVālmīki (primary text)In the text
Janaka rules Videha from Mithilā and is called a rājarṣi, a king with a sage's learning. He explains why he set the bow as the price of Sītā's hand. The wedding that follows joins two royal houses: Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa marry his daughters, and his brother Kuśadhvaja's daughters marry Bharata and Śatrughna.
Primary text: Śrīmad Vālmīkīya Rāmāyaṇa, Gita Press, Gorakhpur. Later traditions and living-tradition associations are labelled as such. Return to the Rāmāyaṇa World.