Many warriors, sages and royal savants were born in Nepal. One of those very well known amongst the Nepalese and the worldly community was King Janak.
He was the foster-father of Sita, heroine of the ancient Ramayan epic. His actual name was Siradhwaja Janak, the word Janak being his clan-name. In the Janak clan, Siradhwaja was one of the greatest kings. As he was an honest, dutiful and saintly king, he later became famous as King Janak, thus immortalizing his entire clan. He was considered a king as well as a sage, a Raajarshi.
King Janak was saintly and self-learned. So people from all walks of life, including the learned and wise folks from all over the country, came to him for advice and suggestions. Most sages also came from India for participating in his ‘satsangas’ or saintly gatherings. There would be many a debates and discussions in the course of such satsangas. Although regarded as a sage, he did not abandon his subjects or kingly duties and go to the forests in order to acquire knowledge and experience.
The region of his ancient kingdom was known as Mithila, with its capital in the present- day Janakpur. Sage Yagyavalkya, another genius, was his mentor and companion. He also participated in the satsangas or saintly gatherings of king Janak. It is said that he had compiled the holy treatises such as the Yajurveda and the Yagyavalkya Smriti. Such famous works have proven that sage Yagyavalalkya was indeed a learned man and a genius.
In order to educate his people, king Janak had coined some maxims on morality and social behavior. Some of those maxims were as follows:
- We should all live together amicably.
- If we remain united, we can prosper together.
- Let’s all work as one man.
- It’s our duty to maintain peace and harmony in the community and in the worldly.
- Fights and wars are enemies of peace.
All these saintly maxims are beneficial for us as well. They are all the more priceless in the present-day world of wars and strife. These are also the basic tenets of all religions, including Hinduism.
As mentioned above, Janakpur was earlier known as Mithila. Nowadays Janakpur forms a part and parcel of Nepal’s Dhanusha district in the Janakpur zone.
For a nation that has accepted a republican democracy, king Janak’s advices and maxims can still act as the guidelines to follow. Unity, oneness, equality and indiscrimination are principles that can lead us along the path of peace and prosperity. Such maxims as these have immortalized king Janak in the history of human civilization.
[Compiled by Late Nagendra Sharma]