Person

Janaka

Janaka is the name of the kings of Videha in Vedic and epic tradition. In the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad King Janaka hosts philosophical contests between Brahmin teachers, above all the sage Yajnavalkya, and is praised as a seeker of knowledge. In the Ramayana, Janaka of Mithila is the father of Sita, wife of Rama, and he became a model of the wise and detached king.

Janaka
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Videha

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Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Janaka. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/janaka
MLA
“Janaka.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/janaka. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Janaka.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/janaka.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Janaka’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/janaka (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻