MontyGilyard431 at 23:02, 13 March 2026

2026-03-13T23:02:19Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox King
| name = Devarata Janaka
| title = Janaka
| predecessor = Suketu
| successor = Brhdratha
| birth_place = [[Mithila region]]
| full name = King Devarata Janaka
| religion = Sanatana Hinduism
}}
'''Devarata Janaka''' ({{langx|sa|देवरत जनक}}) was the sixth descendant of [[Nimi (king)|King Nimi]] in [[Janaka]] Dynasty of the ancient [[Videha|Videha Kingdom]]. He belonged to [[Ikshvaku|Ikshwaku]] descendants.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Rao |first=V. S. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3lAzEAAAQBAJ&q=Devarata+Janaka |title=The Warrior Sage |date=2021-06-25 |publisher=Jaico Publishing House |isbn=978-93-91019-27-3 |language=en}}</ref> He became the king of Videha Kingdom after his father ''Suketu''. According to [[Valmiki]] [[Ramayana]], Devarata Janaka received the famous divine bow of [[Shiva|Lord Shiva]] named as "''[[Pinaka (Hinduism)|Pinaka]]''" for its safe-keeping.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Summary {{!}} Valmiki Ramayanam |url=https://www.valmiki.iitk.ac.in/summary?field_kanda_tid=1&field_sarga_value=66 |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=www.valmiki.iitk.ac.in}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=DK |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nsI8EAAAQBAJ&q=Devarata+Janaka |title=The Illustrated Ramayana: The Timeless Epic of Duty, Love, and Redemption |date=2022-12-15 |publisher=Dorling Kindersley Limited |isbn=978-0-241-56053-2 |language=en}}</ref>

== Description ==

According to the texts, from the lifeless body of [[Nimi (king)|King Nimi]] after his death, [[King Mithi|Mithi]] was born who became the first King [[Janaka]]. Thereafter, [[King Mithi]]'s son was ''Udavasu'' from whom ''Nandivardhana'' was born; his son was ''Suketu'' (also known as ''Sukesha'') from whom ''Devarata'' was born. In [[Ramayana]], Shreedwaja [[Janaka]] father of Sita, narrated the story of the divine bow [[Pinaka (Hinduism)|Pinaka]] at the [[Svayamvara|Swayamvar Sabha]] of [[Rama|Lord Rama]] and [[Sita|Goddess Sita]] in [[Mithila (region)|Mithila]]. He told that at the time of the destruction of [[Daksha yajna|Daksha Yagya]], [[Shiva|Lord Shiva]] told the [[Devata|Devatas]], "In your eagerness to participate in the [[Daksha yajna|Yagya]], you could not take my share. So I will cut off your precious heads with my bow." Then the [[Devata|Devatas]] immediately apologized and received his grace. [[Shiva|Lord Shiva]] then gifted them this bow which they later gave to our ancestor ''Devarata''.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2020-09-21 |title=King Janaka relates the story of the great bow and the birth of Sita [Chapter 66] |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/the-ramayana-of-valmiki/d/doc423935.html |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sevak |date=2019-04-21 |title=Vishwamitra Becomes Brahma Rishi |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/spirituality/2019/Apr/20/vishwamitra-becomes-brahma-rishi-1966022.html |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

In the text [[Mithila Mahatmya]] which is a section of larger text [[Brihada Vishnu Purana|Brihadvishnupurana]], Mithila has been described as the land of ''Devarata Janaka'' in the ''Shloka number 48''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=धर्मनाथ शर्मा |url=https://archive.org/details/20230430_20230430_0703 |title=वृहद्विष्णुपुराणीय मिथिला माहात्म्यम् |date=1980 |publisher=कामेश्वर सिंह दरभंगा संस्कृत विश्वविद्यालय}}</ref>

{{Quotes|text="देवरात तपोभूमिः शिवतुष्टिकरीमता । यत्र प्राप्तं धनुरत्नं तेन या साम्मवीवभौ"|title=Verse 48, [[Mithila Mahatmya]]|source=[[Brihada Vishnu Purana]]}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Ramayana]]
[[Category:Mythological kings of Videha]]
[[Category:Mithila (region)]]

Devarata Janaka - Revision history

MontyGilyard431 at 23:02, 13 March 2026