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{{Short description|King of Videha}}{{Infobox royalty
| name = Kriti
| title = Janaka
| image = Yajnavalkya and Janaka.jpg
| caption = Depicting the sage [[Yajnavalkya]] at the court of King Kriti Janaka in Mithila. The image is carved on the wall of the Sankara Mutt at [[Rameshwaram]] in Tamil Nadu, India.
| birth_place = Videha Kingdom (Mithila)
| full name = Kriti Janaka
| regnal name = Videha Raj Kriti Janaka
| house = Videha
| house-type = Kingdom
| father = [[Bahulashva Janaka]]
| occupation = Philosopher King
| religion = [[Hinduism]]
| native_lang1 = Sanskrit
| native_lang1_name1 = कृति जनक, कृतजनक
| royal house = Mithila
| dynasty = Janaka
}}

'''Kriti Janaka''' ([[Sanskrit]]: कृति जनक) was a king of [[Videha|Videha Kingdom]] located in the [[Indian subcontinent]]. He was a descendant of [[Janaka|Janaka dynasty]] in [[Mithila (region)|Mithila]]. He was contemporary to the kings ''Ajatshatru'' of [[Kāśī (kingdom)|Kashi Kingdom]] and [[Janamejaya]] of [[Hastinapur]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=शर्म्मा |first=रामप्रकाश |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B2%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A4%87%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B9.html?id=G7sBAAAAMAAJ#%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%20%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%95 |title=मिथिला का इतिहास |date=1979 |publisher=Kāmeśvarasiṃhadarabhaṅgāsaṃskr̥taviśvavidyālaya |language=hi}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=eGangotri |url=http://archive.org/details/FXiT_prachin-mithila-me-shikshan-published-by-kameshwara-simh-darbhang-sanskrit-university-1979-darb |title=Prachin Mithila Me Shikshan Published By Kameshwara Simh Darbhang Sanskrit University 1979 Darbhang}}</ref> The revered [[Vedas|Vedic]] [[Rishi]] [[Yajnavalkya]] became famous from his court.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Thakur |first=Upendra |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Mithil%C4%81ka_itih%C4%81sa_pr%C4%81c%C4%ABna_k%C4%81lasa%C4%AB.html?id=oXJuAAAAMAAJ#%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%20%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%95 |title=Mithilāka itihāsa, prācīna kālasaī Musalamānī ākramaṇaka pūrva dhari |date=1980 |publisher=Maithilī Akādamī |language=hi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Śrīvāstava |first=Śailendra |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Licchaviyo%E1%B9%83_k%C4%81_utth%C4%81na_eva%E1%B9%83_patana.html?id=eW1DAAAAYAAJ#%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%20%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%95 |title=Licchaviyoṃ kā utthāna evaṃ patana, 600 Ī. Pū.-781 Ī |date=1984 |publisher=Prakāśana Saṃsthāna |language=hi}}</ref> According to some scholars, Kriti Janaka was the eighteenth king of Mithila after the King [[Janaka|Siradhwaja Janaka]] of [[Ramayana]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sammelana |first=Akhila Bhāratīya Maithilī Sāhitya |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Prathama_Akhila_Bh%C4%81rat%C4%ABya_Maithil%C4%AB_S.html?id=glr6jtIwTlkC#%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF |title=Prathama Akhila Bhāratīya Maithilī Sāhitya Sammelana, Darbhangā: racanā-saṅgraha |date=1956 |publisher=Vaidehī Samiti evaṃ Akhila Bhāratīya Maithilī Sāhitya Sammelana |language=hi}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Thakur |first=Gajendra |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B9_%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%B9_%E0%A5%A9%E0%A5%A6.html?id=GWaBEAAAQBAJ#v=onepage&q=%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%20%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%95&f=false |title=विदेह सदेह ३० |publisher=Videha eLearning |language=hi}}</ref><ref name=":0" />

== Early life ==
He was born in the royal family of Janaka dynasty. He was the son of the King [[Bahulashva Janaka|Bahulāśva Janaka]] in Mithila. He was born slightly before the [[Kurukshetra War|war of Mahabharata]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Mishra |first=Yogendra |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/History_of_Videha.html?id=_IceAAAAMAAJ#kriti |title=History of Videha: From the Earliest Times to the Foundation of the Gupta Empire, A.D. 319 |date=1981 |publisher=Janaki Prakashan |language=en}}</ref>

Apart from the son of King Bahulāśva, there were more two or three Janakas having same name Kriti in the lineage of Janaka. Some scholars mark them as Kriti I, Kriti II and Kriti III. But due to the lack of sufficient literary resources, it is difficult to distinguish them simultaneously. There are some disputes among scholars for the exact identifications of them.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mishra |first=Indira |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Aspects_of_political_ideas_and_instituti.html?id=QXFuAAAAMAAJ#%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%20%E0%A4%9C%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%95 |title=Aspects of political ideas and institutions in medieval Mithila |date=2004 |publisher=Baseline Publishers & Printers |language=hi}}</ref><ref name=":2" />

== Description ==
Kriti Janaka was the most famous king accross the subcontinent during his reign. The contemporary King Ajatashatru of Kashi was very jealous from the fame of the King Kriti Janaka in Mithila. Due to the jealousy of King Ajatashatru with the King Kriti Janaka, there were frequent conflicts between the two kingdoms.<ref name=":1" />

== Kriti Janaka's court ==
The [[Court of King Janaka|court of the King Kriti Janaka]] was a assembly of learned [[Brahmin|Brahmins]] arrived from different parts of the subcontinent. His court was adorned with several scholars like were [[Ashvala]], [[Artabhaga]], [[Bhujyu]], [[Ushasta]], [[Kahoda|Kahola]], [[Gārgī Vāchaknavī|Gargi]], [[Uddālaka Āruṇi|Uddalaka]] and others.<ref name=":1" /> The Vedic scholar Ashvala was the chief advisor of the king at his court.

Once the King Janaka organised a famous scholarly contest [[Bahudakshina Yajna]] at his court, in which several Brahmin scholars across the subcontinent gathered to participate in the contest. In the contest, the Vedic sage [[Yajnavalkya]] defeated all the Brahmins scholars who debated with him. He was declared as the greatest Vedic scholar and was awarded with the honour of the title [[Brahmishtha]]. After that, Yajnavalkya was appointed as the chief advisor cum minister of the King Kriti Janaka.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Sammelana |first=Akhila Bhāratīya Maithilī Sāhitya |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Racan%C4%81_sa%E1%B9%85graha.html?id=4yIFAAAAMAAJ#%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%83%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF |title=Racanā-saṅgraha |date=1956 |publisher=Vaidehī Samiti |language=hi}}</ref>
[[File:Yagyavalkya.jpg|thumb|Memorial ''Statue of Yajnavalkya'' at the premises of [[Uchhaith|Uchchaith Bhagwati Mandir]] near [[Benipatti]] town. Photo captured by [[c:User:Sntshkumar750|Santosh Chaudhary]].]]

The King Kriti Janaka patronized Vedic philosophy and scholarship at his court. The assembly of his court was a prominent hub for [[Sanskrit and Vedic learning in Mithila]].<ref name=":1" />

== References ==
<references />
[[Category:Kings of Videha]]
[[Category:Videha]]
[[Category:Mithila (region)]]

Kriti Janaka - Revision history

Nina at 18:47, 7 May 2026