Indian traditions, Nivedita and Coomaraswamy
Janaka
Janaka is introduced as the ruler of Mithila, about to hold a sacrifice. Vishvamitra leads Rama and Lakshmana to his court to see a bow so formidable that neither human nor supernatural contenders have been able to string it. The king explains that Sita came from the furrow of a consecrated field and that he will give her in marriage to whoever bends the bow. Rama breaks it while drawing it, and Janaka sends messengers to obtain Dasharatha’s consent to the wedding.
Also known as King of Mithila
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In the sources
Principal account
TraditionalJanaka is introduced as the ruler of Mithila, about to hold a sacrifice. Vishvamitra leads Rama and Lakshmana to his court to see a bow so formidable that neither human nor supernatural contenders have been able to string it.
Further detail
TraditionalThe king explains that Sita came from the furrow of a consecrated field and that he will give her in marriage to whoever bends the bow. Rama breaks it while drawing it, and Janaka sends messengers to obtain Dasharatha’s consent to the wedding.
Context & interpretation
This entry follows Janaka’s role in the collection’s Ramayana marriage episode. It does not identify every philosophical king named Janaka with this narrative figure, nor establish the supernatural bow or Sita’s origin as independently verified historical events.
Original passages
Source 1
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists
Janaka, Raja of MithilaOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Nivedita and Coomaraswamy, Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists (1914), active reader leaf 50
Exact passage checked against the active edition text and original-leaf mapping; whitespace and scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0109-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0109-E001-P0050
- Original scan leaf
- 50
- Recorded leaf number
- 50
- Current Reader position
- 41
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists
On him who bends the bow I will bestow my daughterOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Nivedita and Coomaraswamy, Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists (1914), active reader leaf 51
Exact passage checked against the active edition text and original-leaf mapping; whitespace and scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0109-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0109-E001-P0051
- Original scan leaf
- 51
- Recorded leaf number
- 51
- Current Reader position
- 42
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Continue exploring
Shiva’s Bow
The immense inherited bow whose breaking establishes Rama’s marriage to Sita.
Shared source pageSita
Janaka’s daughter, whose captivity in Lanka becomes the centre of Rama’s search.
Same subject and traditionArjuna
The Pandava archer whose skill and moral hesitation make him central to the Mahabharata.
Same subject and traditionBhagiratha
The royal descendant whose persistence brings Ganga to his ancestors’ ashes.