Karma Yogi – King Janaka

Karma Yoga:Karma Yoga is widely discussed in many of scriptures including Bhagavadgita. In Gita, Lord Krishna explains Karma Yoga by stating that it is yoga by which person incessantly performs one’s duty/karma and still remains unattached to the results of Karma. He goes further by saying one’s duty would be decided by Vedas and Dharma Shastras through Varna – Ashrama Dharmas. Also Lord Krishna maintains that person has only right on performance on karma and not on the result to be attained by it. The person who remains unattached to the results of the karma can attain highest level of Philosophical maturity and is termed as Karma Yogi. The first and best example of Karma Yogi that comes to our mind is King Janaka.

King Janaka’s Story:
King Janaka got his education from two renowned guru’s namely Sage Vashista and Sage Astavakra.

Sage Asta Vakra:
Not many people know story of Asta Vakra. When he is in mother’s womb he used to listen to Veda being recited by his father daily. Once due to some ill health his father recited a swara of Veda incorrectly. The kid in the mother’s womb responded to his father by showing his fault in recitation. His father got angry with him and curses him to have 8 deformities in his body and he is called as AstaVakra.

Once King Janaka announces grand prize for person who can teach him brahma vidya( the highest education). Also he puts a condition that such education should be imparted to him in a timeframe equal to mounting a horse back and punishes ones who cannot do so. Astavakra comes forward and mentions that he can teach that to the king but before that King must show that he is eligible to learn it by accepting him as Guru. King agrees to this condition and maintains that he would do anything Astavakra asks him. Astavakra takes him to near by forest and asks Janaka to start mounting horseback. When Janaka put his first foot on horse to get ready for mounting, AstaVakra asks him to stop in same position until he comes back. Janaka with superior respect for guru, remains in same position for a year. When Astavakra comes back later to realize the guru bhakti of disciple imparts education to Janaka. That text has come to be known as Astavkra Gita. (I have a copy of it but don’t know if I have adequate intelligence to comprehend it)

Sage Vashista:

King Janaka was one of the favorite disciples of Vashista. Guru used to wait till Janaka comes to start his lessons, a rare privilege he granted to no other student. Fellow students used to think that Guru is partial to Janaka as he is a king. Brahmarshi Vashista understood this and wanted to show the students truth. Once when Vashista is giving lecture to students, fire broke out and all students started running to safe guard their belongings. But Janaka was so immersed in the lecture that he did not even realize that fire broke out. Thus Vashista through a fake fire created demonstrates why Janaka was superior to his other students.

Karma Yogi:
King Janaka was childless for long. He belonged to Videha Vamsa meaning he has no attachment to deha(body). At the same time, he continued performing the karma (yagnas) suggested by Vedas to get child. While performing a Yagna he is blessed Mahalakshmi as kid. He took it as God’ blessing. He got Lord Rama as his son-in-law but he did not go overboard with joy. When he discovered that his son-in-law and daughter were sent to forest, he did not get angry or depressed. When his son-in-law and daughter got universally renowned, he did not feel elation of pride. He remained perfectly calm be it happiness or sorrow but at the same time he did not leave his duty. That’s how Janaka remained perfect example for Karma Yogi.