King Janak is a revered ruler from ancient India. However, it isn’t his administrative skills that contribute to the admiration he draws even centuries later. The reverence is due to Janak being a spiritual seeker in the true sense and later a realised king. Little wonder he’s often referred to as a ‘sage-king’. There are umpteen conversations between Janak and such sages as Yajnavalkya, Ashtavakra and Gargi that shed light on any seeker’s spiritual quest.
Before Ashtavakra unfolded the secret of the soul to Janak, which we today are familiar as ‘Ashtavakra Gita’, the king had numerous momentous conversations with Yajnavalkya related to the Brahman and about the knowledge of the Self. Among the sages, King Janak preferred Yajnavalkya. The sage was not only articulate but was immensely patient with innumerable queries from the king. King Janak was an astute seeker, always probing with incisive questions. Whenever Janak met the sage, the conversation would invariably lead to a spiritual session. The sage was also ever enthusiastic to provide answers to the questions that king had in his mind. After all, a true rishi always likes a student eager to know.
However, it wasn’t always Janak asking the questions. To test the depth of his knowledge, the sage would often quiz the king. On one such occasion, where there was a discussion between Janak, Yajnavalkya and other sages on the subject of the Universal Self, Yajnavalkya asked pointed questions to the king. Janak answered each query with an elaborate answer. Everyone marvelled at the king’s wisdom, as well as the humility he displayed. There was not a shred of vanity in him. The sage was extremely pleased. He knew how the thirst for knowledge and humility are complementary to each other. It was time for the guru to offer a gift instead of receiving one from the king. So the sage said, “I’m impressed with your knowledge. You may ask a boon.”
Janak smiled as he requested, ‘May I continue to have relevant questions in my mind and be allowed to pose them to seek answers.’
Everyone present in the royal court was elated. They were proud of their king. Sage Yajnavalkya blessed the king. Like the illustrious sage-king, may we forever have a thirst for knowledge and keep asking relevant questions.
Rajessh M. Iyer is a storyteller who explores human relationships through meaningful anecdotes, parables, and stories; he shares his work on www.rajesshmiyer.com.