Videha Kingdom
Encyclopedia
In the Ramayana
, Videha was the kingdom of the royal sage Seeradhwaja Janaka
, the father of Sita
, Raghava Rama's wife. Rama's brothers married Sita's sisters, so the Videha Kingdom was closely allied to the Kosala Kingdom
. Mithila
was the capital of Videha, now identified with Janakpur, a town in Southern Nepal. The rulers of Vidheha were called Janakas and in Hindu tradition are thought to have been great scholars. It is believed that they were the oldest among the clans migrated from the river Saraswati
as the river started drying up. According to the epics, the name came from a dead king (Videha, one devoid of body or dead) whose sons were created by sages who performed magical rites upon the king's dead body.
Extract from the lineage of kings in the Lunar Dynasty.
...Ayutanayi took for a wife Kama, the daughter of Prithusravas. And by her was born a son named Akrodhana, who took to wife Karambha, the daughter of the king of Kalinga. And of her was born Devatithi, and Devatithi took for his wife Maryada, the princess of Videha. And of her was born a son named Arihan.
Extract from the lineage of kings in the Lunar Dynasty.
..Parikshit married Madravati, thy mother, O king, and thou art born to her, O Janamejaya
! Thou hast also begotten two sons on thy wife Vapushtama, named Satanika and Sankukarna. And Satanika also hath begotten one son named Aswamedhadatta upon the princess of Videha.
Pandu
then marched into Mithila
and subjugated the Videhas. And then Pandu led his army against Kasi, Sumbha, and Pundra, and by the strength and prowess of his arms spread the fame of the Kurus
.
Bhima
, going first into the great country of the Panchalas, began by various means to conciliate that tribe. Then that hero, within a short time, vanquished the Gandakas and the Videhas. That exalted one then subjugated the Dasarnas.
.... the hero next vanquished, by policy alone, the Sarmakas and the Varmakas. He then defeated with comparative ease, Janaka the king of the Videhas. And the hero then subjugated strategically the Sakas and the barbarians living in that part of the country. And the son of Pandu, sending forth expeditions from Videha, conquered the seven kings of the Kiratas living about the Indra mountain.
Many kings, amongst whom Nagnajit was the foremost as also the Amvashthas, the Videhas, and the Gandharvas, were all vanquished by Karna
while staying in Girivraja.
Then those princes:
the ruler of Kalinga and Banga, Pandya, Paundra, the ruler of Videha, the chief of the Yavanas, and many other sons and grandsons of kings, sovereigns of territories, one after another began to exhibit prowess for winning that maiden of unrivalled beauty (Panchali).
Yonder is the gate of the Manasasarovara. In the midst of this mountain, a gap hath been opened by Rama. And here is the well-known region of Vatikhanda, which, although adjacent to the gate of Videha, lieth on the north of it.
Dasaratha had four sons conversant with morality and profit known by the names, respectively, of
And Rama had for his mother Kausalya, and Bharata had for his mother Kaikeyi, while those scourge of their enemies Lakshmana and Satrughna were the sons of Sumitra. And Janaka was the king of Videha, and Sita was his daughter.
Bhima to Panchali:- Thou mayst have heard that Janaka’s daughter Sita, the princess of Videha, followed her lord while living in dense woods.
Enumeration of best couples
Raghava Rama slew in Janasthana fourteen thousand Rakshasas for the protection of the ascetics. While dwelling there, the Rakshasa called Ravana, beguiling both him and his companion (Lakshmana) abducted his wife, the princess of Videha.
Bhima speaks words of peace, enumerates 18 bad kings
Even as, when Dharma became extinct, Kali was born in the race of Asuras flourishing with prosperity and blazing with energy, so was born:
These vile individuals, spring up, at the end of each Yuga
, in their respective races, for the destruction of their kinsmen.
Videha is listed along with many other kingdoms like the Mallarashtras
, Keralas
, Varatrasyas, Apavahas, Chakras, Vakratapas, Sakas
, Magadhas
, Swakshas, Malayas, Vijayas, Angas
, Vangas
, Kalingas
, Yakrillomans etc as a kingdom of Ancient India (Bharata Varsha).
Hearing these words of Duryodhana
with bow in hand, many mighty combatants, excited with rage, belonging to the Videhas, the Kalingas, and the diverse tribes of the Daserkas, fell upon Arjuna
.
Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Sanskrit epic. It is ascribed to the Hindu sage Valmiki and forms an important part of the Hindu canon , considered to be itihāsa. The Ramayana is one of the two great epics of India and Nepal, the other being the Mahabharata...
, Videha was the kingdom of the royal sage Seeradhwaja Janaka
Janaka
Janaka or Raja Janaka were the kings of Videha Kingdom. Their capital was Mithila, which is believed to be present day Janakpur, Nepal...
, the father of Sita
SITA
SITA is a multinational information technology company specialising in providing IT and telecommunication services to the air transport industry...
, Raghava Rama's wife. Rama's brothers married Sita's sisters, so the Videha Kingdom was closely allied to the Kosala Kingdom
Kosala Kingdom
Kosala Proper or Uttara Kosala is the kingdom of the celebrated personality of Treta Yuga, Raghava Rama. Ayodhya was its capital, presently in Faizabad district, Uttar Pradesh. Rama's sons Lava and Kusha inherited parts of this kingdom. Lava ruled from the city called Sravasti and Kusa from the...
. Mithila
Mithila
Mithila was a city in Ancient India, the capital of the Videha Kingdom. The name Mithila is also commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom itself, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha...
was the capital of Videha, now identified with Janakpur, a town in Southern Nepal. The rulers of Vidheha were called Janakas and in Hindu tradition are thought to have been great scholars. It is believed that they were the oldest among the clans migrated from the river Saraswati
Saraswati
In Hinduism Saraswati , is the goddess of knowledge, music, arts, science and technology. She is the consort of Brahma, also revered as His Shakti....
as the river started drying up. According to the epics, the name came from a dead king (Videha, one devoid of body or dead) whose sons were created by sages who performed magical rites upon the king's dead body.
Devatithi's Marriage to a Videha Princess
- Mahabharata, Book 1, Chapter 95
Extract from the lineage of kings in the Lunar Dynasty.
...Ayutanayi took for a wife Kama, the daughter of Prithusravas. And by her was born a son named Akrodhana, who took to wife Karambha, the daughter of the king of Kalinga. And of her was born Devatithi, and Devatithi took for his wife Maryada, the princess of Videha. And of her was born a son named Arihan.
Janamejaya's son married Videha Princess
- Mahabharata, Book 1, Chapter 95
Extract from the lineage of kings in the Lunar Dynasty.
..Parikshit married Madravati, thy mother, O king, and thou art born to her, O Janamejaya
Janamejaya
Janamejaya was a Kuru king. He was the son of Parikshit and Madravati. He was the grandson of Abhimanyu and the great-grandson of Arjuna, the valiant warrior hero of the Mahābhārata. He was ascended to the Kuru throne following the death of his father. His significance comes as the listener of the...
! Thou hast also begotten two sons on thy wife Vapushtama, named Satanika and Sankukarna. And Satanika also hath begotten one son named Aswamedhadatta upon the princess of Videha.
Pandu's Military Campaign
- Mahabharata, Book 1, Chapter 113
Pandu
Pandu
In the Mahābhārata epic, King Pandu is the son of Ambalika and Rishi Ved Vyasa. He is more popularly known as the father of the Pandavas and ruled Hastinapur.-Birth:...
then marched into Mithila
Mithila
Mithila was a city in Ancient India, the capital of the Videha Kingdom. The name Mithila is also commonly used to refer to the Videha Kingdom itself, as well as to the modern-day territories that fall within the ancient boundaries of Videha...
and subjugated the Videhas. And then Pandu led his army against Kasi, Sumbha, and Pundra, and by the strength and prowess of his arms spread the fame of the Kurus
Kurus
Kuruş is a Turkish currency subunit. Since 2005, one new Turkish lira is equal to 100 kuruş. The kuruş was also the standard unit of currency in the Ottoman Empire until 1844, and from that date until the late 1970s was a subdivision of the former lira. It was subdivided into 40 para , each of...
.
Bhima's Military Campaign
- Mahabharata, Book 1, Chapter 28
Bhima
Bhima
In the Mahābhārata, Bhima is one of the central characters of Mahabharata and the second of the Pandava brothers...
, going first into the great country of the Panchalas, began by various means to conciliate that tribe. Then that hero, within a short time, vanquished the Gandakas and the Videhas. That exalted one then subjugated the Dasarnas.
.... the hero next vanquished, by policy alone, the Sarmakas and the Varmakas. He then defeated with comparative ease, Janaka the king of the Videhas. And the hero then subjugated strategically the Sakas and the barbarians living in that part of the country. And the son of Pandu, sending forth expeditions from Videha, conquered the seven kings of the Kiratas living about the Indra mountain.
Karna's Military Campaign
- Mahabharata, Book 7, Chapter 4
Many kings, amongst whom Nagnajit was the foremost as also the Amvashthas, the Videhas, and the Gandharvas, were all vanquished by Karna
Karna
Karna or Radheya is one of the central characters in the epic Mahābhārata, from ancient India. He was the King of Anga...
while staying in Girivraja.
Panchali's Self Choice Event
- Mahabharata, Book 1, Chapter 189
Then those princes:
- Karna
- Duryodhana
- Salwa
- Salya
- Aswatthaman
- Kratha
- Sunitha
- Vakra
the ruler of Kalinga and Banga, Pandya, Paundra, the ruler of Videha, the chief of the Yavanas, and many other sons and grandsons of kings, sovereigns of territories, one after another began to exhibit prowess for winning that maiden of unrivalled beauty (Panchali).
The Gate of Videha
- Mahabharata, Book 3, Chapter 130
Yonder is the gate of the Manasasarovara. In the midst of this mountain, a gap hath been opened by Rama. And here is the well-known region of Vatikhanda, which, although adjacent to the gate of Videha, lieth on the north of it.
Ramayana inside Mahabharata
- Mahabharata, Book 3, Chapter 272
Dasaratha had four sons conversant with morality and profit known by the names, respectively, of
- Rama
- Lakshmana
- Satrughna
- and the mighty Bharata
And Rama had for his mother Kausalya, and Bharata had for his mother Kaikeyi, while those scourge of their enemies Lakshmana and Satrughna were the sons of Sumitra. And Janaka was the king of Videha, and Sita was his daughter.
- Mahabharata, Book 4, Chapter 21
Bhima to Panchali:- Thou mayst have heard that Janaka’s daughter Sita, the princess of Videha, followed her lord while living in dense woods.
- Mahabharata, Book 5, Chapter 117
Enumeration of best couples
- Nala with Damayanti
- Narada, with Satyavati
- Jaratkaru with Jaratkaru
- Pulastya with Pratichya
- Urnayus with Menaka
- Tumvuru with Rambha
- Vasuki with Satasirsha
- Dhananjaya with Kamari
- Rama with the princess of Videha Sita
- or Janardana with Rukmini.
Raghava Rama slew in Janasthana fourteen thousand Rakshasas for the protection of the ascetics. While dwelling there, the Rakshasa called Ravana, beguiling both him and his companion (Lakshmana) abducted his wife, the princess of Videha.
The 18 Wicked Kings mentioned by Bhima
- Mahabharata, Book 5, Chapter 74
Bhima speaks words of peace, enumerates 18 bad kings
Even as, when Dharma became extinct, Kali was born in the race of Asuras flourishing with prosperity and blazing with energy, so was born:
- Udavarta among the Haihayas
- Janamejaya among the Nepas
- Vahula among the Talajanghas
- proud Vasu among the Krimis
- Ajavindu among the Suviras
- Rushardhik among the Surashtras
- Arkaja among the Valihas
- Dhautamulaka among the Chinas
- Hayagriva among the Videhas
- Varayu among the Mahaujasas
- Vahu among the Sundaras
- Pururavas among the Diptaksha
- Sahaja among the Chedis and Matsyas
- Vrishaddhaja among the Praviras
- Dharana among the Chandra-batsyas
- Bigahana among the Mukutas
- Sama among the Nandivegas
These vile individuals, spring up, at the end of each Yuga
Yuga
Yuga in Hindu philosophy is the name of an 'epoch' or 'era' within a cycle of four ages. These are the Satya Yuga, the Treta Yuga, the Dvapara Yuga, and finally the Kali Yuga. According to Hindu cosmology, life in the universe is created, destroyed once every 4.1 to 8.2 billion years, which is...
, in their respective races, for the destruction of their kinsmen.
The List of Provinces of Bharata Varsha
- Mahabharata, Book 6, Chapter 9
Videha is listed along with many other kingdoms like the Mallarashtras
Malla Kingdom
Malla Kingdom was situated in the Gangatic plain between the Kosala and Videha. The epic Mahabharata speaks about a Malla conquered by the Pandava Bhima during his military campaign through the eastern kingdoms to collect tribute for King Yudhisthira's Rajasuya sacrifice.- Bhima's Military Campaign...
, Keralas
Kerala Kingdom
This article is about the Kingdom of Kerala in Indian epic literature. For the present-day region, see Kerala, For the historical kingdom, see Chera dynasty...
, Varatrasyas, Apavahas, Chakras, Vakratapas, Sakas
Saka Kingdom
Sakas were a Mlechcha tribe grouped along with the Yavanas, Tusharas and Barbaras. They were later known as Scythians. They were Soma drinkers, Soma being an intoxicating liquor famous in the land of Devas . There were a group of Sakas called Apa Sakas meaning water dwelling Sakas, probably living...
, Magadhas
Magadha Kingdom
Magadha was a kingdom ruled by non-Vedic kings. Jarasandha was the greatest among them during epic times. His capital was Rajagriha or Rajgir a modern hill resort in Bihar. Jarasandha's continuous assault on the Yadava kingdom of Surasena resulted in their withdrawal from central India to western...
, Swakshas, Malayas, Vijayas, Angas
Anga Kingdom
Anga was a kingdom ruled by non-Vedic rulers. Anga king Lomapada was a friend of Kosala king Dasaratha. Kosala Princess Santha, elder to Raghava Rama, lived as the daughter of Lomapada, since he was childless. Duryodhana established Karna as the ruler of Angas. It is believed that there were many...
, Vangas
Vanga Kingdom
Vanga orBengal was a kingdom located in the eastern part of the Indian Subcontinent, comprising part of West Bengal, India and present-day modern Bangladesh. It was a seafaring nation of Ancient India.- References in Mahabharata :...
, Kalingas
Kalinga Kingdom
Kalinga forms the sea shore of Orissa and Andhra region of Andhra pradesh state in India. Kuru king Duryodhana's wife was from Kalinga. Kalingas sided with Duryodhana in the Kurukshetra War...
, Yakrillomans etc as a kingdom of Ancient India (Bharata Varsha).
Videhas in Kurukshetra War
- Mahabharata, Book 6, Chapter 118
Hearing these words of Duryodhana
Duryodhana
In the Hindu epic the Mahābhārata, Duryodhana is the eldest son of the blind king Dhritarashtra by Queen Gandhari, the eldest of the one hundred Kaurava brothers, Emperor of the world at that time which means Emperor of India or Bharatvarsha as it was known at that time, cousin and the chief...
with bow in hand, many mighty combatants, excited with rage, belonging to the Videhas, the Kalingas, and the diverse tribes of the Daserkas, fell upon Arjuna
Arjuna
Arjuna in Indian mythology is the greatest warrior on earth and is one of the Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahābhārata. Arjuna, whose name means 'bright', 'shining', 'white' or 'silver' Arjuna (Devanagari: अर्जुन, Thai: อรชุน, Orachun, Tamil: Arjunan, Indonesian and Javanese: Harjuna,...
.