Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c9.s4.4

c9.s4.4

The most notable figure of the succeeding age was **Janaka**, the great philosopher-king of Videha, mentioned in the Vedic texts as the contemporary of Uddālaka Āruṇi and Yājñavalkya. The waning power of the Kurus and the waxing strength of the Vaidehas are shown by the fact that while Kuru princes are styled *rājan* (king) in certain *Brāhmaṇas*,² Janaka of Videha is called *samrāṭ* (supreme king). In the *Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa*³ the *samrāj* is asserted to be of higher dignity than a *rājan*.