Janaka of Videha#Janaka
A figure from the books
#Janaka
Janaka of Videha · fl. c. 8th–7th century BCE
In the books · 1 chapter
Who this is
Philosopher-king and patron — convener of the debates recorded in the oldest Upaniṣad, and eventually a debater in his own right.
“A king filled his courtyard with a thousand cows, tied gold to their horns, and told the most learned men of the age that whoever truly knew should drive them home — and when the arguing was over, the king himself asked the best questions in the room.”
The big idea, in the book's words:
“Fund the argument; do not fix the result. A throne that paid for truth-telling without dictating the truth made possible the first great philosophical tournament on record — and then the patron sat down among the students.”
From the book
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