Sathya Sai Baba often said that the ideal example of a harmonious life for modern man is the ancient Indian emperor, Janaka. In accordance with traditional Indian ideas, Emperor Janaka lived five thousand years before the new era, yet, according to another version, he lived about twenty thousand years ago. Historical science finds it difficult to accurately determine the dates of Emperor Janaka’s life.
He lived in the north of India and was famous for several reasons at once. His daughter’s name was Sita. Princess Sita was the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi and the consort of Rama Avatar.
Emperor Janaka was a sage and enlightened yogi who studied philosophy and practiced meditation. Janaka entered the history of India as the «enlightened emperor.» Since ancient times, there has been a wonderful tradition in India, according to which, a person occupying a high social position should also develop spiritually. By the example of his life, Emperor Janaka shows the path of integral development of the personality. Meditation practices and spiritual self-knowledge in no way conflict with a happy and successful social life.
Janaka was a physically strong and perfectly healthy man. He was happy in his family life and gave a decent education to his children. He was fabulously rich, lived in a large palace and his robes were decorated with precious stones. He ruled his city beautifully and fairly. At the same time, he was the greatest mystic and philosopher of ancient India.
The positive image of Emperor Janaka, which Indian history gives us, shows that a person who practices meditation and reflects on the eternal issues of being can at the same time be harmonious and successful in material life.
Emperor Janaka is an excellent example of the «Alchemical Wedding,» the essence of which is the unity of Spirit and Mother. A yogi is not one who avoids family life and is afraid to touch money, naively assuming to achieve holiness through austerity.
A yogi is one who has realized the True Self, loves himself and the whole world, he is in harmony with himself, and celebrates the celebration of life in the awareness of absolute unity.