Janaka Goes Out to Meet the Sage
Bala Kanda, Doha 214
Doha 214 · Movement 2 of 2
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Joyful at Vishwamitra's arrival, Janaka does not wait inside the palace for the sage to be conducted before him. He sets out personally toward the grove.
Ministers, valiant warriors, noble brahmins, guru, and kinsmen accompany the king. Royal authority, sacred learning, family, and military strength move together in an ordered procession.
The purpose is welcome rather than display. Mithila's ruler goes to receive the lord of sages, unaware that the two youths nearby will overturn even his deeply established detachment and bring the hidden future of Sita into view. Joy quickens the whole procession.
Janaka leaves his splendid palace to greet a sage and approaches the sight that will unmake his detachment.
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AI-created devotional illustration · Doha 214
Source214 fullverse/contextread; selected joyfulJanaka departure beforemeeting
Source reference and artistic choices
Gita Press code81 undated · PDF pages 215 · printed pages 213. Reader passage: bala-kanda-doha-215. Printed numbering may differ.
Source facts
- JOYFULKING setsforth tomeet MUNINAYAKA with PUREMINISTERS MANYWARRIORS NOBLEBRAHMINS GURU andKIN. Allfivecompanioncategories retained; not omittedguru/kin/pureministers or added mountedRIDE.
- ContextualKingJANAKA afterC211Mithilapati receivesnews; sageVISHVAMITRA. Verse GURU unnamedperson, adjacentlocalHindi SHATANANDA namescontext, notVasisht ha. Selectedkingonly, companionsoutsidecrop notdenied/solitarytravelerclaim. Greetingforeheadtofeet/blessing laterC212 notprematurelyenacted.
Artistic choices
- NEW imaginedJanaka appearance afterfullapprovedrow search/candidate source/alt/artist review found no earlierJanaka portrait: about50artistage warmmediumbrown broadrectangularovalface straightnose browneyes shortblackbrownhair silvertemples close saltpepperbearddarkwithsilverchin moustache ivorywhitetunicdhoti TEALGREENgoldshawl pearls/greenstonenecklace goldhoops upright3peakgoldEMERALDcrown whiteUredcenter. Notauthenticatedbiography/likeness, distinctfromDasharatha oldfullgraywhitebeard/rubycrown/rustdrape.
- Onehead twoownjoinednamastehands anticipatoryreverence/joyfuldeparture artistpose, hipslegsoutsidecrop notstepmechanicscertificate. Imaginedcitygate/bough/pathsourceunspecified; no mountedtravel oractualforeheadfeetgreeting.
- Actual newmodel whiteU withsmallREDcentralmark, notcertifiedthinredline; centralgreenemeraldcrown withthreeprincipaljewelledcrestpeaks andsmaller goldembellishments, ivorytunic/tealgoldshawl elaborategoldcuffs pearl/greenstonelayers. Allartistconventions. Gentleclosed-mouthjoy/namaste citygateboughs behind, no literalstepmechanicsoutsidecrop or authenticatedJanakaface. Reuseactualapprovedappearance in laterJanaka scenes.
An imaginative interpretation, not a historical portrait or documentary evidence.
संग सचिव सुचि भूरि भट भूसुर बर गुर ग्याति। चले मिलन मुनिनायकहि मुदित राउ एहि भाँति।।214।।
Accompanied by his ministers, many valiant warriors, noble Brahmins, his guru, and his kinsmen, the joyful king set forth in this manner to receive the lord of sages.