Raja Janak’s Dream – Who Am I, King or Beggar?
A Dream That Transformed Raja Janak’s Vision of Reality
राजा जनक का स्वप्न – मैं राजा हूँ या भिखारी?
एक स्वप्न जिसने राजा जनक की जीवन दृष्टि बदल दी
Raja Janak was a great devotee and at the same time a powerful king. Even while holding the highest position in his kingdom, he constantly chanted and meditated on God.
“Dhan Dhan Raja Janak jin–ke–ek simran te paapi taryo anek.”
Blessed is Raja Janak, by whose single remembrance countless sinful souls were uplifted. Through his deep bhakti and the power of even one true simran, many souls burdened with karma were blessed with a chance to correct their deeds.
After Raja Janak received a true Guru in his life, an important incident took place.
One night, the king had a strange dream. In the dream, he saw himself as a very poor and hungry man. He had not eaten for four days and was wandering here and there in search of food. He begged people to feed him, but no one helped him. Some even pushed him away.
Finally, one kind man threw some food towards him. As he ran to pick it up, a dog suddenly grabbed the food and ran away. In fear of losing his only chance to eat, Janak began running behind the dog. While chasing it, he stumbled over a stone and fell.
At that very moment, he woke up.
He found himself lying comfortably in his royal palace. He was a king. Everything around him was grand and secure. Yet, he was shaken. The suffering in the dream had felt completely real. He had never experienced such a disturbing dream before. Usually, he would sleep while chanting God’s name and see peaceful dreams filled with divine presence and kirtan. But this dream left him restless and confused.
Disturbed and thoughtful, Raja Janak immediately went to his Guru, Ashtavakra, who was present in the palace at that time as part of the Guru seva.
Janak entered the Guru’s chamber. Seeing Ashtavakra Ji absorbed in meditation, the king bowed down at his feet and waited respectfully until the Guru completed his meditation. As was the tradition, he first offered his devotion by singing praises of the Lord before speaking.
Guru Ashtavakra opened his eyes and smiled. A true Guru already knows the pain in a devotee’s heart. Still, he gently asked, “Janak, tell me, what troubles you?”
Raja Janak said, “Maharaj Ji, something strange happened to me this morning. I saw a dream in which I was a beggar, starving for three or four days. I was begging from people, but no one gave me food. One man threw some food toward me, and just as I was about to eat it, a dog took it away. I ran behind the dog, stumbled on a stone, and fell. At that moment, I woke up.”
Then he asked with deep confusion,
“Please tell me, am I a beggar or a king?”
Guru Ashtavakra calmly asked, “In the dream, who do you see ?”
Janak replied, “myself.”
The Guru asked again, “And after the dream ended, where were you?”
Janak said, “I was lying on my bed in the palace.”
The Guru smiled and said,
“In the dream, you were a beggar. After waking up, you are a king. Listen carefully — you are neither a beggar nor a king.”
He continued,
“The soul that has taken this human body is meant to live as a soul — a part of God. One day, when death comes, you will see that everything you experienced in this life was temporary. Just as the dream ended when you woke up, this life too will end when the body dies.”
Guru Ji explained that some souls, because of their actions, even take painful forms after death and continue to suffer- getting pishach chola. All positions, whether of a king or a beggar, are temporary roles.
“You are not the body, not the title, not the position. You are a soul. And the soul’s true hunger is only for union with God. Live in this world remembering that you are neither a king nor a beggar — you are a beloved soul of God. Live for God, and when the time comes, leave this world in His remembrance.”
Raja Janak’s confusion dissolved. He understood that both the dream and the waking state were temporary experiences. What remained constant was the ‘I’ — the soul.
And from that day, he lived even more deeply established in this truth:
Not a king. Not a beggar.
Just a soul longing for God.