In the Ramayana, Videha was the kingdom of the royal sage Seeradhwaja Janaka, the father of Sita, Raghava Rama's wife. Rama's brothers married Sita's sisters, so the Videha Kingdom was closely allied to the Kosala Kingdom. Mithila was the capital of Videha, now identified with Janakpur, a town in Southern Nepal. The rulers of Vidheha were called Janakas and in Hindu tradition are thought to have been great scholars. It is believed that they were the oldest among the clans migrated from the river Saraswati as the river started drying up. According to the epics, the name came from a dead king (Videha, one devoid of body or dead) whose sons were created by sages who performed magical rites upon the king's dead body.
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Extract from the lineage of kings in the Lunar Dynasty.
...Ayutanayi took for a wife Kama, the daughter of Prithusravas. And by her was born a son named Akrodhana, who took to wife Karambha, the daughter of the king of Kalinga. And of her was born Devatithi, and Devatithi took for his wife Maryada, the princess of Videha. And of her was born a son named Arihan.
Extract from the lineage of kings in the Lunar Dynasty.
..Parikshit married Madravati, thy mother, O king, and thou art born to her, O Janamejaya! Thou hast also begotten two sons on thy wife Vapushtama, named Satanika and Sankukarna. And Satanika also hath begotten one son named Aswamedhadatta upon the princess of Videha.
Pandu then marched into Mithila and subjugated the Videhas. And then Pandu led his army against Kasi, Sumbha, and Pundra, and by the strength and prowess of his arms spread the fame of the Kurus.
Bhima, going first into the great country of the Panchalas, began by various means to conciliate that tribe. Then that hero, within a short time, vanquished the Gandakas and the Videhas. That exalted one then subjugated the Dasarnas.
.... the hero next vanquished, by policy alone, the Sarmakas and the Varmakas. He then defeated with comparative ease, Janaka the king of the Videhas. And the hero then subjugated strategically the Sakas and the barbarians living in that part of the country. And the son of Pandu, sending forth expeditions from Videha, conquered the seven kings of the Kiratas living about the Indra mountain.
Many kings, amongst whom Nagnajit was the foremost as also the Amvashthas, the Videhas, and the Gandharvas, were all vanquished by Karna while staying in Girivraja.
Then those princes:
the ruler of Kalinga and Banga, Pandya, Paundra, the ruler of Videha, the chief of the Yavanas, and many other sons and grandsons of kings, sovereigns of territories, one after another began to exhibit prowess for winning that maiden of unrivalled beauty (Panchali).
Yonder is the gate of the Manasasarovara. In the midst of this mountain, a gap hath been opened by Rama. And here is the well-known region of Vatikhanda, which, although adjacent to the gate of Videha, lieth on the north of it.
Dasaratha had four sons conversant with morality and profit known by the names, respectively, of
And Rama had for his mother Kausalya, and Bharata had for his mother Kaikeyi, while those scourge of their enemies Lakshmana and Satrughna were the sons of Sumitra. And Janaka was the king of Videha, and Sita was his daughter.
Bhima to Panchali:- Thou mayst have heard that Janaka’s daughter Sita, the princess of Videha, followed her lord while living in dense woods.
Enumeration of best couples
Raghava Rama slew in Janasthana fourteen thousand Rakshasas for the protection of the ascetics. While dwelling there, the Rakshasa called Ravana, beguiling both him and his companion (Lakshmana) abducted his wife, the princess of Videha.
Bhima speaks words of peace, enumerates 18 bad kings
Even as, when Dharma became extinct, Kali was born in the race of Asuras flourishing with prosperity and blazing with energy, so was born:
These vile individuals, spring up, at the end of each Yuga, in their respective races, for the destruction of their kinsmen.
Videha is listed along with many other kingdoms like the Mallarashtras, Keralas, Varatrasyas, Apavahas, Chakras, Vakratapas, Sakas, Magadhas, Swakshas, Malayas, Vijayas, Angas, Vangas, Kalingas, Yakrillomans etc as a kingdom of Ancient India (Bharata Varsha).
Hearing these words of Duryodhana with bow in hand, many mighty combatants, excited with rage, belonging to the Videhas, the Kalingas, and the diverse tribes of the Daserkas, fell upon Arjuna.
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