Born of a Dead Father: King Janak of Mithila

Posthumous sperm retrieval 
(PSR) is a procedure which is still under speculation even in this advanced age. People argue over the ethical, religious and judicial considerations of invasive retrieval of sperms for purpose of fathering children from fresh cadavers.  

The issue is  especially sensitive and debatable because the procedure is carried out without explicit consent from the donor. But isn’t it quite shocking to observe that there are ancient stories in our texts and scriptures that allude references of the same. If there are references of the same from thousands of years back, there must be some element of truth that inspired this idea.

I am going to parallel the story of the birth of the first King Janak of Mithilapuri, the ancestor of the more well known Raja Siradhwaja Janak, the father of princess Sita. I will narrate the story of  King Nimi who  is considered to be the first king of Mithila in the lineage of Janaks born in Janakpur, Nepal  according to Vishnupurana

One day Brahma distracted the mind of Nimi who  instituted a sacrifice that was to endure for a thousand years. He  requested Vashishtha to conduct a Yajna, to offer the oblations so that he could reach Swarag along with his body.   Vashistha acquiesced but said, that he had been pre engaged by Indra for five hundred years, but if the Rájá, would wait for some time, he would come and officiate as the priest.  Nimi left without saying anything and started arrangements for Yajna. Many seers were invited and all except for Vashishtha were present on due time.

Vashishtha did not come because he had committed to Indra before Nimi’s request  for the Yajna and hence would be performing Indra’s task first.

When the sage completed  the ceremonies he had conducted for Indra, he returned hastily to Nimi to accomplish his yagna. When he arrived, he discovered that Nimi had retained Gautama and other priests to perform rituals instead of him, he was much displeased and pronounced upon the king, who was then asleep, a curse. He was much angered   he had not been informed about the king’s intention, but the duty that had first been  entrusted to him, had been  transferred to Gautama .   The hot headed Vashishtha then lost his temper and   cursed Nimi, “Sadeh Videho Bhava”.   

Nimi would  cease to exist in a corporeal form. When he awoke, and knew what had happened, he also cursed his unjust preceptor that he also should lose his bodily existence, as the punishment of uttering a curse upon him without previously communicating with him.  Nimi then abandoned his bodily condition and due to the curse, he died. 

In the meantime, the yagna was concluded and the priests requested the gods who had come to receive their portions, that they should bless  the author of the sacrifice. The gods were willing to restore the king  to bodily life, but Nimi refused, saying, "O deities, who are the alleviators of all worldly suffering, there is not in the world a deeper cause of distress than the separation of soul and body,  it is therefore my wish to dwell in the eyes of all beings, but never more to resume a corporeal shape!" 

 After the death of Nimi, he was asked  to remain as hair above  eyes (Eye-brows- the NIMI)   The gods agreed to this request and Nimi was placed  on the eyes of all living creatures due to  which their eyelids frequently open and shut.

As Nimi left no successor, the Munis, apprehensive of the consequences of the place being without a ruler, agitated the body of the King.   The corpse of Nimi was preserved from decay by being embalmed with fragrant oils and resins, and it remained as entire as if it were immortal.*   The dead body was placed in a churn in hope that the dead body of Nimi would re-assume human form. Sages succeeded in their effort and MITHI (means soil) emerged from churn. They churned out  a son out of his dead body(Mathi Kaya)  and produced from it a prince who was called Janaka.  He was born without a progenitor because his father was without a body (videha), he was called Vaideha, 'the son of the bodiless;' and  further received the name of Mithi,  produced by agitation (mathana)

Mithi established an empire which was named after him as MITHILAPURI.

Born of the dead body of his  father  he took the  title of JANAK. Since that day whoever be the king was called JANAK. The father of Sita was 21st  JANAK. He was  named  Kushadhwaj.

This tale, according to me is an example of a child being born out of the cadaver of his father thus being an example of  Posthumous sperm retrieval.

 *This illustrates that the Hindus were not unacquainted with the Egyptian art of embalming dead bodies. The Vishnu Purana, narrates the story of a  Brahman who carries his mother's  corpse, from Setuhandha or Rámeśwara to Káśhí. For this purpose he first washes it with cowdung five times, and the five pure fluids, or milk, curds, ghee, honey, and sugar. He then embalms it with Yakshakarddama, a composition of Agallochum, camphor, musk, saffron, sandal, and a resin called Kakkola; and envelopes it severally with Netra vastra, flowered muslin; Pat́t́amvara, silk; Surasa vastra, coarse cotton; Mánjisht́ha, cloth dyed with madder; and  blanket. He then covers it with pure clay, and puts the whole into a coffin of copper, Támra samput́a. These practices are not only unknown, but would be thought impure in the present day.