समानयस्व सत्कृत्य सर्वदेशेषु मानवान्। मिथिलाधिपतिं शूरं जनकं सत्यवादिनम्॥ तमानय महाभागं स्वयमेव सुसत्कृतम्। पूर्वं सम्बन्धिनं ज्ञात्वा ततः पूर्वं ब्रवीमि ते॥
samānayasva satkṛtya sarvadeśeṣu mānavān| mithilādhipatiṃ śūraṃ janakaṃ satyavādinam|| tamānaya mahābhāgaṃ svayameva susatkṛtam| pūrvaṃ sambandhinaṃ jñātvā tataḥ pūrvaṃ bravīmi te||
English Meaning
With proper honour yourself bring the righteous, truthful, and heroic Janaka, lord of Mithilā. And it is because he is our old friend that I first mention him.
— M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)