Sulabha was a wandering ascetic Yogini, known for having philosophical debates with the philosopher king Janaka. She challenged traditional gender roles and argued for women's equality in achieving spiritual liberation.[2] Her story of debating King Janaka is mentioned in Mokshadharma Parva Chapter 321 of Shanti Parva in Mahabharata. In the story Yudhishthira asked Bhishma about the liberation of self without giving up a domestic lifestyle. Bhishma, in this connection, reference the story of the discourse between King Dharmadhwaja Janaka and Brahmavadini Sulbha.[3] The story of Sulabha and King Janaka is a famous example in the Sanatana tradition of Hinduism about achieving enlightenment while living a householder's life.
In the debate Sulabha clarified that she was born Kshatriya and belonged to a royal family. She was the daughter of the ascetic King Pradhāna, but she was unable to find a husband to fit her. She traveled widely.[4][1][5] While wandering in the Mithila Kingdom, she heard about King Dharmadhwaja Janaka of Mithila, who was known for his devotion to detachment and spiritual knowledge. Upon hearing of Mithila's dedication to attaining moksha (liberation), she desired to test his resolve and to meet him.[6] Sulabha used her yogic powers to transform herself into a woman of unmatched beauty. Disguised as a mendicant, Sulabha met King Janaka. She approached King Janaka to test his equanimity and detachment from worldly attractions.. In this debate, Sulabha logically established that no essential difference distinguished man and woman. She demonstrated by her own example that a woman can attain liberation on the same terms as a man.[7][8]
Sulabhā is perhaps one and only one woman character in Indian mythology, who is said to have defeated a man in debate. The man whom she makes dumb in argument is none other than Janaka, who is celebrated as a man of supreme wisdom in the Upaniṣad-s and in the Epics and the Purāṇa-s. Her argument contains a meta-discourse, and thus assumes significance as an important source material for the study of early history of eristics in India.[9]