Mahabharata - Story of King Indradyumna

Story of King Indradyumna

There was a certain king Indradyumna who after expiration of his merits fell from the heaven. While falling he was very anxious that his achievements were all lost and that was why he fell. He therefore enquired sage Markandeya who was immortal and knew almost everything whether he knew about the exploits of the king. Markandeya replied that since he was busy with ascetic practices and since rishis do not stay in towns or villages, it was very difficult for them to know about exploits of the kings. Indradyumna then asked Markandeya whether there was any one who was older than him. Markandeya replied that in Himalayas there lived an owl called Pravarakarna who was very old. But that owl lived in a part of the Himalayas that was very far from the place on earth where Indradyumna fell. Indradyumna however, anxious that he was, assumed the form of a horse and took Markandeya on his back. Together they reached the place where the owl lived and asked him whether he knew king Indradyumna. The owl reflected for a moment and told that he did not know the king. The king then asked whether there was anybody who was older than the owl. The owl replied that there was a lake called Indradyumna. There lived a crane called Nadijangha. He was older than the owl and it might be that he knew the king. At this Indradyumna took the owl and Markandeya and went to the lake called Indradyumna. There they met the crane and the king asked him the same question. But the bird denied that he knew him. The king then asked the bird if there was anybody who was older than him. The crane replied that in that very lake lived a tortoise whose name was Akupara. He was older than the crane. Then the crane called the tortoise and it came up to the bank of the lake where they all were. The crane asked the tortoise if he knew king Indradyumna. At this the tortoise seemed to reflect a little and his eyes were filled with tears and his voice choked. He became so much emotional that he seemed to loss his senses. He said in a choked voice, "I definitely know king Indradyumna. he had conducted a very big sacrifice and had built a huge sacrificial alter. This lake was formed by the hooves of the cows given away in that sacrifice (i.e. innumerable cows were given away). At this a celestial vehicle arrived and an ethereal voice was heard saying, "Indradyumna, lucky you are that your exploits are still remembered by denizens of earth. He whose virtue is remembered and reported to heaven lasts in heaven as long as the report of that virtue lasts. Similarly he whose vices and sins are reported to the hell and nether worlds, lasts in hell as long as that report lasts." King Indradyumna then asked the celestial vehicle to wait till he kept back the owl and the sage to the resp. places where there dwelt and then he ascended the heaven once again.