Rishi Markandeya was a very old man who lived for thousands of years. Yudhistira wondered if he was the oldest man ever living or if anyone else had a longer life than him. The rishi then shared the story of a king named Indradyumna.
Here is how it goes!
There was once a Rajarishi Indradyumna. He performed many meritorious deeds when alive and gained a place in heaven after his demise. However, once his merits were exhausted, he fell from heaven. He could regain his place if someone knew of him and had good words to say. So, Indradyumna went to Rishi Markandeya and asked if he knew him. The rishi replied that he didn’t since he didn’t live his life collecting wealth. However, Markandeya suggested that the king visit an old owl somewhere deep inside the Himalayas.
Indradyumna followed the advice and went to find the owl. When he met it, he asked if the owl knew him. Unfortunately, even this old owl didn’t know the king. The owl said his friend, a crane, might know him. The crane was named Nadijangha and was older than the owl. Indradyumna and the owl went to the crane, who also said it didn’t know him. Then, they asked if there was anyone even older than the crane.
Nadijangha said Akupura, a tortoise that lived in the lake, was super old. The crane asked the tortoise if it knew of anyone named Indradyumna. The tortoise thought for a few minutes and had tears in its eyes. It recognized the name and said it knew of him. Akupura spoke about how the king had erected the sacrificial stakes a thousand times. The lake was created by the hooves of the cattle he gave away as gifts, and the tortoise had been living there ever since.
As soon as Akupura said the words, a celestial chariot descended from heaven to take Indradyumna back. The charioteer said heaven was ready for him and pointed out how the good deeds of a person can keep their name and fame alive for generations afterward. The king asked the charioteer to wait until he returned his friends (the owl and rishi Markandeya) back to their homes since they traveled a distance for him. Once done, he stepped into the chariot and went back to heaven.