Akūpāra
Akūpāra is an extremely old tortoise. He appears in the Indradyumna Upākhyāna (the account of Indradyumna) in the Vana Parva of the Mahābhārata, Chapter 199. Several living beings were asked whether they knew King Indradyumna. Akūpāra is the oldest of them, older even than the crane Nāḍījaṅgha and the owl Prāvārakarṇa.
Akūpāra knows Indradyumna. He speaks with deep feeling about the king’s go-dāna (gift of cows) and says that the lake where he lives was formed by the passage of the king’s countless gifted cows. His word restores the king’s fame and lets the king go back to svarga (heaven).
The chain of witnesses
Indradyumna Mahārāja was cast out of svarga because his fame had faded from the memory of the living. The rule for staying in svarga is that others still remember the person. He came down to earth and first went to Mārkaṇḍeya Maharshi. Mārkaṇḍeya could not recognise him. He sent the king to Prāvārakarṇa the owl in the Himālaya, as an older witness.
Prāvārakarṇa could not recognise Indradyumna either. He sent him to Nāḍījaṅgha the crane, who lived at a lake nearby. Nāḍījaṅgha also could not recognise the king, but he knew of a being older still. This was Akūpāra the tortoise, who lived in that same lake. Nāḍījaṅgha explained that this lake was called the Indradyumna Lake, named after the king himself. (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 199)
Recognition and testimony
Akūpāra was called and came to the group, which was made up of Indradyumna, Mārkaṇḍeya, Prāvārakarṇa and Nāḍījaṅgha together. He was asked whether he knew the king. Akūpāra was deeply moved. The ancient tortoise paused and gathered his memories. Then:
- His eyes filled with tears.
- His whole body trembled.
- He nearly lost consciousness.
- He joined his hands in añjali (a respectful greeting).
Akūpāra said: “How could I not know Indradyumna Mahārāja? Do I not know him! He performed a thousand agni-cayanas (fire-altar consecrations). He gave in go-dāna more cows than can be counted. The lake in which I live, this very lake, was formed by the passage of all those gifted cows as they walked through here. I live in this lake by the grace of his dāna.” (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 199)
The result: Indradyumna returns to svarga
After Akūpāra recognised him and spoke, a divine chariot came down from svarga. The devas invited Indradyumna: “O King! Your fame is still present in the world. Your place in svarga awaits you. Come now and claim it.”
Before going up, Indradyumna honoured the kindness of the older witnesses who had brought him to this moment. He offered to take Mārkaṇḍeya, Prāvārakarṇa and Nāḍījaṅgha back to their own homes. He kept this promise, and then he mounted the divine chariot and returned to svarga. (Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 199)
Sources
- Mahābhārata, Vana Parva, Chapter 199