वैशम्पायन उवाच मार्कण्डेयमृषयः पाण्डवाः पर्यपृच्छन्नस्ति कश्चिद् भवतश्चिरजाततर इति॥शा
Vaishampayana said: The Rishis and the Pandavas again asked Markandeya, “Is there any who possesses longer life than you?”
स तानुवाचास्ति खलु राजर्षिरिन्द्रद्युम्नो नाम क्षीणपुण्यस्त्रिदिवात् प्रच्युतः कीर्तिस्ते व्युच्छिन्नेति स मामुपातिष्ठदथ प्रत्यभिजानाति मां भवानिति॥
He told them, “Yes, there is a royal sage named Indradhyumna. His virtue being diminished, he fell from heaven crying "my achievements are lost.” He came to me and asked, “Do you know me?"
तमहमब्रुवं कार्यचेष्टाकुलत्वान्न वयं वासायनिका ग्रामैकरात्रवासिनो प्रत्यभिजानीमोऽप्यात्मनोऽर्थानामनुष्ठानं न शरीरोपतापेनात्मनः समारभामो ऽर्थानामनुष्ठानम्॥
To him said I, “From our eager desire to acquire virtue we do not stay at one place. We live for one night only in one village or in one town. A man like us therefore can not possibly know who you are. The fasts and vows that we are to observe make us weak in body, therefore we are unable to follow worldly pursuits to earn wealth."
अस्ति खलु हिमवति प्रावारको नामोलूकः प्रतिवसति। स मत्तश्चिरजातो भवन्तं यदि जानीयादितः प्रकृष्टे चाध्वनि हिमवांस्तत्रासौ प्रतिवसतीति॥
He said to me, "Is there any one who possesses a longer life than you?" I replied, "There lives an owl named Pravarakarna on the Himalayas. He is older than I. He may know you. The part of the Himalayas where he lives is far from this place."
ततः स मामश्वो भूत्वा तत्रावहद् यत्र बभूवोलूकः। अथैनं स राजा पप्रच्छ प्रतिजानाति मां भवानिति॥
He became a horse and carried me to the place where that owl lived. Then he asked it, “Do you know me?”
स मुहूर्तमिव ध्यात्वाब्रवीदेनं नाभिजानामि भवन्तमिति स एवमुक्त इन्द्रद्युम्नः पुनस्तमुलूकमब्रवीद् राजर्षिः॥
It reflected for some time and then said, "No, I do not know you". Having been thus addressed, the royal sage Indradhyumna asked the owl,
अथास्ति कश्चिद् भवतः सकाशाच्चिरजात इति स एवमुक्तोऽब्रवीदस्ति खल्विन्द्रद्युम्नं नाम सरस्तस्मिन् नाडीजलो नाम बकः प्रतिवसति सोऽस्मत्तश्चिरजाततरस्तं पृच्छेति तत इन्द्रद्युम्नो मां चोलूकमादाय तत् सरोऽगच्छद् यत्रासौ नाडीजचो नाम बको बभूव॥
"Is there any one who possesses a longer life than you?" Having been thus addressed, it said, “Yes, there is a lake called Indradhyumna; in it lives a crane named Nadijangha. He is older than we. You can ask him," Thereupon Indradhyumna taking both myself and the owl went to the lake where Nadijangha lived.
सोऽस्माभिः पृष्टो भवानिममिन्द्रद्युम्नं राजानमभिजानातीति एवं मुहूर्त ध्यात्वाब्रवीनाभिजानाम्यहमिन्द्रद्युम्नं राजानमिति। ततः सोऽस्माभिः पृष्टः कश्चिद् भवतोऽन्यश्चिरजाततरोऽस्तीति। स नोऽब्रवीदस्ति खल्वस्मिन्नेव सरस्यकूपारो नाम कच्छपः प्रतिवसति। स मत्तश्चिरजाततरः। स यदि कथंचिदभिजानीयादिम राजानं तमकूपारं पृच्छध्वमिति॥
We asked the crane, “Do you know this king Indradhyumna.” He reflected for a moment and then said, "I do not know the king Indradyumna." Thereupon we asked him, “Is there any one more long-lived than you?" He said, “Yes. Here lives in this lake a tortoise named Akupara. He is older than I. He might know something of this king. Therefore ask Akupara."
ततः स बकस्तमकूपारं कच्छपं विज्ञापयामास। अस्माकमभिप्रेतं भवन्तं किञ्चिदर्थमभिप्रष्टुं साध्वागम्यतां तावदिति तच्छ्रुत्वा कच्छपस्तस्मात् सरस उत्थायाभ्यगच्छद् यत्र तिष्ठामो वयं तस्य सरसस्तीरे आगतं चैनं वयमपृच्छाम भवानिन्द्रद्युम्नं राजानमभिजानातीति॥
Then that crane asked the tortoise Akupara. He said, "Our intention is to ask you something. Please come to us." Hearing this, the tortoise came out of the lake to the bank where we all were. When he came, we asked him, "Do you know this king Indradyumna?"
न स मुहूर्तं ध्यात्वा बाष्पसम्पूर्णनयन उद्विग्नहृदयो वेपमानो विसंज्ञकल्पः प्राञ्जलिरब्रवीत्। किमहमेनं प्रत्यभिज्ञास्यामीह ह्यनेन सहस्रकृत्वश्चितिषु यूपा आहिताः॥
He (tortoise) reflected for a moment. His eyes were filled with tears and his mind was much agitated. He trembled all over his body and became almost senseless. Then with joined hands he said, "Why don't I know this king? He placed sacrificial stakes one thousand time when kindling the sacrificial fire.
सरचेदमस्य दक्षिणाभिर्दत्ताभिगोभिरतिक्रममाणाभिः कृतम्। अत्र चाहं प्रतिवसामीति॥
This lake was made by the feet of the king given away by this king to the Brahmanas as Dakshinas when the sacrifice was completed. I have lived here ever since.
अथैतत् सकलं कच्छपेनोदाहृतं श्रुत्वा तदनन्तरं देवलोकाद् देवरथः प्रादुरासीद् वाचश्चाश्रूयन्तेन्द्रद्युम्नं प्रति प्रस्तुतस्ते स्वर्गो स्वर्गो यथोचितं स्थानं प्रतिपद्यस्व कीर्तिमानस्यव्यग्रो याहीति॥
When we were hearing all this from the tortoise, a celestials car came there from the celestials region and an invisible voice was heard which said, "Come and go to the place, you desire to obtain in heaven. Your achievements are great. Therefore cheerfully come to the place (set apart) for you.”
भवन्ति चात्र श्लोकाःदिवं स्पृशति भूमिं च शब्दः पुण्यस्य कर्मणः। यावत् स शब्दो भवति तावत् पुरुष उच्यते॥
Here occur these Slokas, “The report of virtuous acts spreads all over the carth and it reaches heaven. As long as the report lasts so long it is said that he lives in heaven.
अकीर्तिः कीर्त्यते लोके यस्य भूतस्य कस्यचित्। स पतत्यधमाँल्लोकान् यावच्छब्दः प्रकीर्त्यते॥
The man, the report of whose evil deeds is talked about, is said to fall down; and he lives in the lower region as long as that evil report lasts. me
दनन्ताय नरः सदा। विहाय चित्तं पापिष्ठं धर्ममेव समाश्रयेत्॥
Therefore a man should be virtuous if he desires to obtain heaven. Abandoning a sinful mind, he should seek refuge in virtue.”
इत्येतच्छ्रुत्वा स राजाब्रवीत् तिष्ठ तावद् यावदिमौ वृद्धौ यथास्थानं प्रतिपादयामीति॥
Having heard this, the king said, “Let the car stay here so long I do not take back the old persons from the places whence I brought them."
स मां प्रावारकर्णं चोलूकं यथोचिते स्थाने प्रतिपाद्य तेनैव यानेन संस्थितो यथोचितं स्थानं प्रतिपेदे। तन्मयानुभूतं चिरजीविनेदृशमिति पाण्डवानुवाच मार्कण्डेयः॥
Having brought and the owl Pravarakarna to our respective places, he went away in that car to the place which was a fit region for him. Long-lived as I am saw all this. Vaishampayana said: Thus Markandeya told ail this to the Pandavas.
पाण्डवाश्चोचुः साधु शोभनं भवता कृतं राजानमिन्द्रद्युम्नं स्वर्गलोकाच्च्युतं स्वे स्थाने प्रतिपादयतेत्यथैतानब्रवीदसौ ननु देवकीपुत्रेणापि कृष्णेन कृष्णेन नरके मज्जामानो राजर्षिर्तृगस्तस्मात् कृच्छ्रात् पुनः समुद्धृत्य स्वर्ग प्रापित इति॥
The Pandavas said : O blessed one, you acted properly in causing king Indradhyumna who had fallen from heaven to regain it. He (Markandeya) said, “The son of Devaki Krishna also had thus rescued the royal sage Nriga who had fallen into hell. He caused him to regain heaven.