Indradymna son of Bharata and Sunanda, was a Malava king, according to the Mahabharata and the Puranas. Noted Indologist John Dowson has opined that there have been several kings of this name and the most prominent one being the Indradyumna who ruled over Avanti region and set up the icon of Lord Jagannath in Puri.
Sage Mārkandeya narrated the greatness of Indradyumna to Yudhishthira and his brothers during their difficult days of Aranyavas. In ancient times there used to be a king by name Indradyumna, the son of Bharat the Great. It was well known that there was no one to match his “Dharma-swabhāv”. As a consequence of his good deeds and daya-dākshinya guna, he ascended to Svarga upon leaving the physical body. There he enjoyed its riches and opulence for a very long time. Once Indra called him to his sabha and told him, “O King, you have done immense number of punyas (virtuous deeds) in your life and, as a result, you were here for a very long time. However, unless one totally surrenders to Parameshwara (the Supreme Lord) and comes out of the cycle of Punya & Pāpa, one needs to be bound to his own Karma. The time on earth has passed so much that now no one remembers any of your good deeds and hence it is time for you to leave swargaloka”.
Indradyumna was surprised to hear that his huge punya rāshi (cluster of virtues) has melted away. Indra, however, promised to him, “If you show me even a single being who remembers your good deeds or is still enjoying the benefits of the good done by you, you will be allowed to continue enjoying the Swargaloka. After all, no man may be cast away from here as long as traces of his good deeds remain”.
Indradyumna recalled that the Sage Markandeya is a Chiranjivi, (one 'who lived forever'). So he went to him and asked him, “O great maharshi, do you remember my good deeds?” Mārkandeya, who was continuously doing Tirthayātrāas, Punyakarmas, and Upavās īeksāa for a very long time and was tired, replied, “I am sorry but I don’t remember who you are. In the great Himalayas, there lives an Ulūkam (owl) called Prāvārakarna who is much older than me. He might know you. I will take you there; if you put little more effort you can reach him”. Both Mārkandeya Maharshi and Raja Indradyumna went to Prāvārakarna.
Indradyumna asked Prāvārakarna, “I have been told that you have lived older than maharshi Mārkandeya. Do you remember any of my good deeds?" Prāvārakarna replied, “O great king, I do not remember you, you must have been way before my time. However I know about a lake at a distance of 2 Yojanas from here, which is coincidentally named Indradyumna Sarovar, where my friend a giant crane called Nādijanghā lives. He is older than me, he might know who you are”.
All three went to the lake and sadly Nādijanghā also did not know Indradyumna. He said, “It is quite possible that my old friend, the great king of turtles, Akūpāra, who has lived here since before my parents' time, might know something of Indradyumna”. Nādijangha called for Akūpāra.
On knowing that Indradyumna arrived, tears of joy ran down AĀkūpāra’s eyes and he trembled with deep emotion. He prostrated before the King and said, “O Mighty King Indradyumna, I am blessed to have obtained sight of you after so many years. You did thousands of Yajnyas, built thousands of Yūpa-stambhas and gave away millions of cow in charity as dānam. This very Sarovar was formed by the activity of the cow hooves and that is why it bears your name.”
Immediately, a divya vimāna (celestial vehicle) came for Indradyumna and took him to urdhva loka (the higher worlds). God never leaves good people. Lord Vishnu made Indradyumna realize that there is Kaivalyam which is beyond Swarga, all Urdhvalokas etc., through his next rebirth as Gajendra. He blessed him with Moksham when Gajendra left all his pride, doubt and totally surrendered himself to God.
Bhagavat stuti from Prapatti.com to be recited.
Sage Mārkandeya narrated the greatness of Indradyumna to Yudhishthira and his brothers during their difficult days of Aranyavas. In ancient times there used to be a king by name Indradyumna, the son of Bharat the Great. It was well known that there was no one to match his “Dharma-swabhāv”. As a consequence of his good deeds and daya-dākshinya guna, he ascended to Svarga upon leaving the physical body. There he enjoyed its riches and opulence for a very long time. Once Indra called him to his sabha and told him, “O King, you have done immense number of punyas (virtuous deeds) in your life and, as a result, you were here for a very long time. However, unless one totally surrenders to Parameshwara (the Supreme Lord) and comes out of the cycle of Punya & Pāpa, one needs to be bound to his own Karma. The time on earth has passed so much that now no one remembers any of your good deeds and hence it is time for you to leave swargaloka”.
Indradyumna was surprised to hear that his huge punya rāshi (cluster of virtues) has melted away. Indra, however, promised to him, “If you show me even a single being who remembers your good deeds or is still enjoying the benefits of the good done by you, you will be allowed to continue enjoying the Swargaloka. After all, no man may be cast away from here as long as traces of his good deeds remain”.
Indradyumna recalled that the Sage Markandeya is a Chiranjivi, (one 'who lived forever'). So he went to him and asked him, “O great maharshi, do you remember my good deeds?” Mārkandeya, who was continuously doing Tirthayātrāas, Punyakarmas, and Upavās īeksāa for a very long time and was tired, replied, “I am sorry but I don’t remember who you are. In the great Himalayas, there lives an Ulūkam (owl) called Prāvārakarna who is much older than me. He might know you. I will take you there; if you put little more effort you can reach him”. Both Mārkandeya Maharshi and Raja Indradyumna went to Prāvārakarna.
Indradyumna asked Prāvārakarna, “I have been told that you have lived older than maharshi Mārkandeya. Do you remember any of my good deeds?" Prāvārakarna replied, “O great king, I do not remember you, you must have been way before my time. However I know about a lake at a distance of 2 Yojanas from here, which is coincidentally named Indradyumna Sarovar, where my friend a giant crane called Nādijanghā lives. He is older than me, he might know who you are”.
All three went to the lake and sadly Nādijanghā also did not know Indradyumna. He said, “It is quite possible that my old friend, the great king of turtles, Akūpāra, who has lived here since before my parents' time, might know something of Indradyumna”. Nādijangha called for Akūpāra.
On knowing that Indradyumna arrived, tears of joy ran down AĀkūpāra’s eyes and he trembled with deep emotion. He prostrated before the King and said, “O Mighty King Indradyumna, I am blessed to have obtained sight of you after so many years. You did thousands of Yajnyas, built thousands of Yūpa-stambhas and gave away millions of cow in charity as dānam. This very Sarovar was formed by the activity of the cow hooves and that is why it bears your name.”
Immediately, a divya vimāna (celestial vehicle) came for Indradyumna and took him to urdhva loka (the higher worlds). God never leaves good people. Lord Vishnu made Indradyumna realize that there is Kaivalyam which is beyond Swarga, all Urdhvalokas etc., through his next rebirth as Gajendra. He blessed him with Moksham when Gajendra left all his pride, doubt and totally surrendered himself to God.
Bhagavat stuti from Prapatti.com to be recited.
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