Akupara

A strange man appeared in the forest. It seemed he had spent ages in a trance somewhere and had forgotten who he was. The stranger was, in fact, a stranger even to himself!

He met an old sage and asked if he knew him. “No,” replied the sage. “I don’t remember having seen you before.”

“Is there anybody in the forest older than you?” asked the stranger.
“Yes, an owl who lives in the hill,” the sage responded, intrigued, and he accompanied the stranger out of curiosity.

The owl surveyed the stranger but stated that he had never known him. “Go to the lake known as Indradyumna. There lies an old stork who might recognize you,” said the owl.

Following the owl’s advice, the stranger and the sage reached Lake Indradyumna and met the stork, who could not solve their dilemma. However, the stork suggested they ask the tortoise named Akupara, the oldest resident of the lake.

The moment Akupara saw the stranger, he wept. “O noble soul, how could I forget you? You are Indradyumna, the mighty king who built so many temples and monuments. This lake was founded by you, and even it bears your name!” the tortoise exclaimed.

With this revelation, the king finally remembered his past life. A chariot descended from heaven, and the pious king departed to the celestial sphere, bidding farewell to the sage, the owl, the stork, and the tortoise.