It is a natural way of the world that people always look up for what one does, rather than remembering what one says. It is up to one’s choice as to what is chosen to be done, good or bad. The same is told in the classic epic Mahabharat. During his exile, Yudhisthir feels bad for the hardships what he and his brothers along with Draupadi were undergoing. He falls in a doubt whether good deeds really do matter as for all the good things done to Kauravas by him, he and his brothers along with Draupadi were exiled through deceit by Duryodhan. To obtain clarity in his thoughts, he once expresses the same doubt to the revered rishi Marakandeya. To clear his doubt, the rishi tells a small story about a great king Indradyumn.
Once when Rishi Markandeya was engrossed in penance, he sees a chariot descend down from the heavens and leave an old man on earth. Curious, the sage goes to him and asks him his identity. The old man answers that he was a King named Indradyumn who once ruled the earth in a righteous way and had ascended to heaven. But the Devas bought him back to the earth saying that people had forgotten his pious deeds and he no more has a place in heaven. The King had hence come back to earth in search of somebody who did not forget him so that he could go back to heaven. The King asks Markandeya that as he was an immortal, whether he recognised him, But Rishi Markandey does not know who he is. But he decides to help the king and he takes him to an owl named Pravarkarna who resided in the Himalayas and was older than Markandeya. But the owl failed to recognise him. Then the owl takes both of them to a crane named Nandijhanga and who was older and asked the crane whether it recognised Indradyumn. But the crane too said no. Indradyumn was disheartened that nobody remembered him, Nandijhanga says that in the same lake lived a tortoise Akupara who was older than them all and mentions to Indradyumn to seek his help.
All the retinue goes to the old tortoise and ask him whether he knew Indradyumn. Seeing Indradyumn, Akupara immediately bows to the king and says that the lake in which he resided was formed by the hoofs of the cattle given in charity to many people by none other than King Indradyumn. Because of the great number of cattle which walked in the area, a huge pit was formed, and when rains fell, the lake was formed in the pit and the lake formed thus served as home not only for Akupara, but many more water creatures. As soon as the tortoise mentioned this story, the divine chariot descended again from the heavens and with due honour took back King Indradyumn back to heaven.
Listening to this story, Yudhisthir and his brothers feel inspired that they were rightly on the path of Dharma and it was a matter of time for their good deeds to come back to them as good destiny and stood strong on their chosen path, which bought them success and gave them eternal fame forever.