1. Ārambhakathā

Milindapañha

Milinda’s Questions

1. Ārambhakathā

1. Introduction

Namo tassa Bhagavato Arahato Sammāsambuddhassa.

Reverence to that Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One

Milindo nāma so rājā,

That king named Milinda,

sāgalāyaṁ puruttame;

in the excellent city of Sāgala;

Upagañchi nāgasenaṁ,

Approached Nāgasena,

gaṅgā ca yathā sāgaraṁ.

as the Ganges approaches the ocean.

Āsajja rājā citrakathiṁ,

The king, having encountered an eloquent speaker,

ukkādhāraṁ tamonudaṁ;

a bearer of fire-brands, a dispeller of darkness;

Apucchi nipuṇe pañhe,

Asked subtle questions,

ṭhānāṭṭhānagate puthū.

many pertaining to what is possible and impossible.

Pucchā visajjanā ceva,

Both the questions and the answers,

gambhīratthūpanissitā;

grounded in profound meaning;

Hadayaṅgamā kaṇṇasukhā,

Captivating to the heart, pleasant to the ear,

abbhutā lomahaṁsanā.

marvelous, causing the hair to stand on end.

Abhidhammavinayogāḷhā,

Plunging into Abhidhamma and Vinaya,

suttajālasamattitā;

equal to the net of Suttas;

Nāgasenakathā citrā,

The wonderful discourse of Nāgasena,

opammehi nayehi ca.

with similes and methodical.

Tattha ñāṇaṁ paṇidhāya,

Aspiring to wisdom there,

hāsayitvāna mānasaṁ;

having delighted the mind;

Suṇātha nipuṇe pañhe,

Listen to the subtle questions,

kaṅkhāṭṭhānavidālaneti.

dispelling the occasions for doubt.

Taṁ yathānusūyate—

As is traditionally recounted—

atthi yonakānaṁ nānāpuṭabhedanaṁ sāgalaṁ nāma nagaraṁ nadīpabbatasobhitaṁ ramaṇīyabhūmippadesabhāgaṁ ārāmuyyānopavanataḷākapokkharaṇisampannaṁ nadīpabbatavanarāmaṇeyyakaṁ sutavantanimmitaṁ nihatapaccatthikaṁ paccāmittānupapīḷitaṁ vividhavicitradaḷhamaṭṭālakoṭṭhakaṁ varapavaragopuratoraṇaṁ gambhīraparikhāpaṇḍarapākāraparikkhittantepuraṁ.

there is a city called Sāgala, a great centre of trade for the Bactrian Greeks, adorned with rivers and mountains, a delightful region, endowed with parks, pleasure gardens, groves, ponds, and lotus pools. A lovely place with rivers, mountains, and forests, it was constructed by skilled artisans. With its enemies defeated, it is not oppressed by adversaries, and it has various wonderful strong towers and turrets, with excellent gates and archways, surrounded by deep moats and white ramparts enclosing the inner palace.

Suvibhattavīthicaccaracatukkasiṅghāṭakaṁ suppasāritānekavidhavarabhaṇḍaparipūritantarāpaṇaṁ vividhadānaggasatasamupasobhitaṁ himagirisikharasaṅkāsavarabhavanasatasahassappaṭimaṇḍitaṁ gajahayarathapattisamākulaṁ abhirūpanaranārigaṇānucaritaṁ ākiṇṇajanamanussaṁ puthukhattiyabrāhmaṇavessasuddaṁ vividhasamaṇabrāhmaṇasabhājanasaṅghaṭitaṁ bahuvidhavijjāvanta naraciranisevitaṁ kāsikakoṭumbarikādinānāvidhavatthāpaṇasampannaṁ suppasāritarucirabahuvidhapupphagandhāpaṇaṁ gandhagandhitaṁ āsīsanīyabahuratanaparipūritaṁ disāmukhasuppasāritāpaṇaṁ siṅgāravāṇijagaṇānucaritaṁ kahāpaṇarajatasuvaṇṇakaṁsapattharaparipūraṁ pajjotamānanidhiniketaṁ pahūtadhanadhaññavittūpakaraṇaṁ paripuṇṇakosakoṭṭhāgāraṁ bahvannapānaṁ bahuvidhakhajjabhojjaleyyapeyyasāyanīyaṁ uttarakurusaṅkāsaṁ sampannasassaṁ āḷakamandā viya devapuraṁ.

With well-arranged streets, crossroads, and intersections, with inner markets spread out and filled with various kinds of excellent goods, beautified with hundreds of various excellent charitable gifts, adorned with hundreds of thousands of excellent mansions resembling the peaks of the Himalayas, crowded with elephants, horses, chariots, and infantry, frequented by groups of beautiful men and women, thronged with ordinary people, of various khattiya, brahman, vessa, and sudda classes, gathered together with assemblies of various ascetics and brahmans, long frequented by men skilled in many kinds of knowledge. It is endowed with shops of various types of cloth such as Kāsika and Kotumbara, with shops spread out pleasingly with various kinds of flowers and perfumes, perfumed with fragrances, filled with desirable abundant jewels, with shops spread out in all directions, frequented by groups of merchant traders, full of kahāpaṇas, silver, gold, bronze, and bowls, a shining abode of treasures, with abundant wealth, grain, riches, and equipment, with full treasuries and storehouses, with much food and drink, including solid and soft foods, sweets, beverages, and savouries, as in Uttarakuru, blessed with crops, and like the city of the gods, Āḷakamandā.

Ettha ṭhatvā tesaṁ pubbakammaṁ kathetabbaṁ, kathentena ca chadhā vibhajitvā kathetabbaṁ.

With this set forth, their previous deeds should be told, and in telling it should be divided into six parts:

Seyyathidaṁ—

Namely,

pubbayogo milindapañhaṁ lakkhaṇapañhaṁ meṇḍakapañhaṁ anumānapañhaṁ opammakathāpañhanti.

the preliminary training, the Questions of Milinda, the Questions on Characteristics, the Dilemmas, the Questions on Inference, and the Questions with Talk on Similes.

Tattha milindapañho lakkhaṇapañho, vimaticchedanapañhoti duvidho.

Therein, the Questions of Milinda and the Questions on Characteristics are twofold as Questions Cutting Through Doubt.

Meṇḍakapañhopi mahāvaggo, yogikathāpañhoti duvidho.

The Dilemmas are also twofold as the Great Section and the Questions on Yogic Discourse.