1 Ārambhakathā

Ārambhakathā

2 Milindo nāma so rājā,

sāgalāyaṃ puruttame;

Upagañchi nāgasenaṃ,

gaṅgā ca yathā sāgaraṃ.

3 Āsajja rājā citrakathiṃ,

ukkādhāraṃ tamonudaṃ;

Apucchi nipuṇe pañhe,

ṭhānāṭṭhānagate puthū.

4 Pucchā visajjanā ceva,

gambhīratthūpanissitā;

Hadayaṅgamā kaṇṇasukhā,

abbhutā lomahaṃsanā.

5 Abhidhammavinayogāḷhā,

suttajālasamattitā;

Nāgasenakathā citrā,

opammehi nayehi ca.

6 Tattha ñāṇaṃ paṇidhāya,

hāsayitvāna mānasaṃ;

Suṇātha nipuṇe pañhe,

kaṅkhāṭṭhānavidālaneti.

2. 7 Taṃ yathānusūyate— atthi yonakānaṃ nānāpuṭabhedanaṃ sāgalaṃ nāma nagaraṃ nadīpabbatasobhitaṃ ramaṇīyabhūmippadesabhāgaṃ ārāmuyyānopavanataḷākapokkharaṇisampannaṃ nadīpabbatavanarāmaṇeyyakaṃ sutavantanimmitaṃ nihatapaccatthikaṃ paccāmittānupapīḷitaṃ vividhavicitradaḷhamaṭṭālakoṭṭhakaṃ varapavaragopuratoraṇaṃ gambhīraparikhāpaṇḍarapākāraparikkhittantepuraṃ. Suvibhattavīthicaccaracatukkasiṅghāṭakaṃ suppasāritānekavidhavarabhaṇḍaparipūritantarāpaṇaṃ vividhadānaggasatasamupasobhitaṃ himagirisikharasaṅkāsavarabhavanasatasahassappaṭimaṇḍitaṃ gajahayarathapattisamākulaṃ abhirūpanaranārigaṇānucaritaṃ ākiṇṇajanamanussaṃ puthukhattiyabrāhmaṇavessasuddaṃ vividhasamaṇabrāhmaṇasabhājanasaṅghaṭitaṃ bahuvidhavijjāvanta naraciranisevitaṃ kāsikakoṭumbarikādinānāvidhavatthāpaṇasampannaṃ suppasāritarucirabahuvidhapupphagandhāpaṇaṃ gandhagandhitaṃ āsīsanīyabahuratanaparipūritaṃ disāmukhasuppasāritāpaṇaṃ siṅgāravāṇijagaṇānucaritaṃ kahāpaṇarajatasuvaṇṇakaṃsapattharaparipūraṃ pajjotamānanidhiniketaṃ pahūtadhanadhaññavittūpakaraṇaṃ paripuṇṇakosakoṭṭhāgāraṃ bahvannapānaṃ bahuvidhakhajjabhojjaleyyapeyyasāyanīyaṃ uttarakurusaṅkāsaṃ sampannasassaṃ āḷakamandā viya devapuraṃ.

8 Ettha ṭhatvā tesaṃ pubbakammaṃ kathetabbaṃ, kathentena ca chadhā vibhajitvā kathetabbaṃ. Seyyathidaṃ— pubbayogo milindapañhaṃ lakkhaṇapañhaṃ meṇḍakapañhaṃ anumānapañhaṃ opammakathāpañhanti.

9 Tattha milindapañho lakkhaṇapañho, vimaticchedanapañhoti duvidho. Meṇḍakapañhopi mahāvaggo, yogikathāpañhoti duvidho.