From:
Milindapañha Milinda’s Questions
8. Milindapañhapucchāvisajjanā 8. The Asking and Answering of Milinda’s Questions
Thero āha—The elder said,
“jānāsi kho, mahārāja, sampati kā velā”ti? “Do you know, your majesty, what time it is now?”
“Āma, bhante, jānāmi ‘sampati paṭhamo yāmo atikkanto, majjhimo yāmo pavattati, ukkā padīpīyanti, cattāri paṭākāni āṇattāni gamissanti bhaṇḍato rājadeyyānī’”ti. “Yes, venerable sir, I know. ‘The first watch of the night has passed, the middle watch is proceeding, the torches are lit, and the four banners have been commanded to go from the treasury bearing royal gifts.’”
Yonakā evamāhaṁsu “kallosi, mahārāja, paṇḍito thero”ti. The Bactrian Greeks said this: “You are clever, your majesty, the elder is wise.”
“Āma, bhaṇe, paṇḍito thero, ediso ācariyo bhaveyya mādiso ca antevāsī, nacirasseva paṇḍito dhammaṁ ājāneyyā”ti. “Yes, friends, the elder is wise. If there were a teacher such as he and a pupil such as myself, before long a wise person would understand the Dhamma.”
Tassa pañhaveyyākaraṇena tuṭṭho rājā theraṁ nāgasenaṁ satasahassagghanakena kambalena acchādetvā “bhante nāgasena, ajjatagge te aṭṭhasataṁ bhattaṁ paññapemi, yaṁ kiñci antepure kappiyaṁ, tena ca pavāremī”ti—āha. Pleased with his answering of questions, the king covered the elder Nāgasena with a blanket worth a hundred thousand (kahāpaṇas) saying: “Venerable Nāgasena, from today I establish for you a meal for eight hundred, and I invite you with whatever is allowable in the inner palace.”
“Alaṁ, mahārāja jīvāmī”ti. “Enough, your majesty, I am living.”
“Jānāmi, bhante nāgasena, jīvasi, api ca attānañca rakkha, mamañca rakkhāhī”ti. “I know, Venerable Nāgasena, that you are living, but still protect yourself and protect me too.”
“Kathaṁ attānaṁ rakkhasi, ‘nāgaseno milindaṁ rājānaṁ pasādeti, na ca kiñci alabhī’ti parāpavādo āgaccheyyāti, evaṁ attānaṁ rakkha. “How do you protect yourself? ‘Nāgasena pleased King Milinda but received nothing’—lest such reproach should come, thus protect yourself.
Kathaṁ mamaṁ rakkhasi, ‘milindo rājā pasanno pasannākāraṁ na karotī’ti parāpavādo āgaccheyyāti, evaṁ mamaṁ rakkhāhī”ti. How should you protect me? ‘King Milinda was pleased but showed no sign of his pleasure’—lest such reproach should come, thus protect me.”
“Tathā hotu, mahārājā”ti. “So be it, your majesty.”
“Seyyathāpi, bhante, sīho migarājā suvaṇṇapañjare pakkhittopi bahimukhoyeva hoti; “Just as, venerable sir, a lion, the king of beasts, even when placed in a golden cage, remains outward-facing;
evameva kho ahaṁ, bhante, kiñcāpi agāraṁ ajjhāvasāmi bahimukho yeva pana acchāmi. even so, venerable sir, though I dwell in a house, I remain outward-facing.
Sace ahaṁ, bhante, agārasmā anāgāriyaṁ pabbajeyyaṁ, na ciraṁ jīveyyaṁ, bahū me paccatthikā”ti. If I, venerable sir, were to go forth from the household life into homelessness, I would not live long, so many are my enemies.”
Atha kho āyasmā nāgaseno milindassa rañño pañhaṁ visajjetvā uṭṭhāyāsanā saṅghārāmaṁ agamāsi. Then the Venerable Nāgasena, having answered King Milinda’s question, rose from his seat and went to the monastery.
Acirapakkante ca āyasmante nāgasene milindassa rañño etadahosi—Not long after the Venerable Nāgasena had departed, this occurred to King Milinda:
“kiṁ mayā pucchitaṁ, kiṁ bhadantena nāgasenena visajjitan”ti? “What did I ask? What did the Venerable Nāgasena answer?”
Atha kho milindassa rañño etadahosi—Then this occurred to King Milinda:
“sabbaṁ mayā supucchitaṁ, sabbaṁ bhadantena nāgasenena suvisajjitan”ti. “Everything was well asked by me, everything was well answered by the Venerable Nāgasena.”
Āyasmatopi nāgasenassa saṅghārāmagatassa etadahosi—And to the Venerable Nāgasena, having reached the monastery, this occurred:
“kiṁ milindena raññā pucchitaṁ, kiṁ mayā visajjitan”ti. “What did King Milinda ask? What did I answer?”
Atha kho āyasmato nāgasenassa etadahosi—Then this occurred to the Venerable Nāgasena:
“sabbaṁ milindena raññā supucchitaṁ, sabbaṁ mayā suvisajjitan”ti. “Everything was well asked by King Milinda, everything was well answered by me.”
Atha kho āyasmā nāgaseno tassā rattiyā accayena pubbaṇhasamayaṁ nivāsetvā pattacīvaramādāya yena milindassa rañño nivesanaṁ tenupasaṅkami, upasaṅkamitvā paññatte āsane nisīdi. Then the Venerable Nāgasena, when that night had passed, in the morning having dressed and taking his bowl and robe, approached King Milinda’s dwelling, and then sat down on the seat prepared.
Atha kho milindo rājā āyasmantaṁ nāgasenaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi, ekamantaṁ nisinno kho milindo rājā āyasmantaṁ nāgasenaṁ etadavoca—Then King Milinda, paid respects to the Venerable Nāgasena, and sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, King Milinda said this to the Venerable Nāgasena:
“Mā kho bhadantassa evaṁ ahosi ‘nāgaseno mayā pañhaṁ pucchito’ti teneva somanassena taṁ rattāvasesaṁ vītināmesīti na te evaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ. “May the venerable one not think thus: ‘Nāgasena was asked a question by me,’ and with that very joy pass the rest of that night—it should not be seen thus by you.
Tassa mayhaṁ, bhante, taṁ rattāvasesaṁ etadahosi—For me, venerable sir, during the rest of that night, this occurred:
‘kiṁ mayā pucchitaṁ, kiṁ bhadantena visajjitan’ti, ‘sabbaṁ mayā supucchitaṁ, sabbaṁ bhadantena suvisajjitan’”ti. ‘What did I ask? What was answered by the venerable one?’—‘Everything was well asked by me, everything was well answered by the venerable one.’”
Theropi evamāha—The elder also said thus:
“mā kho mahārājassa evaṁ ahosi ‘milindassa rañño mayā pañho visajjito’ti teneva somanassena taṁ rattāvasesaṁ vītināmesīti na te evaṁ daṭṭhabbaṁ. “May it not occur to your majesty thus: ‘King Milinda’s question was answered by me,’ and with that very joy pass the rest of that night—it should not be seen thus by you.
Tassa mayhaṁ, mahārāja, taṁ rattāvasesaṁ etadahosi—For me, your majesty, during the rest of that night, this occurred:
‘kiṁ milindena raññā pucchitaṁ, kiṁ mayā visajjitan’ti, ‘sabbaṁ milindena raññā supucchitaṁ, sabbaṁ mayā suvisajjitan’”ti itiha te mahānāgā aññamaññassa subhāsitaṁ samanumodiṁsūti. ‘What was asked by King Milinda? What did I answer?’—‘Everything was well asked by King Milinda, everything was well answered by me.’” Thus these great beings mutually rejoiced in each other’s well-spoken words.
Milindapañhapucchāvisajjanā niṭṭhitā. The Asking and Answering of Milinda’s Questions completed