Meṇḍakapañhārambhakathā

Aṭṭhamantaparivajjanīyaṭṭhānāni

Bhassappavādo ² vetaṇḍī, atibuddhi vicakkhaṇo;

Milindo ñāṇabhedāya, nāgasenamupāgami.

Vasanto tassa chāyāya, paripucchaṃ punappunaṃ;

Pabhinnabuddhi hutvāna, sopi āsi tipeṭako.

Navaṅgaṃ anumajjanto, rattibhāge rahogato;

Addakkhi meṇḍake pañhe, dunniveṭhe saniggahe.

‘‘Pariyāyabhāsitaṃ atthi, atthi sandhāyabhāsitaṃ;

Sabhāvabhāsitaṃ atthi, dhammarājassa sāsane.

‘‘Tesamatthaṃ aviññāya, meṇḍake jinabhāsite;

Anāgatamhi addhāne, viggaho tattha hessati.

‘‘Handa kathiṃ pasādetvā, chejjāpessāmi meṇḍake;

Tassa niddiṭṭhamaggena, niddisissantyanāgate’’ti.

Atha kho milindo rājā pabhātāya rattiyā uddhaste ⁴ aruṇe sīsaṃ nhatvā sirasi añjaliṃ paggahetvā atītānāgatapaccuppanne sammāsambuddhe anussaritvā aṭṭha vattapadāni samādiyi ‘‘ito me anāgatāni satta divasāni aṭṭha guṇe samādiyitvā tapo caritabbo bhavissati , sohaṃ ciṇṇatapo samāno ācariyaṃ ārādhetvā meṇḍake pañhe pucchissāmī’’ti. Atha kho milindo rājā pakatidussayugaṃ apanetvā ābharaṇāni ca omuñcitvā kāsāvaṃ nivāsetvā muṇḍakapaṭisīsakaṃ sīse paṭimuñcitvā munibhāvamupagantvā aṭṭha guṇe samādiyi ‘‘imaṃ sattāhaṃ mayā na rājattho anusāsitabbo, na rāgūpasañhitaṃ cittaṃ uppādetabbaṃ, na dosūpasañhitaṃ cittaṃ uppādetabbaṃ, na mohūpasañhitaṃ cittaṃ uppādetabbaṃ, dāsakammakaraporise janepi nivātavuttinā bhavitabbaṃ, kāyikaṃ vācasikaṃ anurakkhitabbaṃ, chapi āyatanāni niravasesato anurakkhitabbāni, mettābhāvanāya mānasaṃ pakkhipitabba’’nti. Ime aṭṭha guṇe samādiyitvā tesveva aṭṭhasu guṇesu mānasaṃ patiṭṭhapetvā bahi anikkhamitvā sattāhaṃ vītināmetvā aṭṭhame divase pabhātāya rattiyā pageva pātarāsaṃ katvā okkhittacakkhu mitabhāṇī susaṇṭhitena iriyāpathena avikkhittena cittena haṭṭhena udaggena vippasannena theraṃ nāgasenaṃ upasaṅkamitvā therassa pāde sirasā vanditvā ekamantaṃ ṭhito idamavoca –

‘‘Atthi me, bhante nāgasena, koci attho tumhehi saddhiṃ mantayitabbo, na tattha añño koci tatiyo icchitabbo, suññe okāse pavivitte araññe aṭṭhaṅgupāgate samaṇasāruppe. Tattha so pañho pucchitabbo bhavissati, tattha me guyhaṃ na kātabbaṃ na rahassakaṃ, arahāmahaṃ rahassakaṃ suṇituṃ sumantane upagate, upamāyapi so attho upaparikkhitabbo, yathā kiṃ viya, yathā nāma, bhante nāgasena, mahāpathavī nikkhepaṃ arahati nikkhepe upagate. Evameva kho, bhante nāgasena, arahāmahaṃ rahassakaṃ suṇituṃ sumantane upagate’’ti. Garunā saha pavivittapavanaṃ pavisitvā idamavoca – ‘‘bhante nāgasena, idha purisena mantayitukāmena aṭṭha ṭhānāni parivajjayitabbāni bhavanti, na tesu ṭhānesu viññū puriso atthaṃ manteti, mantitopi attho paripatati na sambhavati. Katamāni aṭṭha ṭhānāni? Visamaṭṭhānaṃ parivajjanīyaṃ, sabhayaṃ parivajjanīyaṃ, ativātaṭṭhānaṃ parivajjanīyaṃ, paṭicchannaṭṭhānaṃ parivajjanīyaṃ, devaṭṭhānaṃ parivajjanīyaṃ, pantho parivajjanīyo, saṅgāmo ⁶ parivajjanīyo, udakatitthaṃ parivajjanīyaṃ. Imāni aṭṭha ṭhānāni parivajjanīyānī’’ti.

Thero āha ‘‘ko doso visamaṭṭhāne, sabhaye, ativāte, paṭicchanne, devaṭṭhāne, panthe, saṅgāme, udakatitthe’’ti? ‘‘Visame, bhante nāgasena, mantito attho vikirati vidhamati paggharati na sambhavati, sabhaye mano santassati, santassito na sammā atthaṃ samanupassati, ativāte saddo avibhūto hoti, paṭicchanne upassutiṃ tiṭṭhanti, devaṭṭhāne mantito attho garukaṃ pariṇamati, panthe mantito attho tuccho bhavati, saṅgāme cañcalo bhavati, udakatitthe pākaṭo bhavati. Bhavatīha –

‘‘‘Visamaṃ sabhayaṃ ativāto, paṭicchannaṃ devanissitaṃ;

Pantho ca saṅgāmo titthaṃ, aṭṭhete parivajjiyā’’’ti.

Aṭṭha mantanassa parivajjanīyaṭṭhānāni.