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Those who did not depart to another direction, all remained silent. The bhikkhus, however, mostly went to the Himalayas. 8. Now at that time, a hundred million arahants were residing in the Himalayas, in a protected valley. Then the venerable Assagutta, hearing the words of King Milinda with his divine ear element, assembled the Sangha of bhikkhus on the peak of Yugandhara and asked the bhikkhus: “Is there, friends, any bhikkhu capable of conversing with King Milinda and dispelling his doubt?” When this was said, the hundred million arahants remained silent. A second time, and a third time, when asked, they remained silent. Then the venerable Assagutta addressed the Sangha of bhikkhus: “There is, friends, in the Tāvatiṃsa heaven, to the east of Vejayanta, a palace named Ketumatī. There resides a devaputta named Mahāsena. He is capable of conversing with that King Milinda and dispelling his doubt.” Then the hundred million arahants, having vanished from Yugandhara mountain, appeared in the Tāvatiṃsa heaven. Then Sakka, king of the devas, saw those bhikkhus coming from afar. Having seen them, he approached the venerable Assagutta. Having approached and saluted the venerable Assagutta, he stood to one side. Standing to one side, Sakka, king of the devas, addressed the venerable Assagutta: “A great Sangha of bhikkhus, venerable sir, has arrived. I am a servant of the Sangha. What is needed? What should I do?” Then the venerable Assagutta He said to Sakka, king of devas: "Indeed, great king, in Jambudīpa, in Sāgala city, there is a king named Milinda. He is a sophist, unapproachable, unbearable, and is called the foremost among various sectarians. He approaches the Sangha of bhikkhus, asks questions with his views, and harasses the Sangha of bhikkhus." Then Sakka, king of devas, said to the venerable Assagutta: "Indeed, venerable sir, this king Milinda, having passed away from here, was reborn among humans. Indeed, venerable sir, in the Ketumatī mansion, a devaputta named Mahāsena dwells. He is capable of conversing with that king Milinda, and removing his doubts. Let us ask that devaputta for rebirth in the human world." Then Sakka, king of devas, taking the Sangha of bhikkhus, entered the Ketumatī mansion, embraced the devaputta Mahāsena, and said: "The Sangha of bhikkhus, dear sir, asks you for rebirth in the human world." [Mahāsena replied:] "Venerable sir, I have no need for the human world, which is full of kamma. The human world is intense. Here, venerable sir, in the deva world, I will be reborn higher and higher, and attain final Nibbāna." A second time... ...and a third time, when asked by Sakka, king of devas, the devaputta Mahāsena said thus: "Venerable sir, I have no need for the human world, which is full of kamma. The human world is intense. Here, venerable sir, in the deva world, I will be reborn higher and higher, and attain final Nibbāna." Then the venerable Assagutta said to the devaputta Mahāsena: "Here, dear sir, as we survey the world with its devas, we see no one else, apart from you, capable of breaking the arguments of King Milinda, and upholding the Teaching. The Sangha of bhikkhus, dear sir, asks you. Good sir, please be reborn in the human world, and uphold the Teaching of the Ten-Powered One." When this was said, the devaputta Mahāsena, thinking: "I shall indeed be capable of breaking the arguments of King Milinda, and upholding the Buddha's Teaching!" became delighted, overjoyed, and exceedingly joyful. he agreed, "Yes, venerable sir, I will be reborn in the human world." 9. Then those bhikkhus, having completed their task in the deva world, vanished from the Tāvatiṃsa devas and appeared on the Himavanta mountain, in the protected area. Then the venerable Assagutta said to the assembly of bhikkhus, "Is there, friends, any bhikkhu in this assembly who has not come to the meeting?" When this was said, a certain bhikkhu said to the venerable Assagutta, "Yes, venerable sir, the venerable Rohaṇa entered cessation seven days ago on the Himavanta mountain; send a messenger to him." The venerable Rohaṇa himself, at that very moment, arose from cessation, thinking, "The Saṅgha awaits me," vanished from the Himavanta mountain and appeared in the protected area, before a hundred million Arahants. Then the venerable Assagutta said to the venerable Rohaṇa, "Why, friend Rohaṇa, do you not see the tasks of the Saṅgha when the Buddha's Dispensation is breaking apart [perishing]?" "I was unmindful, venerable sir," he replied. "Therefore, friend Rohaṇa, perform a penance." "What, venerable sir, shall I do?" "There is, friend Rohaṇa, near the Himavanta mountain, a brahmin village called Gajaṅgala [Kajaṅgala]; a brahmin named Soṇuttara resides there. A son will be born to him, a boy named Nāgasena. Therefore, friend Rohaṇa, for seven years and ten months, go for alms to that family, take the boy Nāgasena, and ordain him. When he is ordained, you will be released from the penance." The venerable Rohaṇa agreed, "Yes." 10. The Mahāsena devaputta, having passed away from the deva world, took conception in the womb of Soṇuttara the brahmin's wife. Immediately upon conception, three amazing and wonderful things appeared: weapons blazed, the best crops ripened, a great cloud rained. it rained. And Venerable Rohaṇa, for seven years and ten months from the time of that being conceived, entering that house for alms, never received even a spoonful of rice, or a ladle of gruel, or a greeting, or a salutation, or a respectful act. Instead, he received only abuse and reviling. There was no one who would even say, "Please take, Venerable Sir." But after the passing of seven years and ten months, one day he received just the words, "Please take, Venerable Sir." On that very day, the brahmin, returning from his work outside, saw the elder on the path and said, "Hey, ascetic, did you go to our house?" "Yes, brahmin, we went." "Did you receive anything?" "Yes, brahmin, we received." Displeased, he went home and asked, "Did you give anything to that ascetic?" "We gave nothing." The brahmin sat down at the house door the next day, thinking, "Today I will refute the ascetic for lying." The elder arrived at the brahmin's house door the next day. As soon as the brahmin saw the elder, he said, "Yesterday, you received nothing at our house, yet you said, 'We received.' Is lying permissible for you?" The elder said, "Brahmin, entering your house for seven years and ten months, we received not even the words 'Please take.' Yesterday, we received just the words 'Please take.' And so, on account of that verbal courtesy, we spoke thus." The brahmin thought, "These ascetics, receiving even just a verbal courtesy, praise it among people, saying, 'We received.' Why would they not praise it if they received something else to eat or drink?" Pleased, he had a spoonful of alms, from the food prepared for himself, and suitable curry given, saying, "This alms food, always..." "you will obtain," he said. He, from the next day onwards, seeing the tranquility of the approaching elder, became even more pleased, and requested the elder to always provide meals at his house. The elder, by his silence, assented, and going, performing the meal service day by day, he would speak a little bit of the Buddha's word. And that brahmin woman, after ten months, gave birth to a son, they named him "Nāgasena," and he, growing gradually, became seven years old. 11. Then indeed, Nāgasena's father spoke to the boy Nāgasena thus: "In this brahmin family, my dear Nāgasena, you should learn the teachings." "What, my dear father, are called the teachings in this brahmin family?" "Indeed, my dear Nāgasena, the three Vedas are called the teachings, the remaining crafts are called crafts." "In that case, my dear father, I will learn." Then indeed, the brahmin Soṇuttara, having given a thousand as the teacher's share to the brahmin teacher, and having arranged a bed together in a room within the palace, spoke to the brahmin teacher thus: "Indeed, brahmin, teach this boy the mantras." "In that case, 'My dear boy,' learn the mantras." As the brahmin teacher recited, for the boy Nāgasena, with a single instruction, the three Vedas became ingrained in his heart, fluent on his tongue, well-retained, well-established, well-considered. At once, an eye of wisdom arose in him concerning the three Vedas with their glossaries and phonetics, with their divisions of letters, with history as the fifth, he was skilled in words, a grammarian, flawless in logic and the marks of a great man. Then indeed, the boy Nāgasena spoke to his father thus: "Are there, my dear father, any further things to be learned in this brahmin family, or is this all?" "There are not, my dear Nāgasena, any further things to be learned in this brahmin family; these are all that are to be learned." Then indeed, the boy Nāgasena began to practice having given Iyā permission, descended from the palace. His heart urged by past habit, he went into seclusion, meditated alone, and examined the beginning, middle, and end of his craft. Seeing not even a little essence in the beginning, or in the middle, or in the end, he was remorseful and displeased, thinking: “These Vedas are truly empty, these Vedas are truly chaff, without essence, without core.” 12. Now at that time, the venerable Rohaṇa, seated in the Vattaniya monastery, perceiving the thoughts of the boy Nāgasena, dressed himself, took his bowl and robe, and vanished from the Vattaniya monastery, appearing in front of the Gajaṅgala brahmin village. The boy Nāgasena, standing at his doorway, saw the venerable Rohaṇa approaching from afar. Seeing him, he was pleased, elated, joyful, filled with delight and happiness, thinking: “Perhaps this recluse knows some essence!” He approached the venerable Rohaṇa, and having approached, he said to the venerable Rohaṇa: “Who are you, sir, dressed in such a ochre robe?” “I am called a recluse, boy.