English
Then King Milinda said to the Greeks, ''Is there, sirs, any other wise monk, who is able to converse with me to remove doubt?'' Now at that time, the venerable Nāgasena, surrounded by a company of ascetics, a leader of the Sangha, a leader of a company, a teacher of a company, well-known, renowned, well-regarded by many, wise, accomplished, intelligent, skillful, discerning, perceptive, disciplined, confident, learned, versed in the three Pitakas, a master of the Vedas, with profound wisdom, with acquired knowledge, with profound analytical insights, a holder of the nine-fold teaching of the Master, one who has reached the ultimate in the Buddha's word, skillful in the exposition and penetration of the meaning of the Dhamma, with inexhaustible and varied eloquence, a charming speaker, with pleasant speech, difficult to approach, difficult to overcome, difficult to refute, difficult to obstruct, difficult to restrain, unperturbed like the ocean, immovable like the king of mountains, a dispeller of battle, a dispeller of darkness, a bringer of light, a great speaker, a crusher of other groups and companies, a destroyer of other sectarians, respected by monks, by nuns, by laymen, by laywomen, by kings, by royal ministers, honored, revered, worshipped, esteemed, a recipient of robes, almsfood, lodgings, medicinal requisites for the sick, one who has attained the highest gain and fame, showing the nine-fold jewel of the Buddha's teaching to the elders and the discerning, who are endowed with attentive listening, instructing in the path of Dhamma, holding up the lamp of Dhamma, raising the pillar of Dhamma, performing the sacrifice of Dhamma, hoisting the banner of Dhamma, raising the standard of Dhamma, blowing the conch of Dhamma, beating the drum of Dhamma, roaring a lion's roar, thundering an Indra's thunder, delighting the entire world with a great cloud of Dhamma-nectar, filled with the water of compassion, encircled by a network of the lightning of supreme knowledge, with a sweet and resounding roar, wandering through villages, towns, and royal cities, had gradually arrived at Sāgala city. There, the venerable Nāgasena, with eighty monks, resides in Saṅkhyeyya-pariveṇa with thousands of monks. Therefore, the ancients said: ‘‘Learned, eloquent, skillful and expert; Timely and proficient, clever in ready wit. ‘‘And those monks, experts in the Tipiṭaka, and also in the five Nikāyas; And in the four Nikāyas, they made Nāgasena their leader. ‘‘Deeply wise, intelligent, skilled in the path and not the path; Attained to the highest goal, Nāgasena is an expert. ‘‘Surrounded by those monks, skillful and truthful; Wandering from village to town, he approached Sāgala. ‘‘In Saṅkhyeyya-pariveṇa, Nāgasena then resided; He teaches to people, like a lion on a mountain.’’ 23. Then Devamantiya said to King Milinda: ‘‘Come, great king; there is, great king, an elder named Nāgasena, wise, articulate, intelligent, disciplined, expert, learned, eloquent, with excellent ready wit, who has reached the perfection in the analytical knowledge of meaning, doctrine, language, and ready wit. He now resides in Saṅkhyeyya-pariveṇa. Go, great king, and question the venerable Nāgasena. He is able to converse with you and remove your doubt.’’ Then, as soon as King Milinda heard the word ‘‘Nāgasena,’’ there arose fear, there arose trepidation, there arose horripilation. Then King Milinda said to Devamantiya: ‘‘Is the monk Nāgasena able to converse with me?’’ ‘‘He is able, great king, even to converse with Indra, Yama, Varuṇa, Kuvera, Prajāpati, Suyāma, Santusita, the world-guardians, and even with his grandfather, Mahābrahmā. How much more so with a human being!’’ Then King Milinda said to Devamantiya: ‘‘In that case, Devamantiya, send a messenger to the venerable one.’’ ‘‘Yes, Your Majesty,’’ Devamantiya sent a messenger to the venerable Nāgasena: ‘‘King Milinda, venerable sir, wishes to see the venerable one.’’ The venerable Nāgasena also I said, "Then come!" Then King Milinda, surrounded by five hundred Yonaka men, mounted his excellent chariot and, with a great army, approached the Saṅkhyeyya monastery, where the Venerable Nāgasena was. At that time, the Venerable Nāgasena was seated in the circular hall with eighty thousand monks. King Milinda saw the assembly of the Venerable Nāgasena from afar, and seeing it, he said to Devamantiya, "Whose is this great assembly, Devamantiya?" "It is the assembly of the Venerable Nāgasena, great king." Then, when King Milinda saw the assembly of the Venerable Nāgasena from afar, there arose in him fear, there arose bewilderment, there arose horripilation. Then King Milinda, like an elephant surrounded by swords, like a nāga surrounded by garuḷas, like a jackal surrounded by pythons, like a bear surrounded by buffaloes, like a frog pursued by snakes, like a deer pursued by tigers, like a snake met by a snake charmer, like a mouse met by a cat, like a demon met by an exorcist, like the moon seized by Rāhu, like a snake put into a basket, like a bird put into a cage, like a fish put into a net, like a man who has entered a dangerous forest, like a yakkha who has offended Vessavaṇa, like a devaputta whose life is exhausted, was frightened, agitated, terrified, alarmed, with hair standing on end, disheartened, dejected, with a confused mind, with a distorted mind. He established his resolve, thinking, "May this retinue not despise me," and said to Devamantiya, "Devamantiya, do not point out the Venerable Nāgasena to me; I will know Nāgasena without being told." "Very well, great king, you yourself shall know him." At that time, the Venerable Nāgasena was in front of that assembly of monks, with forty thousand monks, nine He was not the youngest, but older than forty thousand monks. Then King Milinda, surveying that entire assembly of monks from front and back and middle, saw indeed the venerable Nāgasena seated far off in the midst of the assembly of monks, like a maned lion, free from fear and terror, free from horripilation, free from nervous agitation. Having seen him, by his very appearance he knew: "This indeed is Nāgasena here." Then King Milinda said to Devamantiya: "This, Devamantiya, is the venerable Nāgasena." "Yes, great king, this is Nāgasena. Indeed, great king, you have rightly recognized Nāgasena." Then the king was pleased: "Nāgasena has been recognized by me without being told." But then, just upon seeing the venerable Nāgasena, fear arose in King Milinda, consternation arose, horripilation arose. Therefore they said: Endowed with conduct, well-tamed in the highest discipline; Having seen Nāgasena, the king spoke these words: "Many discourses have been spoken by me, many discussions have been engaged in; There was never such fear, as the terror I feel today. Without doubt, defeat will be mine today; And victory Nāgasena's, for my mind is not settled." The external narrative is concluded.